Pursuing Your Homeschooler's Creativity

How to Homeschool and Pursue Your Child's Creative Side

Introduction

Meet Jaime Jo Wright

Recently, NxtEra spoke with Jaime Jo Wright, who is a successful author and homeschool mom. She was also homeschooled and graduated in 1994. She currently resides in Wisconsin with her husband and two kiddos. Ms. Wright writes books for Bethany House Publishers and Harlequin Love-Inspired Suspense Novels. Her stories often cover darker elements and spooky settings, but she always reflects Christ and gives glory to Him. Often, she will highlight topics, such as death or grief, to highlight God and how the spiritual world connects with the earthly world. She desires to show hope through her stories.

Ms. Wright also dabbles in social media management for other authors. As of now, she is working on releasing a YA age-appropriate romantic-comedy with her homeschooled daughter. Her writing journey began when she was 15 years old, when she wrote a story about mice who lived in an oak tree.

Ms. Wright loved her homeschooling experience because it gave her free time to explore her interests. She was especially fascinated by vintage things, ancestry, and mystery novels. Because of homeschooling, she studied the breakdown of a story's structure and immersed herself in all things writing.

Her father worked in lobbying and Wisconsin politics. Specifically, he fought for homeschooling rights and lobbied for Christian family values within the Wisconsin government. Ms. Wright loved her time as a homeschooler because she was able to concentrate on her interests. She began reading at 4 years old, so she explained that words have always been a part of her. She added that she felt God gave her a love for story.

During her school years, a church librarian introduced her to popular Christian fiction authors like Jeannette Oke, Traci Peterson, and Lori Wick. This then showed her the possibilities of Christian fiction. She became interested in mystery storytelling through authors like Nathaniel Hawthorne and Charles Dickens. Ms. Wright also devoured the Nancy Drew books, Trixie Belden, and the Boxcar Children.

Ms. Wright found great joy in history and vintage stories. However, she found herself wondering how the stories would play out if they impacted modern times. Thus, she now writes her stories with dual timelines where the past and present interweave.

Since she was homeschooled and had a grandma who loved ancestry, Ms. Wright loved family history from a young age. Homeschooling allowed her to freely study her family history and learn interesting facts. She loves to connect the dots and see how her family lived in earlier years.

Ms. Wright provided advice for young writers. She recommends free writing and using craft books as needed. Let your creative side just flow and don't worry about structure or grammar. Just write and enjoy the fun of creating a story. Ms. Wright also suggested practicing a writing method that her mom used — take magazines and a simple lined notebook, then write a story based on the images. Sometimes her mom would apply a word count limit or give her a certain time to write the story.

To encourage and implement free study in your own children, Ms. Wright suggested a few ideas:

Let your children pursue their own passions.

NxtEra's Spin
Observe them and see what they like. Are they good at science? Do they love the outdoors? Start asking questions and observing them to discover their area of interest.
Encourage your homeschoolers to study family history.

NxtEra's Spin
Pull out family mementos and albums. Encourage your kiddos to see how their ancestors lived, and they might discover some interesting facts.
Suggest deep dive studying.

NxtEra's Spin
Whether your child has an area of interest or wants to study family history, encourage them to go deep on it. Let them have time to study. This is excellent for their brain and attention span.

When asked about how she juggles homeschooling and full-time writing, Ms. Wright emphasized teamwork. Her husband is a natural teacher and teaches at a local Christian school and youth group. Ms. Wright didn't want to homeschool because she doesn't enjoy teaching. She loved her homeschool experience, but didn't feel that she was capable. Thus, she learned to delegate. Her family members often helped teach baking or American history classes. Her husband helps a lot with the schoolwork while she provides the nurturing part of parenting as needed. She also explained that there are many options for resources these days for online teaching.

She said that she is a testament to the homeschooling parent who can't homeschool. Homeschooling doesn't need to fit into a box. Life is like a tapestry, where God knows the full picture and you just see the messy strands. He will weave a beautiful picture of your life, no matter where you end up.

To implement this mindset, Ms. Wright recommended the following tips:

Use teamwork.

NxtEra's Spin
Gather help from your spouse or family members. Teach to your skillset. If you're better at teaching English, do that and let someone else teach the other subjects.
Delegate as needed.

NxtEra's Spin
If you need help from others, ask for it. Seek out other tutors or family members and friends who can help you on this journey.
Mold homeschooling to fit your family.

NxtEra's Spin
Use curricula or use online learning. Find other teachers or find the learning style that works for your family. Don't pressure yourself to fit a mold that won't work.
Be flexible.

NxtEra's Spin
Be open to change. Don't feel pressured to homeschool the same way every year. Be willing to try new things. Maybe you need to try learning outside more instead of learning at the kitchen table. Find ways to mix it up.
Encourage critical thinking.

NxtEra's Spin
Let your children suggest ideas on how to change up your homeschooling routine. What would they like to do?
Give yourself grace.

NxtEra's Spin
Realize that you will make mistakes. It will be okay, and your child will be resilient. It will all work out, and forgive yourself for those mistakes. If you have to send your child to public school because of your life or family situation, you're not a bad parent. It's not a failure. Ms. Wright simply said that God uses these parents on a different path. Just be involved in your child's education, and that means everything.

Invoke your area of interest in your child. Give them time to explore different interests and experiment to see what they like. Encourage the study of family history to discover the past. We suggest that they deep dive into these two areas of exploration.

Next, use teamwork to help you succeed as a homeschooling family. Delegate and mold as needed for your tribe. Also, be open and flexible to new ideas and methods.

Finally, please give yourself grace on this journey. We support you and believe in you even if you make mistakes. You care about your child, and that's all that matters.