# Child Training Books and Reviews



## LadyFlynt (Nov 28, 2006)

Instead of just making blatant promotions, I thought to make a list of child training/teaching books and to post the pros and cons of each. I will keep the list in this first post. Others may make suggestions, comments on various books, etc in the replies. I will add the information in the replies to this original post as appropriate.

I am posting the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly for the sake of arguement for when those books may be found on recommendation lists, etc. Homeschoolers are many times targeted by certain books that at first are found appealing, but later found to be unsound or swaying toward a particular doctrinal system Basically, some of these books are created and offered as "raising godly families" when they are in fact a foot in the door for pushing other doctrinal ideas.

To Train Up A Child by Michael and Debi Pearl
Background - 
Pros - 
Cons - setting a child up for failure or being the intentional cause of sin or an accident perceived as sin, placing children in potentionally dangerous scenarios, denial of original sin or scriptural understanding of a sin nature, 

Sheparding A Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

Studies in Building Character by Ella Easton Kellogg -
Background - unmarried housemother for an orphanage from over a century ago
Pros - focus on character and nuturing
Cons - rejection of corporal punishment (some will see this as a pro and others as a con...in the author's situation however, there is reasonable explaination for this)

Gaining Favour With God and Man by William Thayer -
Background - 1876 classic
Pros - geared much toward character and practical application, can be used directly and for discussion with children of a variety of ages...from 8-80
Cons-

Bringing Up Boys by James Dobson - 
Background -
Pros -
Cons -

Growing Kids God's Way (or the baby/child wise series) by Gary Ezzo -
Background - author is under discipline of his church, has had to change the title of his series several times
Pros -
Cons - training by setting up the child, fear training with little focus on true character or the heart, used to require meetings for examination of this book (seminar), creates anger, emotionally detached parenting, their books on infants have inaccurate and sometimes dangerous teachings

Dare to Discipline by James Dobson -
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

The Strong-Willed Child by James Dobson -
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

Parents and Children by Charlotte Mason -
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

Formation of Character by Charlotte Mason -
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

Parenting by Proxy (Stupid Things Parents Do to Mess Up their Kids) by Laura Schlessinger -
Background - author is a Conservative Jew
Pros - focuses on scripture (OT and on Christ when dealing with Christians on her show), uses common sense, promotes hands on parenting
Cons - psychobable sometimes enters in though not in the proportions that James Dobson uses.

The Mother's Book by Mrs L. Child -
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

Beautiful Girlhood by Karen Andreola -
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

How to Rear Children by Jack Hyles -
Background - IFB Guru (many IFB reject him)
Pros - conservative
Cons - crazy suggestions (don't feed your children spicy or flavourful foods as it will cause them to be led by their tastes instead of what is good for them/feed them bland foods)

Romancing Your Child's Heart by Monte Swan -
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

"Ye Fathers" by Burkholder -
Background - Anabaptist fathering book
Pros -
Cons-

Raising a Thinking Child by Myrna Shure -
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

Grace Based Parenting by -
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

Bound For Glory (the chapter on Covenant Children) by RC Sproul, Jr. -
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

The Duties of Parents by Jacobus Koelman
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

A Family Well-Ordered by Cotton Mather
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

Christian Living in the Home by Jay Adams
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

The Christian Father at Home: A Manual of Parental Instruction by W.C. Brownlee
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

Disciplines of a Godly Family by R. Kent Hughes
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

The Duties of Parents by J.C. Ryle
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

Letters to Young Men by William Sprague
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

Letters on Practical Subjects to a Daughter by William Sprague
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

The Christian Father's Present to His Children by John Angell James
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

A Help to Domestic Happiness by John Angell James
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

Hints for Parents by Gardiner Spring
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

Come Ye Children: A Book for Parents and Teachers on the Christian Training of Children by C.H. Spurgeon
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

Age of Opportunity: A Biblical Guide to Parenting Teens by Paul David Tripp
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

The Family by Benjamin M. Palmer
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

Of Domestical Duties by William Gouge
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

The Family at Home: Familiar Illustrations of Domestic Duties by Gorham D. Abbott
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

The Mother at Home by John C. S. Abbott
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

Anchor Man: How A Father Can Anchor His Family in Christ by Steve Farrar
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

The Patriarch's Calling by Larry Arnold
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

Training and Nurturing Children by Ralph Bouma
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

