The Pearls And Children

[Nope]

I have known of this group for several years and, out of curiosity, read a book on 'child training' that they wrote. They have been blamed for a few children's death but their followers claim that the Pearls' methods weren't followed exactly so the family is not at fault. Anyway, I thought you would like to read the views of some very ignorant, far right Christians on children. It is interesting to read because it shows the childhood mental abuse that prevents people from leaving such an abusive version of their religion.

I've included links to each of their articles so that you can read the statements in context. They often make completely different statements in different articles or even in the same article.

http://nogreaterjoy.org/articles/too-you...d-training

In this article, they say that babies should not be spanked and then write in regards to a six month old child who has thrown his food on the floor:

So we watch him, knowing his propensity to selfish compulsion. When he seizes his bowl with intentions of dumping it, swat the offending hand with a little instrument (light wooden spoon, rubber spatula, flexible tubing less than a quarter inch in diameter, or any instrument that will cause an unpleasant sting without leaving any marks). As you swat the offending hand, say “No” in a normal commanding voice.

and

Yes, we spank our little ones, but only as we define spanking, not as others might imagine it to be. We obey God in applying the rod of training, not because we are gullible and blind religious fools, but because the Word of God has made us wise beyond our secular peers

In their book To Train Up a Child, Debi Pearl discusses switching her crawling daughter so often that just laying the switch across a door way or staircase would prevent the little one from climbing up the steps. According to Debi, her daughter crawled at four months, which seems a little young for crawling but it shows how young an infant they mean.

http://nogreaterjoy.org/articles/more-th...d-training

Here a mother asks Debi how far obedience should go. She uses the example of her 28 month old daughter who to flip on a light switch but stopped when her mom told her not to turn it on. Her friend told her that was not obedient enough because her daughter still touched the switch.

Debi's response

In the “light switch” situation, I would say, “Leave the light switch alone.” If there is a moment’s hesitation, any sign of delayed compliance, rise immediately and give her hand (the offending hand) two or three licks with a small switch. Don’t delay even fifteen seconds. No more discussion or rebuke. No removal to a more secluded location. No “bend over on the couch.” Before she can move away from the area of the switch, administer the rod of truth. After such an episode, to confirm that she has yielded completely, give her several other commands not related to the immediate situation. Put her through a brief “drill” to certify your authority and her submission. For example, you might tell her to move the chair to a new location, “Put the socks in the laundry, “Sit down—Stand up,” etc.

http://nogreaterjoy.org/articles/differe...d-training

This is what will happen if you do not teach your daughter to
blindly obey you.

You likely know such a child as the “light-switch kid” who is now a wife and mother. She does what her husband commands her, but she looks for ways to do as she pleases, even when she knows that he won’t be pleased. She reasons that she is a good and dutiful wife, for she never disobeys flagrantly, but she finds pleasure in her ability to circumvent his will by “obeying” him to the letter only.

If anyone is writing a book with a character who suffers from Stockholm syndrome, I think that the Pearls' methods would probably cause an adult to develop that condition

This is the book of theirs that I read, by the way. Most of the reviews are negative but there are also some five star reviews

http://www.amazon.com/To-Train-Up-a-Chil...up+a+child

Have any of you heard of this family? In the past, the couple did an interview with Dr. Drew Pinsky. I think that they are popular among some quiverful families.

[Norman Humann]

I want to administer the rod of truth to this woman's face.

[h4ym4n]

Shouldn't hurt to be a child.

[robvalue]

Holy freaking shit. A monstrous woman teaching people how to break their children. Christ.

Get a fucking paperweight if all you want is obedience.

[Nope]

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-25268343

If you just want a short summary on the family, the BBC has a very good article on the Pearls

The "training" is meant to start early and pre-empt the need for punishment. But if the child is already rebellious, parents are told to "use whatever force is necessary to bring him to bay".

"If you have to sit on him to spank him then do not hesitate. And hold him there until he is surrendered... Defeat him totally."

The Pearls' business is worth over a million dollar so even if most people haven't heard of them, they have made some money off of selling child abuse manuals to extremist Christians.

Christians are among some of those who have tried to raise awareness of the fact that the Pearls' books and articles are abusive. I don't want to give the impression that this family isn't a minority among Christians.