How do Amish deal with special needs children? Â We’ve often had questions here about how Amish approach individuals with disabilities, and children in particular. I confess the meaning of “special needs” has never been totally clear to me. From what I understand it can cover a broad variety of situations, from moderate learning issues to much more severe handicaps. Â English society attaches a stigma to…
From the editor’s notes of a recent issue (August 2012) of The Diary: The Diary has something this month that it has not had for nineteen years! Under BIRTHS this month, you will see that the very first entry is quadruplets! These four girls were born to Amos Masts of Granton, WI. Â Congratulations. Â And good luck. Nineteen years ago, Amos Eshs of Lancaster County also…
Sarah writes: Â I know pregnancy is a taboo subject in the Amish culture… what are the does and don’t when discussing? I have very close Amish friends. The woman is about 8 months pregnant by my estimate and today is the first day her husband has even acknowledged her pregnancy to me, and quite honestly, he only acknowledged it because she needs to go see…
The twelve Amish children left orphaned after the accident in upstate NY will be adopted. Â An Amish uncle and aunt from Ohio will be moving into the children’s home. Â From the report: The Ohio couple must sell a large home they built plus land in Fredericktown before they can relocate to Jasper, the patriarch said: he hopes the couple, who are in their early 30s…
On a recent post on Amish architecture, I shared some sure-fire ways of picking out Amish homes from the non-Amish.  Some of those ways have become less sure-fire as Amish homes have come to resemble English ones. Rich Stevick helpfully added some other signs of Amish abodes, including the trampoline, loved by Amish children.  Here’s a shot of one from the hilly Munfordville-Horse Cave, KY Amish…
You might think that Amish people would ride horseback often. After all, they certainly have much familiarity and experience with horses. Horses pull Amish carriages, and provide brute force on the farm, powering a range of farming equipment. Yet Amish rarely saddle up. Simply put, Amish riding horseback is not common. I see it from time to time, but it’s usually youth, mostly girls. You…
Does the stork make home deliveries? Â For many Amish families, the answer is yes. Birth at home, or in Amish-oriented birthing centers, is preferred for a few reasons. Â They include cost, comfort, and closeness to family. Â Midwives, some licensed, and others not, often handle deliveries in lieu of a doctor. Midwives may be non-Amish, or in some cases come from within the Amish community. Â In…
Which Bible do Amish use? Â Typically, the Amish use the German Martin Luther version, particularly for church readings. Â For an English version, the most favored translation is the King James edition (KJV). Some Amish use the New International Version (NIV) as well. Â Often, the Bible Amish read in the home will have a dual format-German on one side of the page, English on the other….
I just read an article by Donald Kraybill which examines Amish and obedience (http://goo.gl/Sb7e7).  In the piece, Kraybill explains why Amish use physical punishment to discipline children, citing an Amish mother named Hannah: Hannah explained that, when children are about two years old, their wills need to be broken. If it’s not done at that stage, she said, they will likely become disobedient, rebellious adults. The…
I was just digging through my things and came across the pen above, picked up while visiting Amish communities earlier this year. This pen commemorates the wedding of Steven and Lydia, married this past spring in Ohio. Â Keepsakes and souvenirs such as this memorialize Amish weddings in many communities. Remembrance items can range from pens with the couple’s name and date of marriage, to painted…