"With her last son graduating and making plans to move out of the house, Knauth, who says she never planned to have a large family, said she isn't overly sentimental."
Ok, ok, so she's not sentimental...I get that. But she's making plans to move out of the house?!!! No way! Someone confirm please. Where am I going to live when I come back from the Indoland?!?!?!
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Knauth Family Infotainment!
Seven months abroad can make you a little homesick. Or forgetful, as Cluckie said in Disney's Robinhood. That's why my heart was warmed to see a picture of my very own Ibu-Bapak (mother-father), with my adik laki-laki bungsu (youngest brother.) You might have noticed that my blogging has suffered over the last month, due to not ever being in the same city for more than a few days at a time. So, as a gift, I give to you the wonderous light-hearted reporting of Daily Freeman Correspondent...(drum roll please)...KATHRYN HEIDECKER!!! No, I have no idea who she is, but she made me happy, hence the drum roll.
One big class act
By KATHRYN HEIDECKER, Correspondent
06/24/2007
Statewide, just 67 percent of New York high school students graduate in four years, making the benchmark of high school graduation a significant accomplishment for any family. Multiply that times 11, and you have the Knauth family of Kingston.
The 11th child of Christopher and Thereza Knauth graduated from Kingston High School on Friday night, with son Devon following in the well-worn path of his ten brothers and sisters.
Taking a break from reading "Dumbth: The Lost Art of Thinking" by Steve Allen, mother Thereza Knauth took some time last week to reflect on the accomplishments of her brood, 10 of whom are Kingston High School graduates. Eldest son Daniel graduated from John A. Coleman Catholic High School in 1987.
"Kingston High School offered my children a great variety of programs and extra-curricular activities," said Knauth, who initially moved to Kingston with her husband, a human rights lawyer who works in New York City, because they thought it would be a good place to raise a family.
Daniel Knauth, the only Coleman graduate, later earned his law degree from Cornell University and today works as a corporate litigator in New York City. David Knauth, Kingston High School class of 1989, went on to earn his doctorate from the University of Toledo in astrophysics. David now lives in Maryland with his wife and two children and teaches high school physics and math. He dedicates his summers to research at Johns Hopkins University.
Deana Knauth, Kingston High School class of 1989, later graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology and works for a publishing company in New York City. Dorie Ann Knauth, Kingston High School class of 1993, eventually earned her degree in anthropology from the State University of New York at New Paltz. She now works for homeland security in Washington D.C.
Dalinda Knauth, class of 1995, holds a degree in music education from Lebanon Valley College and is a high school music teacher. Deahnara Knauth, Kingston High School class of 1996, graduated from the State University of New York at New Paltz and today teaches at Wallkill Middle School.
Dorcinda Knauth, class of 1998, holds a master's degree in musicology from the University of Pittsburgh. She is currently earning her doctorate and is studying on a Fulbright scholarship in Indonesia. Dietrich Knauth, a 2002 Kingston High School graduate graduated in January from New York University.
Deidra Knauth, a 2004 Kingston High School graduate is currently studying nursing in Albany at the Good Samaritan Hospital. Desmond Knauth, a 2005 Kingston High grad, went to Ulster County Community College and will head in the fall to the State University of New York at Albany, where he will major in computers.
As for Devon, he will be attending SUNY New Paltz in the fall. His major may be business or music and theater, Thereza said. He has acted and sung and also plays the piano and viola, among other instruments, she added.
That all of the Knauth children's first names start with the letter D was not originally planned, according to their mother. It was something the older children wanted to keep up, she explained.
With such an immensely successful family, Thezera said respect for her children was an important value that helped place them on the right track.
"You treat your children as human beings, not as little nothings," she said. "You must give them their value as people. Whatever they are going through at that particular time in their life, you must remember (that) to get respect you must give it."
Along with respect comes discipline. "People also think if a child (is) little, 'They are so cute!' They excuse ill-mannered behavior because they are little!" To Knauth, this borders on ludicrous. Discipline must start at a young age and continue throughout child-rearing, she said.
"You have to start right from the very beginning and never let up. Each phase of childhood is a challenge, but a challenge that can be met," she said. Of course, sometimes it is all in how a parent delivers the message, Knauth added.
"It was not always fun," she admitted, "but if you give children discipline (with) love, whatever it is you say they might not appreciate it at the time, but, if discipline is tempered with love, it works."
Today in society there is a lot of negativity, according to Knauth. It's a message that can infiltrate any home. "You have computers TVs and everyone thinks ... it is easy to put on the TV on and say, 'Watch this program,'" she said. But tuning in usually means children are tuning out, she added.
Growing up, a favorite family activity was camping. Camping "teaches them life skills and an appreciation for nature - to respect life," Knauth said. "Too many children think they have to go to hotels. Teach them how to pitch a tent!"
Having respect for one another is reinforced by camping, she said, because children need to learn to depend on one another in the wilderness.
