20 Ideas for How to Homeschool from Bed

In the last 5 years, I’ve been bedridden off and on from mold and chemicals.

Here are some ideas for homeschooling through being bedridden with chronic illness, starting with the obvious idea:

1. Do school on your bed or couch.  Have your children bring you books.
2. Have a table by your bed with all your planning materials on it, as well as pencils, scissors, etc.
3. Try a box for books (with spines upright so you can see them) and papers or files by your bed.
4. Try to plan school and/or do school when you are at your best mentally.
5. If you are even too fatigued to read out loud, have your older children read to your younger ones.
6. Have your children grade each other’s papers (when you have a clear teacher’s key for them to do it.  Of course this works better when they are older.  🙂 )
7. “Let go” of doing “everything.”  Your children will learn.
8. Realize that most homeschool programs are pretty advanced.  It is also easier to tutor a few children than to teach a whole classroom, so know you don’t have to review just because the book says so.  Only review if your child needs it.
9. Hand-in-hand with #7 & #8:  ask God where to prioritize your energy.
10. Ask for help.  Maybe a neighbor would love to read history to your children.  Maybe a friend from church could grade your children’s essays.  Maybe a relative can take over some of the schooling.  Ask God for ideas.
11.  Let older children do projects on their own or on a TV tray in your room (so you can enjoy watching).
12. Ask God for strength.
13. Study your children’s learning styles and optimize them.  For instance, two of my children are extremely auditory, so we use a lot of CDs with songs on them, like the Troxel’s States and Capitals CD Kit:  States and Capitals Kit
14. Even if your children are not auditory learners, learning CDs can be great.  Most children love music and learn through it.
15. Make good use of learning DVDs.  Here are some of our favorites:                          Sonlight science DVD     Sonlight math DVDs      Leapfrog Learning DVDs
16. If you have the financial resources, consider a complete online or video program for schooling if you are really exhausted.
17. Do not let others tell you what you “should” do, unless after considering their ideas, you feel their ideas coincide with what God is telling you.  (How to know?  I suggest looking up George Mueller for advice on knowing the will of God.  There are other excellent studies on this as well.)
18. Remember that when your children help you in your illness, they are learning love and compassion and seeing the needs of others.
19. Remember that God loves your children more than you do.
20. Remember that if God calls you to homeschool, He will help you do it.

Have you ever homeschooled from bed?

Christa Upton     Black Hills Picture Books       Edgemont, SD 57735