Matthews Family Herald

This is an excellent book, I'd say, for both new parents and veteran parents alike. This book has sold over 550,500 copies and all with very little advertising. Most parents pass it along to friends. We were given a copy by some friends who bought several for distribution. We now own 10 or so copies and have been giving them out. Here's a description of the book from the authors' website, Michael and Debi Pearl, at "No Greater Joy" ministries. We have several of their books and really enjoy them. This book continues to make a great difference in all of our lives at home. Here's their website before I give the book description to you:

http://www.nogreaterjoy.org/

TO TRAIN UP A CHILD - BOOK DESCRIPTION

This book is not about discipline, nor problem children. The emphasis is on the training of a child before the need to discipline arises. It is apparent that, though they expect obedience, most parents never attempt to train their child to obey. They wait until his behavior becomes unbearable and then explode. With proper training, discipline can be reduced to 5% of what many now practice. As you come to understand the difference between training and discipline, you will have a renewed vision for your family—no more raised voices, no contention, no bad attitudes, fewer spankings, a cheerful atmosphere in the home, and total obedience from your children.

Any parent with an emotional maturity level higher than the average thirteen-year-old can, with a proper vision and knowledge of the technique, have happy obedient children. This is not a theory; it is a practical reality that has been successfully applied many times over.

One couple we know was stressed out with conflict of their three young children. After spending the weekend with us and hearing some of these principles, they changed their tactics. One week later, they exclaimed, “I can’t believe it; we went to a friend’s house, and when I told my children to do something, they immediately, without question, obeyed.”

These truths are not new, deep insights from the professional world of research, but rather, the same principles the Amish use to train their stubborn mules, the same technique God uses to train His children. These principles are profoundly simple and extremely obvious. After examining them with us, you will say, “I knew that all along. Where have I been? It’s so obvious.”