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I have fibromyalgia. In fact, I’m in the midst of a flair right now and have barely been out of bed for 2 days. I don’t tell you that for sympathy or pity (though I do cherish your prayers), I tell you that because somewhere out there is another homeschooling mom with a chronic illness or pain wondering if she can homeschool. And my answer to that is an unequivocal, YES!
So now that you know it can be done, the question becomes, how? I wanted to share a few tips I’ve learned along the way, tips that work for me. Bare in mind that I am homeschooling only one child. I’m sure the modifications would be a bit different for a larger family.
#1 Buy one of those breakfast tables with legs. Ben has spent quite a bit of time in bed with me for the past couple of days. He can do all of his seatwork on the breakfast table, and I’m right there to offer instruction or answer questions.
#2 Keep a library basket full of books and videos pertaining to the subject you’re learning about. We’re currently studying about Mexico and the desert habitat. We’ve been able to learn so much just from a few videos I had picked up from the library last week. And Ben has been reading to me, which kills 2 birds with one stone….he’s reading aloud, and learning!
#3 Don’t forget to take advantage educational programming as well. Reading Rainbow has been a Godsend for us on more than one occasion. There are also computer games that can fill in.
#4 Don’t overextend yourself. Now I’ll be honest and say that this is the toughest one for me. I like to stay busy and so does Ben. It will work out fine as long as you always have a back-up plan, someone to fill in for you if you can’t keep a commitment. Letting people know that this could happen is also a good idea. I plan field trips for local homeschoolers and there has been a time or two that I was not able to attend. Bringing on a co-coordinator was the best thing I’ve ever done. We missed a playdate today too. I didn’t tell Ben about it ahead of time, thankfully, so he’s not disappointed, though I am.
#5 Make room in your schedule for days that you simply can’t do anything. We begin our school year in July and end in May. That way we have plenty of wiggle room.
#6 Ask for help when you need it. I’m blessed that this week my hubby happens to be home on vacation. Most weeks he’s traveling. If I’m having a day or 2 when I just cannot function on any level, I’m sure to call on someone, mostly my mom, sometimes a friend. I can always count on my mom to come pick up Ben and take him to spend the night with her, and to bring me whatever I may need. None of us wish to be an imposition on anyone, but sometimes you just have to buck up and ask for help.
#7 Take advantage of current events. This year we have both the Olympics and Presidential Election to learn about. Add a few books or videos to your basket about subjects such as these. Magazines likeGod’s World News may give you some topics to discuss as well.
#8 Know that sending them to school is not the best option. You want to homeschool your children, you feel called to do that. Trust me, whatever time they have at home with you is better quality than they’ll get there. I honestly couldn’t imagine the last couple of day, getting up at the crack of dawn and getting Ben ready for and off to school. That would have been a much more difficult chore than keeping him home.
I’m not saying it’s easy. It’s not. Many things in life aren’t easy. But they’re worth the challenges, sacrifices and hard work it takes to make them work. Homeschooling is like that for all of us, isn’t it? Challenging, sacrificial, hard work. Having a chronic illness may make it a bit more difficult, but the rewards are great.
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