With her last son graduating and making plans to move out of the house, Knauth, who says she never planned to have a large family, said she isn't overly sentimental.
"It's exciting - I don't view it as nostalgic, I view it as positive because realizing that they are realizing their dreams is a great joy. I don't view it as an ending. I view it as the beginning."
©Daily Freeman 2007
Best quote of the article: You treat your children as human beings, not as little nothings. Very to the point. That's my mama!
Congratulations, Devon! Happy Birthday, David!
One big class act
By KATHRYN HEIDECKER, Correspondent
06/24/2007
Statewide, just 67 percent of New York high school students graduate in four years, making the benchmark of high school graduation a significant accomplishment for any family. Multiply that times 11, and you have the Knauth family of Kingston.
The 11th child of Christopher and Thereza Knauth graduated from Kingston High School on Friday night, with son Devon following in the well-worn path of his ten brothers and sisters.
Taking a break from reading "Dumbth: The Lost Art of Thinking" by Steve Allen, mother Thereza Knauth took some time last week to reflect on the accomplishments of her brood, 10 of whom are Kingston High School graduates. Eldest son Daniel graduated from John A. Coleman Catholic High School in 1987.
"Kingston High School offered my children a great variety of programs and extra-curricular activities," said Knauth, who initially moved to Kingston with her husband, a human rights lawyer who works in New York City, because they thought it would be a good place to raise a family.
Daniel Knauth, the only Coleman graduate, later earned his law degree from Cornell University and today works as a corporate litigator in New York City. David Knauth, Kingston High School class of 1989, went on to earn his doctorate from the University of Toledo in astrophysics. David now lives in Maryland with his wife and two children and teaches high school physics and math. He dedicates his summers to research at Johns Hopkins University.
Deana Knauth, Kingston High School class of 1989, later graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology and works for a publishing company in New York City. Dorie Ann Knauth, Kingston High School class of 1993, eventually earned her degree in anthropology from the State University of New York at New Paltz. She now works for homeland security in Washington D.C.
Dalinda Knauth, class of 1995, holds a degree in music education from Lebanon Valley College and is a high school music teacher. Deahnara Knauth, Kingston High School class of 1996, graduated from the State University of New York at New Paltz and today teaches at Wallkill Middle School.
Dorcinda Knauth, class of 1998, holds a master's degree in musicology from the University of Pittsburgh. She is currently earning her doctorate and is studying on a Fulbright scholarship in Indonesia. Dietrich Knauth, a 2002 Kingston High School graduate graduated in January from New York University.
Deidra Knauth, a 2004 Kingston High School graduate is currently studying nursing in Albany at the Good Samaritan Hospital. Desmond Knauth, a 2005 Kingston High grad, went to Ulster County Community College and will head in the fall to the State University of New York at Albany, where he will major in computers.
As for Devon, he will be attending SUNY New Paltz in the fall. His major may be business or music and theater, Thereza said. He has acted and sung and also plays the piano and viola, among other instruments, she added.
That all of the Knauth children's first names start with the letter D was not originally planned, according to their mother. It was something the older children wanted to keep up, she explained.
With such an immensely successful family, Thezera said respect for her children was an important value that helped place them on the right track.
"You treat your children as human beings, not as little nothings," she said. "You must give them their value as people. Whatever they are going through at that particular time in their life, you must remember (that) to get respect you must give it."
Along with respect comes discipline. "People also think if a child (is) little, 'They are so cute!' They excuse ill-mannered behavior because they are little!" To Knauth, this borders on ludicrous. Discipline must start at a young age and continue throughout child-rearing, she said.
"You have to start right from the very beginning and never let up. Each phase of childhood is a challenge, but a challenge that can be met," she said. Of course, sometimes it is all in how a parent delivers the message, Knauth added.
"It was not always fun," she admitted, "but if you give children discipline (with) love, whatever it is you say they might not appreciate it at the time, but, if discipline is tempered with love, it works."
Today in society there is a lot of negativity, according to Knauth. It's a message that can infiltrate any home. "You have computers TVs and everyone thinks ... it is easy to put on the TV on and say, 'Watch this program,'" she said. But tuning in usually means children are tuning out, she added.
Growing up, a favorite family activity was camping. Camping "teaches them life skills and an appreciation for nature - to respect life," Knauth said. "Too many children think they have to go to hotels. Teach them how to pitch a tent!"
Having respect for one another is reinforced by camping, she said, because children need to learn to depend on one another in the wilderness.
With her last son graduating and making plans to move out of the house, Knauth, who says she never planned to have a large family, said she isn't overly sentimental.
"It's exciting - I don't view it as nostalgic, I view it as positive because realizing that they are realizing their dreams is a great joy. I don't view it as an ending. I view it as the beginning."
©Daily Freeman 2007
Best quote of the article: You treat your children as human beings, not as little nothings. Very to the point. That's my mama!
Congratulations, Devon! Happy Birthday, David!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)