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You don’t have to be a perfectly healthy, high-energy mom to homeschool well. In fact, some of the most powerful homeschool lessons happen in the quiet, tender moments, especially when chronic illness is part of your story. Today, I’m sharing what it really looks like to homeschool with simplicity when your body isn’t cooperating.
Today I want to talk about something that I don’t often bring up, but that I often hear stirring under the surface, and that’s this: Can you homeschool well if you have a chronic illness?
Maybe you’re dealing with an autoimmune disease, Lyme, lupus, fibromyalgia, colitis, or diabetes. Maybe chronic fatigue. Maybe some days you wake up and you genuinely don’t know if you’ll have the energy to get through breakfast, let alone a full day of teaching. Maybe you just feel too sick and tired.
Mama, I want to gently push back on that. Not because I don’t understand how hard it is, but because I’ve lived it. Both as the kid being homeschooled by a chronically ill mom, and now as the mom homeschooling with my own diagnoses.
Today, I want to share my story, bust some myths, and give you practical ways to homeschool with simplicity, even when your body isn’t cooperating. I firmly believe that chronic illness doesn’t disqualify you from homeschooling. It just requires a shift toward simplicity, grace, and sustainable rhythms.
So let’s dive in.
The Myth We Need to Bust
Let’s start by addressing the biggest lie floating around: “I can’t homeschool because I’m too sick.”
I get it. When you’re in the middle of a flare-up, when the pain is overwhelming, when you can barely get off the couch, it feels impossible. But I want you to know something: it’s not.
Now, I’m not saying it’s easy. I’m not saying there won’t be hard days. Really hard days. But the idea that chronic illness automatically disqualifies you from homeschooling? That’s just not true.
In fact, I’m here to argue that chronic illness can actually enrich your homeschooling experience in ways you might not expect. It often creates space for deeper connection, teaches resilience, and shows your kids what it looks like to persevere with grace.
Let me tell you why I believe this so deeply.
Growing Up Homeschooled by a Chronically Ill Mom
My mom had Crohn’s disease when I was growing up. And I remember so many days when my sister and I would sit down to do our independent work while Mom rested in bed.
We had our schedule. We knew what needed to get done. We’d complete our pages, do our chores, help with cooking and cleaning. And you know what? There was a cohesiveness to those days. A peacefulness, even in the middle of the difficulty.
We didn’t have to worry about someone picking us up from school. We didn’t have to perform for teachers or keep up appearances. We could just be together as a family, supporting each other, relying on each other.
Those moments of sitting in the same room, reading quietly while Mom rested? Those weren’t wasted days. They were formative. They taught me patience, independence, and compassion. They showed me what it looks like to care for someone you love when they’re struggling.
I didn’t realize it then, but those sick days became a foundation for some of the most valuable lessons of my childhood.
My Own Journey with Chronic Illness
Now, here I am as an adult, and I have Crohn’s disease too. I also have fibromyalgia, reactive hypoglycemia, and PTSD.
I don’t share that to make you feel sorry for me. I share it because I want you to know: I get it. I understand what it’s like to plan a beautiful homeschool day and then barely make it out of bed in the morning. I know what it’s like to feel guilty because you’re “not doing enough.” I know the frustration of watching your body betray you when you desperately want to show up for your kids.
Now I’ve been blessed. I’m on a reversal protocol for my fibromyalgia, I’m managing my hypoglycemia with a strict diet, which has also improved my Crohn’s symptoms. But flare-ups still happen. And when they do, everything changes.
And this week I’ve been living in the middle of a flare-up. This week has been rough. I’ve lost an incredible amount of sleep, I’ve had terrible episodes in the middle of the night, I feel weak and shaky during the day. I’m going to doctor’s appointments, getting tests done. Our regular rhythms? Out the window.
And you know what? That’s okay.
The Grace-Filled Truth About Homeschooling and Illness
Here’s something I need you to hear: even healthy moms don’t give 110% every day.
I know it’s easy to fall into that comparison trap. “If I were healthy, I could do more. If I were normal, I could keep up.” But mama, even the healthiest moms have bad days. Even they get burnt out. Even they have seasons where they’re just surviving.
