Is homeschooling through a hard season even possible — when illness, a move, a new baby, aging parents, or a teenager's growing pains turn your picnic-blanket read-aloud dreams upside down? In this episode of Everyday Educator, host Delise Germond sits down with Lisa Bailey — veteran homeschool mom of two grown daughters and a pastor's wife who began homeschooling the same season her family set out to plant a church — for an honest, hope-filled conversation about homeschooling through hard times.
Lisa shares why knowing your "why" carries you when well-meaning friends suggest you just quit and get a job, and how a simple daily rhythm — devotion, memory work, reading, then math, even when the morning starts in the afternoon — gives kids steadiness when life feels like papers flying through the air. Delise remembers being homeschooled while her mother walked through cancer treatment and why that unchanging routine became a gift. Together they unpack the freedom of "there is always a choice": skipping the African capitals for a season of Challenge A, taking Fridays off to be with Dad, listening to heavy books on audio, discussing a book instead of writing the paper, and trading worksheets for Legos. Lisa leans on Matthew 11:28–30, Delise on Psalm 30:5 — weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Plus, practical ways to keep the joy: the Candle of Happiness, a surprise diner-waitress lunch, a quilt-tent reading nook, and cozy-season ideas for the post-Christmas winter blues.
If you're in a hard season right now, consider this your permission to bend so you don't break — and a gentle reminder that seasons change and the light is coming. Pour a cup of hot chocolate, light a candle, and share this one with a mom who needs to hear it today.
This episode of Everyday Educator is sponsored by HSLDA
Homeschooling gives you the freedom to direct your child's education and tailor it to their unique needs and abilities. At HSLDA, we passionately advocate for your right to homeschool and provide unwavering support along the way. From personalized legal support for your family to exclusive articles, webinars, and downloads, plus discounts from major companies, HSLDA is there to help you with every step of the journey.
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