This past year has been hard on our family. My wife, Heather, has been in the hospital sever- al times, requiring stays varying from a couple of days to more than a
week.;While;this;is;not;new;to;our;fam-ily (she was on bed rest during several
pregnancies), I have had to jump in to
teach, cook, and run the house while
doing;my;best;to;fulfill;my;responsibili-ties;at;work;as;well.
This time, Heather was not even there
to guide me. I had to carry the load of the
entire;family’s;needs,;the;household’s;re-quirements,;work;my;day-time;job,;and
homeschool the children by myself. This
was a stressful time for all.
In some areas we were somewhat pre-
pared and transitioned smoothly. Un-
fortunately, I discovered a couple of our
weaker;areas;the;hard way.;If;you;find
yourself in charge of everything during a
crisis, here are some tips that helped my
family and a couple that we are now in-
corporating into life, just in case. I hope
to;share;my;experience;and;knowledge
about what to do in a crisis so that you can
focus;on;what’s;important:;your;family.
1.;Know the Lay of the Land: Dads, you
are the principal and head of the house-
hold.;It’s;your;job;to;have;an;idea;of;what’s
going;on;in;your;family’s;homeschooling
and the day-to-day running of the house.
Being;an;active;member;of;your;family’s
homeschool;makes;it;easier;to;transition
into substitute teacher mode if necessary.
You;don’t;have;to;guess;about;what;is;be-
ing taught or the grade levels for your
children;;you;already;know;them.
2.;Lesson Plan: Have your wife write
out;yearly,;monthly,;and;weekly;plans.
The yearly plan should be just a general path for that year. The monthly plan
should;be;more;detailed,;and;the;weekly
should be very detailed, possibly including book pages/chapters or specific
subjects for free study. You also need a
list of all outside-the-home classes or lessons, along with times when they meet
and contact numbers or email addresses.
www.TheOldSchoolhouse.com
7Ways;to;Be;the Best;Dad;in;a;Crisis! By Christopher Laurie
Try to sustain the normal
routine of the home.
