My boys love all things having to do with Knights, battles, honor, and chivalry. I think all young boys are enamored with knights at some point. Have you ever wanted to use that to your advantage while working on character training?
In an age when respect and honor seem like distant and antiquated relics, how can we equip boys to pursue valor and courageously put the needs of others before their own? Heather Haupt explores how knights historically lived out various aspects of the knights' Code of Chivalry and how boys can embody these same ideals now. When we issue the challenge and give boys the reasons why it is worth pursuing, we step forward on an incredible journey towards raising the kind of boys who, just like the knights of old, make an impact in their world now and for the rest of their lives.
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Chivalry Inspired Parenting
Before I get into what I thought of the book, I wanted to share Heather's inspiration for writing Knights in Training.
Coming up with the idea for knight training was birthed out of a desire to be intentional in raising my boys. When I saw that their love for everything battle meshed well with my discover that chivalry was far more than how a man treats a woman. I knew I wanted to embark on a season of knight training and pursuing living by this code that for the knight’s of old was an entire way of living. Little did I realize that embarking on this initial season of knight training would alter the way we viewed our role as parents and forever shape the way my boys viewed these years of childhood. I wrote the book to really flesh out what it can look like to celebrate boys for who they are and cast a vision for a life of adventure embodying the spirit of a modern-day knight. Boys are getting a bad rap these days. Part of that stems from how we approach educating boys as well as a lack of understanding and appreciation for what makes them unique. Our world needs good men and my aim with this book is to strengthen the resolve and equip parents to reach their boys by appreciating who they are and how they are wired as well as inspire them to become the men they are meant to become.
How Utilizing Story Enables Character Development
One of the reasons I love Charlotte Mason's methods of education so much is her use of story to teach. Over the years, using story to build character has become known as developing the moral imagination. Because boys especially are dawn to all things weapon/battle/knight/hero oriented, it is imperative to give a foundation of noble character to those tendencies. We cannot educate their mind and not their hearts. As C.S. Lewis says, "Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil."
Heather uses 10 principles as well as physical training and character goals to help you train up your boys. The 10 principles in Knights in Training are:
Love the Lord your God with your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Obey those in authority over you.
Stand against injustice and evil.
Defend and protect the weak.
Respect and honor women.
Refrain from wanton offense.
Speak truth at all times.
Be generous and willing to share.
Persevere and finish the task at hand.
Pursue excellence in all you do.
When you look at the 10 core principles by themselves, they are an admirable list. But without the training, they just seem like rules. Heather has taken these principles and added action. Something boys just can't resist. This program put into use over just a few weeks has made a noticeable difference in my own sons. I cannot wait to see the fruit of our summer Knight School.
Knight School
To begin, Heather has you collect books for your schooling. Her list is extensive and beautiful. I've added a few of our favorites for you to explore below, too. Then gather your weapons, print and frame the Code of Chivalry, track progress, and celebrate their new identity as Knights.
Each section of the book includes a Throwing Down the Gauntlet section. I love this, because in the middle ages that is how a challenge of honor was issued. There is a lot of great history woven into this book and here's why.
Heather says, "I’m a history buff, so delving into some of the primary documents and really discovering how this idea of chivalry took shape and force during the middle ages was fascinating to me. Delving into the past also reminded me that there is nothing new under the sun. We see the same challenges with human nature, our bent to wander from the Lord, from the right path as well as the importance of inspiration and ideals in captivating our imagination and calling us back to the way we ought to go. When we step into the past, we discover that young men in the middle ages struggled with choosing the easy path, that younger sons in the nobility lost sight of their purpose and meaning and were tempted to take the easy path of living a life of listlessness and apathy and yet how deep down they all wanted to find purpose and meaning."
The book finishes with many ideas for carrying on the training after your boy has been knighted. Character, after all, is a lifelong quest.
Will you be joining us in knight school this summer? I'd love to see your quests with the hashtag #chivalrymovement. Have a grand adventure!
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