We’ve just finished the second official week of school, and the schools have already had to close for 2 days due to bad weather. No, we’ve not been hit with a snowstorm in September: it’s good-ole’ rain–lots of it. It’s been raining so much that some local roads are flooding, preventing the transportation of kids to school.

Missing school is a lot like missing work. Even when it’s excused, it doesn’t mean you have any less work to do when you get back–quite the opposite. For kids, missing a day if school means they’ll just have more material to cover when they get back to classes.

When kids miss a day from school, it can be tempting to simply let them relax and enjoy the day off. But consider this: having your kids spend even a short time making sure they’re caught up with their school work can save them–and you–a lot of stress when school is back in session.

Do your kids have an upcoming school project they can get a head start on? Do they need to study spelling words (or any other subject) for an upcoming test or quiz? Can your kids do their homework for the day, even though they didn’t have to go to school? Some teachers tell their students in advance what homework they’ll have for the week–so staying home from school doesn’t necessarily mean they can’t get any work done. And, depending on the class, your kids’ teachers may EXPECT them to have the day’s homework ready to turn in.

Even if your kids are resistant to the idea of working on “school stuff” on their day off, you can explain that staying caught up now means less stress when they return to school. And, it can help keep them prepared for  tests or quizzes they may have to take when they get back to school.

Having missed the past 2 days because of flooding, my fifth-grader still completed his spelling homework for each night. He also studied for a spelling test originally scheduled for one of the missed days. In addition, he spent some time working on his first book report. (They have one due every month.)

If your kids aren’t yet old enough to understand the benefits of doing schoolwork on their days off, you can still get their willing cooperation.  Set a reasonable length of time for them to get their school-related work done–and when it’s complete, allow them to play video games, watch movies, etc….whatever it is that they really wanted to do on their day off. This way, they know they won’t have to work all day–and that there’s a fun incentive when they get their work done.