We Are Busy Training Knights!

Yes, you read that correctly- Knights!  Swords, code of honor, the works.

Let's start at the beginning.  We have always been big fans of the tales of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.  My husband's long time mentor fanned that flame years ago when our oldest son was young and since then we have become collectors of all things King Arthur-y!  (yes, I made that word up!)  Our book cases overflow with tales of long ago and we admit to watching more than a few movies based on the same premise.

There is just something that speaks to a young boy's heart when he hears words like honor, courage, swords, code and yes, fighting!  You can just see their eyes light up and they seem to stand just a bit taller.  I love that!

When I was offered the chance to be part of a book release for Heather Haupt's new book, Knights in Training, I jumped!  And maybe begged!  I am, after all, training TWO knights!!  Ages 9 and 15!

Let me just tell you up front, moms of boys, you need this book!  Seriously.

I figured I would like it.  Instead, I loved it!

Heather has done her research, not only by raising two knights of her own, but really looking into what being a modern day knight means to our young boys.

Knights in Training is 277 pages long and is divided into three parts-

• The Boy-Raising Adventure
• The Chivalry Challenge 
• Continuing the Quest

The first part, The Boy-Raising Adventure talks about boys in general, how they are different from girls, (can I get an AMEN!?) and why we do not want to raise "typical" boys. A lot stood out to me in this part, hence the prolific highlighting in my book, but this is the quote that stood out to me, the one I needed to hear-

"Take boys as they are and provide them a context to grow into the strong, self-determined heroes they aspire to be..." p. 38

As a mom of two girls born first, I like quiet, orderly behavior.  I don't "get" rough housing and most things boys.  I am having to learn the value in those things and allow my boys to become the men God intended them to be.  Yes, they need to learn to be polite and courteous, and sometimes even quiet, but in most cases that is simply not their natural bent.

 

The second part of the book,  The Chivalry Challenge is where you will find the meat of the information.  Each chapter is based off the 10 points in the Code of Chivalry.  These include-

• Love God
• Obey
• Stand Against Injustice
• Protect the Weak
• Respect Women
• Don't Give Offense
• Speak Truth
• Be Generous
• Persevere
• Pursue Excellence

 
This part of the book is full of encouragement and ideas as well as a few challenges.  Each code is stated and then defined by Heather.  She tells what it looks like in practice as well as what it doesn't look like.  Using examples from her own family she tells what teaching these concepts might look like.  At the end of each of these chapters is a section called Throwing Down the Gauntlet.  Here she gives specific activities you can use to teach your kids the specific concept.

Sword fights?
Polishing silver?
Jousting?
Playing games?
Serving others?

These ideas and many more have made the learning so much more fun.  Well, maybe not the polishing part.  But by mimicking the chores a page or squire would have done, we can teach our boys discipline, hard work and patience.  We can teach them integrity and how to put others first.  By hanging up our Code of Chivalry poster we are reminding ours sons daily the behavior we expect from them.  And by loving them and embracing their "boy-ness" we are telling them that God indeed made them in a special way.

The final section, Continuing the Quest, is about just that!  How we can make these lessons stick!  Also included at the end of the book is a great chart of age appropriate chores as well as a fabulous resource list!  We had several of the books Heather mentioned, but have added a few new ones to our wish list!

Speaking of wish lists, you need to add Knights in Training to yours!

Knights in Training is now available to purchase and you can follow Heather on Facebook as she encourages you and others in the Chivalry movement!

May we encourage and love our boys daily, as we train them up in the way of the Lord!

 Blessings,