Amish Family Life

I have been working with the Amish in Southern Michigan for the past twelve years. During this time, I have grown close to several families. I have even come to regard the family that works for me as "my second family." I visit often and eat meals with them, sing with them, travel with them, and just hang out. I have watched the children grow up and the boys become furniture makers now in their own right. The parents, Chris and Emma, are magnificent and I have grown to love and respect them tremendously.

Having had a close look at their lifestyle, I am offering you an "inside" look. This is how it really is for the Amish families. I have made a start here and hope to add more as time goes on.

My Amish neighbors belong to very traditional Old Order sect -- more traditional than the Amish living in popular tourist areas. They are very religious and have a strict "Ordnung" (order of rules). Their black buggies are topless, and they do not operate any tourist stores or restaurants. They are not allowed to work "in town" or in large factories.

Another way that they keep to themselves is to preserve their own language. Amongst themselves, the Amish speak a German dialect called Pennsylvania Dutch (Deutsch). Through the years, however, many English words have slipped in. High German is used during worship. Children do not usually learn English until they start to attend school which is at age 7.

Old Order Amish families typically include 8-10 children (sometimes more). Their small Amish farms support their gardens and pastureland for the animals. In order for many Amish to stay on their farms, making furniture has become a family venture.

The Amish day begins a 5:30 a.m. when they all get up to milk the cows by hand and do their morning chores. After a hearty breakfast of potatoes, eggs, and "coffee soup", the family joins in prayer and then goes to work in the shop. There, the Amish work exclusively with hand tools. Their Amish shops are not equipped with any electricity or external power source. Great care is given to each and every detail. Amish children watch closely, learn and help with the sanding and polishing. When they are not in school or helping in the shop, they may be found pumping water, fetching wood, or playing.

Amish families work hard together. They also have time for fun. Amish children especially enjoy riding small carts driven by the household goat. They also like to play ball and other games. Sunday is a day of prayer and rest.

The Amish live by the principles of simplicity, practicality, humility and non-resistance. They are descendants of the Swiss Amish, who were a part of the Anabaptist movement following the Reformation. They rejcted the luxury of elaborate religious garbs and ornate churches of the Catholics and the emerging Protestants in Europe. Instead, they chose the "the plain and simple" life style based on the ascetic vision of the early Christians. During the 18th and 19th centuries, they emigrated from Europe and settled in the rich farmlands of Pennsylvania and the Midwest.

Here is a picture of a baby dressed in Amish clothes. Unfortunately, we cannot take photos of the Amish -- they don't allow it. So for fun, I dressed up an English baby, "Baby Noah", in Amish clothes and snapped a few shots.