My Five Apprentices

August is the beginning of my busy season. We start with the boys' birthdays this month, then the beginning of the school year, then the girls' birthdays in October, and then of course Thanksgiving and Christmas, and suddenly, it's the New Year!

So pardon me if my writing becomes more sporadic. This is a post I started weeks ago, and only by finding time between baking and lesson planning have I been able to finish it.

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One of my favorite scenes is that of a dad mowing the lawn, with his son pushing the plastic toy mower right behind him. Not only is it adorable, it is a wonderful picture of one of the fundamental jobs of being a parent, that of training and teaching.

From the beginning, children learn by mimicking their parents. My youngest daughter slips on my shoes, then grabs a little purse and puts it on her shoulder. She wants to mix things in a bowl with a big wooden spoon. She loves to drink out of my cup, the one without a lid on it. I don't have to tell her to copy me. This is all a part of the parent/child relationship.

And this is what I realized a few months back, when someone mentioned the word 'apprenticeship' in light of raising the next generation of Christ-followers. Yes, I have five apprentices in my house! Not rug rats, not students, not minions. By thinking of my children as apprentices, my view of how to train and school them has changed dramatically!

(Here I go with my lists again!)

First, apprenticeship started in the late medieval period, with a person studying for seven years under a craftsman in order to master a trade. Of course, seven years would be too short of a time for a child to learn all he/she needs to know, but that's the point: if it takes seven years to learn blacksmithing, how much longer is required to learn all aspects of life?

Second, an apprentice lived with his/her teacher while in training, meaning that the teaching encompassed all aspects of life. With this in mind, I no longer feel overwhelmed by my parenting job. Before, I worried, "There is so much I need to teach them! How do I know what to do? And what if I miss something?!" Now, I see my task clearly: prepare each of them to be a Godly adult. Part of that is accomplished through role-modeling, part of it through instruction. As soon as a child is able to understand and complete a task, it is simply my job to teach him/her. My three-year-old can set the table, and my ten-year-old can do the dishes. And there are the intangibles (such as character traits) that they will (I pray) pick up along the way.

Third, apprenticeship means learning while working alongside the teacher. It is not giving a person a how-to book, or showing him/her once, then walking away. And it is definitely not leaving the job of teaching to another person. It is a parent and child doing the work together, whether it is gardening or dishes, or a fun hobby like sewing or woodworking. For me, this is a reminder that I need to involve the children in my projects. When I cook or bake, I ask a child to be my sous-chef. When I shop, I send a child to retrieve a specific food item. And we all have to agree that when it comes to work, the more the merrier, and lighter the load! 

You may wonder at this point: what about academics? How do multiplication, essays, and  history reports fit into all this? Even for homeschoolers, there are things that have to be taught and learned at a table. And this is where apprenticeship changed my view the most. A formal education is NOT the most important thing. While some may argue "You need to go to college! You need a job! You need to know proper grammar!" I say, "Well, yes, but you need to know other things too." Ellyn Davis, in her essay 'The Knowledge of the Holy' (from the excellent book I Saw the Angel in the Marble) writes:

As we have tried to find "the ancient path" in educating our children (see Jeremiah 6:16), we have concluded that education is not as much the mastering of skills and information as it is the development of healthy relationships. We want our children to be "rightly related" to God; to themselves (personal care of their spirit, soul, and body); to others; and to created things (nature, animals, time, money, possessions, knowledge, etc.). Academic knowledge, facts, and skills assume their proper places as they contribute to healthy relationships is each of these areas.

If a child has a firm foundation, college, jobs, and even proper grammar will come with time! But whether than stress out about my children taking calculus in high school (which I did the other night before I came to my senses), I can focus on my children.

And really, if you are a homeschooling family, apprenticeship is not completely foreign to you. I always feel that certain subjects (science and history for sure) are hands-on and fun for everyone involved (and I'm learning right with my kids!) With other subjects (reading and math), I teach with the future in mind. These are small steps toward the long goal of apprenticeship.

I plan to start school on September 2nd, but actually, school is already in session! So what I really should say is this: I look forward to continuing with my apprentices this fall, and I hope you do too!