To Train Up A Child

Title: To Train Up A Child

Author: Michael & Debi Pearl

Publisher: Michael Pearl, 1994

Pages: 109

Begun: January 12, 2009

Finished January 16, 2009 

Rating :***

This book is a very simple book on training children.  The author has some very helpful techniques to aide in the training process.  His premise is that if parents will rightly train the child in key areas then he/she will obey routinely and there will be less stress put on the parents. Mr. Pearl does rightly point out early in the book: "Understand , at this point we are not talking about producing godly children, just happy and obedient children. The principles for training children to instantly obey can be equally applied by Christians and non-Christians." I appreciated his approach to training vs discipline and that if you do your training right discipline and spanking is not a normal everyday activity, but rather maintenance of the home.  Michael and Debi suggest that if you can give three days to training and consistency than you will have trained children and a much more peaceful home.  They also say that it is never too late to start.  The suggestion is that training can start as soon as the baby is mobile, 9 - 12 months, but they have seen great success with older children as well. 

The end of the book is more disappointing in that they have several soap boxes that they are very dogmatic about, such as potty training your infant, their views on homeschooling ect...  some they point out is opinion, but other is the "only right way". It is a good book for a spiritually mature parent who is looking for some good guidelines to train by.  Honestly, the front cover and past books I've read from these authors made me NOT want to read the book, but after putting some of the suggested training into practice I have to say that it has been a good tool for me. And I do believe that it makes for a less stressful home as well as for happy children because they KNOW what is expected of them.