If your local school is like ours, it has been hit with a major epidemic of the winter crud. We are suffering from 10% absenteeism, and children are out of the classroom an average of four days. Returning to school after a week's worth of the flu is horrible. The child is probably still tired from the sickness, and has lost momentum thanks to hours in front of the television. To add to the misery, the first day back in the classroom the poor kid is handed a stack of makeup work. It's enough to make anyone wish for a relapse. Here's a prescription for recovering after the recovery.

Rx 1 - Get your child's makeup work early. Contact the school each day she is out, and ask for an assignment list. Let her do the easier subjects for about 20 minutes a few times a day.

Rx 2 - Go over the work before your child sees it. Make sure you are familiar with the subject matter (including finding the GCF!) so you can explain anything your son doesn't understand.

Rx 3 - Help with the work. Copy the math problems onto lined paper. Read chapters aloud. Let your child answer questions orally, and write the answers down. Then have him recopy them without having to worry about spelling and punctuation. Give any assistance that doesn't take away from the basic learning process of the subject at hand.

Rx 4 - Appeal to the teacher. Ask him or her if there are some assignments that can be eliminated or abbreviated.

Rx 5 - Let your child stay out an extra day just to do the makeup work. She is probably still weak, and doesn't need the exposure to other children and their germs. The extra day of rest will help her rebuild resistance. Plus, the entire day can be devoted to working, and not in the many non-academic pursuits of school, like waiting in line for the bathroom or listening to a lecture on hygiene.

Rx 6 - Continue to administer chicken soup and lots of hugs and kisses.

I hope your child feels better soon.