The difference is, you’re carrying an extra weight that may feel pretty constant. And that requires extra grace.
But here’s the beautiful flip side: having chronic illness actually makes you more present in some ways. You’re home more. You’re moving slower. You’re not constantly running from activity to activity.
And in those slow, painful moments, when you’re curled up on the couch with your kids watching a documentary or reading together, there’s a depth of connection that happens. Your kids see you persevere. They learn compassion. They discover that life isn’t always easy, but love shows up anyway.
Those lessons? You can’t teach them from a textbook.
Practical Simplicity for Flare Days
Okay, so let’s get practical. Because I know you’re wondering: “Laura, that sounds nice in theory, but how do I actually DO this?”
Here’s the thing: you’re not going to be setting up brand new systems in the middle of a flare-up. You’re not going to be meal planning or decluttering. Those things go on hold.
But you can prepare in advance. And you can lean into simplicity at its core.
Create a Flare Day Rhythm
Ideally before a flare hits, sit down and create a simple “flare day plan.” This doesn’t have to be complicated. Just outline:
- A few independent activities your older kids can do (audiobooks, workbooks, documentaries)
- Some easy meal options (cereal, sandwiches, dino nuggets. No judgment here)
- Basic chores that keep the house from total chaos (dishes, laundry, picking up main living areas)
When you’re in the middle of a flare, you don’t have the mental energy to figure this out. But if you’ve already written it down? Your kids can follow it. Your older kids especially can step up in beautiful ways.
Outsource What You Can
In this plan, we want to outsource what you can. This might look like:
- Audiobooks instead of read-alouds
- Independent math practice instead of hands-on lessons
- Documentaries instead of in-depth discussions
- Alexa helping with spelling words and definitions (and yes, this really is a life saver)
The things that absolutely need you? Those can wait. And that’s okay.
Delegate Age-Appropriately
If you have older kids (elementary age and up), they can help more than you think. They can wash dishes. They can help with basic meal prep. They can supervise younger siblings for short stretches.
Now, if you have a three-year-old like me? Yeah, that’s harder. He’s not making meals or doing chores independently. But he can play with toys. He can watch movies. And that’s enough for this season.
Anchor to Non-Negotiables
On flare days, I aim for just a few basics:
- Everyone gets fed (even if it’s cereal for dinner)
- We have clean silverware and bowls (or, you can do paper plates and disposable silverware too. That’s totally okay)
- The main living areas aren’t total disaster zones
Everything else? It can wait. And when my husband gets home or I’m feeling better, we’ll catch up.
The Mindset Shift That Changes Everything
Here’s the mindset shift I want you to embrace: This version of your homeschool is more than enough.
Your chronic illness may change how you homeschool, but it doesn’t cancel your ability to homeschool.
Your kids aren’t going to remember whether you finished every math lesson or if the house was perfectly clean. They’re going to remember that you cuddled with them on the couch. They’re going to remember watching Anne of Green Gables together while you rested. They’re going to remember that even when life was hard, you chose to be together.
And mama, those memories? They’re priceless.
What Your Kids Are Really Learning
I want to close with this: your chronic illness is not holding your kids back. It’s actually teaching them lessons they can’t learn anywhere else.
They’re learning independence. They’re learning compassion. They’re learning resilience. They’re learning that life doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful.
When I look back on my childhood with a chronically ill mom, I don’t think, “Man, I missed out.” I think, “I treasure that time we had together.”
I learned to work independently. I learned to help my family. I learned to be present in hard moments. I learned that love isn’t about grand gestures. It’s about showing up, even when it’s hard.
Your kids are learning those same lessons. And one day, they’re going to look back and realize what a gift that was.
Final Thoughts
Chronic illness is a challenge. There’s no sugarcoating that. But it doesn’t have to define your homeschool. And it doesn’t disqualify you from this journey.
Lean into simplicity. Give yourself grace. Create rhythms that flex with your body. And trust that even on the hardest days, you’re doing enough.
Your kids don’t need a perfect, high-energy teacher. They need you, exactly as you are.
Mama, you’re doing an amazing job. Keep going. Your homeschool deserves more peace, and so do you.