Biblical Parenting

A few weeks ago I was perusing the shelves of the small Christian bookstore in our town and I was chacking out the parenting section (cause I need all the help I can get! Haha!). There was a book on the shelf called To Train Up a Child by Michael and Debbie Pearl. I shuddered. For those who aren't aware the Pearls run a website and "ministry" called No Greater Joy. It's awful. These are the types of people who advocate spanking for every and any offense. Recently a 5 year old daughter of parents who closely follow the Pearls' teachings was beaten to death. The autopsy performed reported that she died from complications due to the blunt force trauma she received from being repeatedly beaten with rubber hose. Isn't that awful? I left their book on the shelf. I would encourage you all to do the same. I do however have some excerpts from their book that I'd like to post here for you all to chew on. Some of these things are truly terrible.

1) The Pearls recommend whipping infants only a few months old on their bare skin. They describe whipping their own 4 month old daughter (p.9). They recommend whipping the bare skin of "every child" (p.2) for "Christians and non-Christians" (p.5) and for "every transgression" (p.1). Parents who don't whip their babies into complete submission are portrayed as indifferent, lazy, careless and neglectful (p.19) and are "creating a Nazi" (p.45).

2) On p.60 they recommend whipping babies who cannot sleep and are crying, and to never allow them "to get up." On p.61 they recommend whipping a 12 month old girl for crying. On p.79 they recommend whipping a 7 month old for screaming.

3) On p.65 co-author Debi Pearl whips the bare leg of a 15 month old she is babysitting, 10 separate times, for not playing with something she tells him to play with. On p.56 Debi Pearl hits a 2 year old so hard "a karate chop like wheeze came from somewhere deep inside."

4) On p.44 they say not to let the child's crying while being hit to "cause you to lighten up on the intensity or duration of the spanking." On p.59 they recommend whipping a 3 year old until he is "totally broken."

5) On p.55 the Pearls say a mother should hit her child if he cries for her.

6) On p.46 the Pearls say that if a child does obey before being whipped, whip them anyway. And "if you have to sit on him to spank him, then do not hesitate. And hold him there until he is surrendered. Prove that you are bigger, tougher." "Defeat him totally." On p.80 they recommend giving a child having a tantrum "a swift *forceful* spanking." On the same page they say to whip small children on their bare skin until they stop screaming. "Don't be bullied. Give him more of the same." They say to continue whipping until their crying turns into a "wounded, submissive whimper."

7) On p.47 they recommend their various whips, including "a belt or larger tree branch" to hit children.

8) The Pearls recommend pulling a nursing infant's hair (p.7), and describe tripping their non-swimming toddler so she falls into deep water (p.67). They recommend ignoring an infant's bumped head when he falls to the floor, and ignoring skinned knees (p.86). They also say "if your child is roughed-up by peers, rejoice." (p.81) And on p.103 the Pearls say if children lose their shoes, "let them go without until they (the children) can make the money to buy more."
(From www.womanuncensored.blogspot.com)

Doesn't this just make your hair curl? Much of the stuff on their website is just as bad. There are seeds of wisdom in the fact that they are advocating disciplining your child. I'm not against spanking, but I like Dr. Dobson's approach much better that there are certain times and offenses that require spanking, but they are grave and serious offenses, not piddly little things that are just part of your child learning boundaries.

If you have this book read with caution!!!!!