A Homeschooling Mom’s Guide to Surviving the Cold and Flu Season

Posted by Elizabeth Curry | 1 comment

It’s January, that wonderful time of the year when coughs, colds, and flu can derail the most organized household. People are miserable, plans need to be changed, laundry needs to be done, and there is always that bit of worry when someone you love is sick. And homeschooling? Well, at least around here, that goes out the window.

With so many people to bring home germs, we’ve had our share of sickness over the years. (Though, thankfully, we seem to be a relatively healthy bunch.) So I’ve learned some things about coping with seasonal illnesses.

But before I share my list, I need to talk about attitudes. There have been plenty of times I have had to remind myself that it’s not about me and what is and isn’t convenient. It’s not as though the child became ill on purpose, just to make my life more difficult. Yes, a sick child can cause a parent to have to change plans, and sometimes this is disappointing. But what better way to show your child how much you love him, than to put the child ahead of the plans. Sometimes having to change or cancel plans can be a blessing in disguise. We can all get going so fast that we forget to slow down. Illness can force us to stop and take a break.

It also helps to remember what it felt like to be sick as a child. What was comforting or scary or upsetting? I have very pleasant memories from my mother caring for me when I was under the weather and try to incorporate her practices in my own parenting. Nothing shows love more clearly than being cared for when one is not at one’s best. By caring for our ill children we are not only showing them our love, but teaching them compassion as well.

10 tips to survive the cold and flu season

• Plan ahead and stock up on any medicine you usually have on hand. Don’t wait until it’s 2am to realize you’re out of fever reducer. You know someone will get sick during the winter, be prepared.

• Have other soothing remedies planned. I keep fresh lemons in the refrigerator during these months to make a homemade throat tonic. (Recipe at end) Cool washcloths spritzed with diluted lavender essential oil are also soothing.

• Buy some buckets. We have a couple of them that just live in a cupboard of our bathroom. If a child starts to get that questionable look, the bucket comes out and just sits next to the child. It is still not a guarantee that the laundry will not be increasing, but is has worked enough that we keep doing it.

• Remember the BRAT diet when a child is not feeling well. Bananas, rice, apple sauce, and toast are all easily digestible and good choices for a stomach that is not quite fully functioning.

• If your child is well enough to listen to a story, take advantage of a captive audience and spend an afternoon reading a long chapter book. If you have others you need to attend to, bring a portable CD player in for the child to listen to, or cancel your regular schedule and let everyone in on the story.

• Make the child feel special. As a rule we don’t allow food anywhere but in the kitchen and dining room. When a child is sick we make an exception. A tray with juice and some crackers or toast brought to where the child is resting is a special treat. A small toy that isn’t usually seen would also be a welcome addition.

• Fresh sheets and pajamas aid in sleeping. Even though it contributes to the laundry, there is something restful about having new things to sleep in when one has been in bed all day.

• Let your homeschooling schedule be accommodating. When I made my schedule for the school year, I made it loose enough to allow for unexpected interruptions. I knew they would happen, just not when. That way if we have unexpected appointments or visitors or illnesses, I don’t panic. This buffer allows me to let my child rest and to let myself relax.

• Don’t forget the well children in the house. If the ill child needs more of your attention than usual, you may need to have an alternate plan for the well ones to work on while you are busy with the invalid.

• It goes without saying, that the parents should take all precaution not to get sick themselves. Hand washing, lots of vitamin C, fresh air, and plenty of sleep will help ward off illness. It’s not a guarantee, but it doesn’t hurt. And did I mention hand washing?

Lemon and honey throat tonic
Scrub 4 lemons, cut in half, and place in a glass baking dish. Bake for 55 minutes at 175 degrees. Remove and let stand until cool. Squeeze juice into a jar and add 2/3 as much honey (or more or less to taste). Take about 6 TBSP twice (at least) a day… just sip and hold in the back of the throat as long as you can before swallowing. Holding it in the back of your throat helps to clear the sinuses and also takes some of the ache away from the throat.

Elizabeth Curry is on year 14 of homeschooling her 9 children (with #10 arriving via China at some point next year). Devoted bookworms all, it’s not surprising that much of the learning that happens centers around whatever chapter book is being read. When she isn’t taking care of children or reading, she enjoys sewing, cooking, and writing. Her life of following Jesus with many children in the Big, Ugly House is chronicled at www.ordinary-time.blogspot.com .