Does homeschooling have you ready to quit? You're not alone — and you're not failing. In this episode of the Everyday Educator podcast, host Lisa Bailey and 7-year Classical Conversations mom DeDe Adetutu get real about the winter doldrums, talk about why finishing strong actually matters, and share the practical strategies — and a little Yoruba wisdom — that have helped their families push through to the finish line. This one is equal parts encouragement and action plan. Lisa Bailey opens by naming what so many homeschool moms feel but rarely say out loud: February is hard. The holidays are over, the calendar looks long, and even families who genuinely love what they do can hit a wall. Her friend's confession — "I just want to quit" — wasn't a crisis. It was completely normal.
DeDe Adetutu jumps in with a key insight: the winter doldrums aren't random. They're the predictable aftermath of over-investing in holiday intentionality and under-investing in what comes next. We create the problem by making Christmas extraordinary and leaving January with nothing to look forward to. But she also offers a counter-perspective — maybe that emptiness isn't a problem to fix. Maybe it's rest. Winter isn't dead; it's dormant. And the ram, as DeDe's husband says, takes two steps back before charging forward.
The conversation gets practical fast. DeDe shares what her family has developed over seven years of CC: annual photo reviews with the family after Christmas that double as goal-setting sessions, cross-country training that teaches kids what finishing strong feels like in their bodies, inside jokes that double as one-word pep talks, and short interval study sprints that make the final weeks manageable. Lisa adds her own toolkit — 30-minute focused work blocks, purposeful rest days that involve serving others, and the occasional backwards day to break the monotony for younger kids.
What You'll Learn
• Why the winter doldrums are actually something we create for ourselves — and what to do about it
• Why finishing strong matters so much more than just getting to the end
• How a senior cross-country runner's wisdom about the hardest part of the race applies to your homeschool right now
• The Yoruba proverb DeDe's Nigerian husband shares with their family that reframes what rest is actually for
• Practical strategies for beating mid-year burnout: interval study sessions, backwards day, British accent memory work, and more
• Why it's okay to grieve unrealistic goals — and how to adjust them without quitting
• What a German exchange student's dance move taught DeDe's family about finishing strong
• Why seniors struggle to finish and what parents can do to help them stay present
• How a plate of Belgian chocolate and a foundations geography lesson became one of the year's best memories
• How Candyland might have been designed to teach kids how to handle disappointment
This episode of Everyday Educator is sponsored by:
Summit Ministries
Do you want your child to have conversations that challenge, encouragement that endure,
and friends and faith for life? Summit's Student Conferences equip young Christians with
the hope, clarity, and confidence they need to follow Jesus boldly in today's world. It's not
just about getting apologetics answers. Students learn how to live winsomely and bravely in today's world.
Visit summit.org/cc before March 31, 2026, and lock in the early bird rate. Save an additional $250 when you use the code CC26. Want your child to have conversations that challenge, encouragement that endures, and friends and faith for life? Grab their spot now at summit.org/cc
Classical Conversations' new 2026 Product Line
This April, Classical Conversations is launching an exciting portfolio of new products
designed to strengthen math fluency, develop critical reasoning skills, and equip families
with practical tools for classical, Christian homeschooling. From flashcard resources and
reasoning curriculum to hands-on manipulatives and a foundational parent resource, these
releases deepen the classical learning journey for families at every level.
Visit ClassicalConversations.com/WhatsNew/ to explore the entire April 2026 product
collection and start strengthening your family's classical, Christian education today. Don't
miss the special CC Bookstore sale from April 7 - 28!
