Building A Home Your Kids Want to Come Back to w/ Jessica Smartt
Raising Driven Kids
Equipping parents during their child’s academic years to bring learning to daily moments.
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On today’s episode…
What makes a home so warm, welcoming, and rooted in love that your kids want to keep coming back—even as adults? Author and homeschool mom Jessica Smartt joins Dr. Kelly Cagle to share practical ways to build a grace-filled family culture through traditions, digital boundaries, and intentional connection. Whether you homeschool or not, this episode will encourage you to slow down, tune in, and invest in what matters most: your family.
Insights
The Heart Behind "Come On Home"
Jessica, who lives on a multi-generational farm in North Carolina with her extended family, explains that the book is rooted in the belief that kids need to feel both loved and liked. While many children grow up knowing they are loved, feeling genuinely enjoyed and wanted by their parents creates a deeper sense of connection.
"Strong families don’t just happen—they’re built with intentionality, grace, and lots of ordinary moments that become extraordinary memories."
Jessica shares how her own parents balanced high standards with unconditional love, modeling a culture that made family the center of life. Now, she's continuing that legacy with her own three children.
Creating Meaningful Moments in a Busy Home
The episode emphasizes that building a strong family culture doesn’t require perfection—but it does require intentionality. Jessica encourages parents to:
Establish weekly family rituals, like dinners or Saturday pancakes
Celebrate an annual family day that prioritizes togetherness
Create seasonal traditions that anchor your family in shared joy
She reminds listeners that no one ever really "feels" like making memories—but when parents make time for small traditions, they create emotional landmarks kids will remember for a lifetime.
"If you don’t choose to make memories, you won’t have them."
Digital Discipline & Protecting Connection
Navigating parenting in a digital world is one of the biggest challenges today. Jessica shares candidly about delaying giving her teenage son a phone until age 16—and the fruit of that decision.
She offers practical strategies:
Delay devices as long as possible
Strip down your own phone to reduce distractions
Set social media limits and ask for accountability (even from your kids!)
Most importantly, she encourages parents to parent from conviction, not fear.
"Don’t give in just because every other kid has it. If God has placed a conviction in your heart, He’ll give you the strength to follow through."
Homeschooling, Slow Living, and Building Connection
Though not a requirement, homeschooling has given Jessica’s family the gift of time and presence. She explains how this slower pace of life allows them to:
Enjoy unhurried mornings and porch talks
Tend to each child’s needs more personally
Create a lifestyle where learning and living go hand in hand
Jessica and Dr. Kelly agree that homeschooling isn't the only path—but it can be a valuable one for families seeking deeper connection and flexibility.
Final Encouragement: Progress Over Perfection
For the mom who feels like she’s not doing enough, Jessica offers this grounding encouragement:
Don’t ignore the "mom guilt"—ask God what He may be speaking through it.
Seek honesty with yourself and grace in your parenting.
Trust that God can multiply small seeds of effort into generational impact.
"God grows so much more than the seed you plant—He multiplies it beyond what you can imagine."
Where to Find the Book
📘 Come On Home by Jessica Smartt is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.
Learn more about Jessica’s work at JessicaSmartt.com
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About Jessica Smartt
Jessica Smartt is a former English teacher turned homeschool mom, speaker, and author of Memory-Making Mom and Come On Home: A Grace-Filled Guide to Raising a Family Who Loves and Likes Each Other. She’s passionate about helping families create meaningful traditions, build strong relationships, and anchor their homes in grace—not perfection.
Jessica lives on a multi-generational family farm in North Carolina with her husband, three kids, and a whole lot of animals. Through her writing and speaking, she encourages parents to be intentional about cultivating home life that their kids will cherish for years to come.
Learn more at JessicaSmartt.com
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HEY THERE! I’M DR. CAGLE… DO YOU NEED HELP WITH CREATING GREAT HABITS???
Parenting is hard work. It requires tons of boundaries, daily consistency, so much awareness, as well as lots of patience, grace, wisdom, and filters. Combine that hefty list with all of life’s demands and others’ voice may become louder than yours in your child’s life, increasing their anxiety, fears, and doubts.
Healthy parenting is about seeing yourself as your child’s #1 teacher, saying the right words (or nothing at all) at the right time, and having the right tools to be intentional and impactful. Guessing your way through life, which is what most parents do, is a recipe for failure, but following the lead of someone who has two decades of research-based information and fully understands the demands of parenthood is a recipe for a full life— for you and your child.
With a PhD in education, I’m here to teach you how to use daily moments are learning opportunities so you raise confident and competent lifelong learners that thrive in an ever-changing world.
Additionally, I offer workshops and keynotes on various topics to parents, educators, students, and business leaders— because the need to understand, support, and empower learners is everywhere..
