
Let Them Be Kids with Jessica Smartt
What are your goals of parenthood? I’ll be the first to admit with my first three kids I wanted them to live an “ideal” childhood. I signed them up for sports and classes, up playdates, and joined homeschool co-ops. I pictured my kids as empty vessels for me to fill. Poor kids!
I remember my daughter, at age twelve, writing out her schedule and bringing it to me. “Mom, this is just TOO much.” Seeing it all on paper, I was shocked. She was right. I was working so hard to help my kids to “excel” that they were missing out on just being kids.
When John and I adopted seven more kids, I swung the opposite direction. I know now that kids grow up fast. (My oldest son is 31!) I want my kids to be able to enjoy their childhood and spend time with family … this is what will matter most! “Time together” is my priority now, and I greatly enjoyed my interview with Jessica Smartt about her book, Let Them Be Kids. You’re going to be inspired by this podcast!
Who is Jessica Smartt?
Jessica Smartt is a former English teacher turned homeschooling mama of three. She is the author of Memory Making Mom and Let Them Be Kids. A week after her first baby was born, she began her motherhood blog “Smartter” Each Day. Jessica and her husband live in beautiful North Carolina, where she loves hiking with kids (mostly), steaming coffee in the afternoon, family bike rides, and anything that’s ever been done to a potato.
You can order Let Them Be Kids HERE.
About the Book:
Bullying. Social media. Graphic video games. Elite sports teams. Anxiety. Depression. Whatever happened to just being a kid? As parents, we want to safeguard our children from the pressures and influences of the world but also prepare them for age-appropriate realities. So how do we find that balance?
Let Them Be Kids is Jessica’s offering of grace and confidence to moms, giving us practical ideas to meet the challenge. Her well-researched, tested methods, woven together with her personal stories and witty humor, deliver wisdom on tough topics, such as
- balancing family time vs. outside activities,
- the gift of being awkward and uncool,
- managing technology,
- protecting purity,
- showing grace when kids disobey, and more.
Part story, part guidebook, every chapter includes doable strategies and encouragement for the journey, equipping moms with ways to provide a safe, healthy, Christ-centered upbringing for our children.
If you want to conquer fear and find the truth that transforms entire families, Let Them Be Kids shows us that it’s not only possible but essential to enjoy every special moment of building family values together. And it serves as a gentle reminder that, someday, we’ll be very glad that we did.
Walk It Out Scripture
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10
If you are enjoying the show, I have a quick favor to ask! If you haven’t yet hit the subscribe button and left a rating and a review on iTunes, please take a moment and do so! I love reading your reviews and it keeps the algorithms happy so new listeners can find the podcast as well!
Resources, books, and links mentioned in this episode:
- Let Them Be Kids | Jessica Smartt
- Memory Making Mom | Jessica Smartt
- Walk it Out #051 with Jessica Smartt
- Sex, God, and the Conversations the Church Forgot | Mo Isom
- Sewing School
- Adventures in Odyessy
Connect with Jessica Smartt
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Connect with Tricia
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | BookBub
See more of Tricia’s Favorites here!