Dealing With Sin in Our Children by Arthur Hildersham
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

Hints on Child Training by H. Clay Trumbull
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

Successful Fathers: The Subtle but Powerful Ways Fathers Mold Their Children's Character by James B. Stenson
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

What the Bible Says About Parenting: Biblical Principles for Raising Godly Children by John MacArthur
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

Withhold Not Correction by Bruce Ray
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

Good and Angry: Exchanging Frustration for Character, in You and Your Kids by Scott Turansky, Joanne Miller
Background -
Pros -
Cons-

Relevant sections of A Christian Directory by Richard Baxter
Background -
Pros -
Cons-


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Nov 28, 2006)

Good idea, Colleen!

Perhaps a few others could be added to the list?

_The Duties of Parents_ by Jacobus Koelman

_A Family Well-Ordered_ by Cotton Mather

_Christian Living in the Home_ by Jay Adams

_The Christian Father at Home: A Manual of Parental Instruction_ by W.C. Brownlee 

_Disciplines of a Godly Family_ by R. Kent Hughes

_The Duties of Parents_ by J.C. Ryle

_Letters to Young Men_ by William Sprague

_Letters on Practical Subjects to a Daughter_ by William Sprague

_The Christian Father's Present to His Children_ by John Angell James

_A Help to Domestic Happiness_ by John Angell James

_Hints for Parents_ by Gardiner Spring

_Come Ye Children: A Book for Parents and Teachers on the Christian Training of Children_ by C.H. Spurgeon

_Age of Opportunity: A Biblical Guide to Parenting Teens_ by Paul David Tripp 

_The Family_ by Benjamin M. Palmer

_Of Domestical Duties_ by William Gouge

_The Family at Home: Familiar Illustrations of Domestic Duties_ by Gorham D. Abbott

_The Mother at Home_ by John C. S. Abbott 

_Training and Nurturing Children_ by Ralph Bouma

_Anchor Man: How A Father Can Anchor His Family in Christ_ by Steve Farrar

_The Patriarch's Calling_ by Larry Arnold

_Dealing With Sin in Our Children_ by Arthur Hildersham

_Hints on Child Training_ by H. Clay Trumbull

_Successful Fathers: The Subtle but Powerful Ways Fathers Mold Their Children's Character_ by James B. Stenson

_What the Bible Says About Parenting: Biblical Principles for Raising Godly Children_ by John MacArthur

_Good and Angry: Exchanging Frustration for Character, in You and Your Kids_ by Scott Turansky, Joanne Miller

Relevant sections of _A Christian Directory_ by Richard Baxter


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## LadyFlynt (Nov 28, 2006)

You're such a "one upper", Andrew 

(next chance we have to come down, we are visiting you and Jessica...mind if we bring friends?)


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Nov 28, 2006)

LadyFlynt said:


> You're such a "one upper", Andrew
> 
> (next chance we have to come down, we are visiting you and Jessica...mind if we bring friends?)



 Sure, come on down anytime (except we are fixin' to move -- maybe after we get resettled). We'd love to see y'all!


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## LadyFlynt (Nov 28, 2006)

Move? Hopefully not further away..staying DC area?


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Nov 28, 2006)

LadyFlynt said:


> Move? Hopefully not further away..staying DC area?



Virginia is, and ever shall be, unless Providence decrees otherwise, my home sweet home.  

I hope you get some feedback on those books.


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## py3ak (Nov 28, 2006)

I have read Bringing Up Boys --a long story. It has a lot of interesting anecdotes. That's the best part of the book. It warns you to be careful in how you speak: that's a pro.
I don't remember anything beyond that.
Can anyone say, "Bland, unhelpful"?


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## QueenEsther (Nov 29, 2006)

ahh, there are so many! Feed back will be helpful  so I don't have to read them all  Great idea Colleen.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Dec 2, 2006)

Also, _The Godly Family: Essays on the Duties of Parents and Children_ by George Whitefield, Henry Venn, Philip Doddridge, et al.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Dec 15, 2006)




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## CDM (Dec 15, 2006)

LadyFlynt said:


> You're such a "one upper", Andrew
> 
> (next chance we have to come down, we are visiting you and Jessica...mind if we bring friends?)


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Dec 15, 2006)

mangum said:


>



Anytime, my friend! That would be wonderful!


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