Jaclyn Shaw learned about the traditionalist lifestyle when she moved from California to a rural town in Northern Indiana
NEED TO KNOW
- Jaclyn Shaw learned all about the Amish tradition when she moved from California to her husband’s hometown in Northern Indiana
- The new mom ended up hiring a 22-year-old Amish woman to help look after her infant daughter
- The nanny taught Shaw all about the Amish lifestyle and debunked some of the misconceptions about how much the community members know about the modern world
California native Jaclyn Shaw was introduced to a vastly different way of living when she moved to the Midwest during the COVID-19 pandemic.
She and her husband relocated to the Northern Indiana town where he was born and raised, so he was accustomed to seeing the many Amish people who made up a decent percentage of the local population. He even went to school with some Amish children, who receive a “traditional” education until around eighth grade.
Meanwhile, Shaw was dually mystified and intrigued by all the horse and buggies that roamed the streets, as she recalls to PEOPLE years later. “I was always fascinated, like, ‘Oh my gosh, there’s an Amish person. How crazy,’ ” she explains.
She learned more about the famously insular community after welcoming a child in June 2022. Months later, Shaw found herself in need of childcare help, as it was tough for her to secure her daughter a spot in the town’s local daycare. On the recommendation of her husband’s childhood friends, Shaw hired a 22-year-old Amish woman to help look after her child…