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Original poster

To be shocked and appalled by this book

151 replies

becsparkel · 16/03/2013 23:45

I realise this has probably been raised before but I have only just become aware of this parenting book vile piece of shite, currently available for sale on amazon. The book advocates whipping babies as young as 4 months to "train" them to obey:

"At four months she was too unknowing to be punished for disobedience. But for her own good, we attempted to train her not to climb the stairs by coordinating the voice command of "No" with little spats on the bare legs. The switch was a twelve-inch long, one-eighth-inch diameter sprig from a willow tree."

Many more sickening quotes on this anti site Why Not To Train A Child

There's a petition to stop Amazon from selling it here: amazon refuse to carry books which advocate the physical abuse of children

Great blog piece here: amazon we find child abuse offensive

OP posts:
Phosphene · 18/03/2013 08:49

Sick. Sick. Sick.
I hope this person doesn't have children himself. It really makes me sick just thinking about it and I am somebody who believes in the odd smack.

Sparklyblue · 18/03/2013 09:06

That book is disgusting.
I have signed the petition.

ll31 · 18/03/2013 09:11

Awful book. .. hard/impossible to imagine what person could actually think like that. ..sick

sashh · 18/03/2013 09:13

I feel sick - do some people really buy this and use the methods?

Come over to Stately Homes in Relationships. 'Breaking' a child is more common than you think. It might be more about hands than rods but deliberate cruelty is all around.

ll31 · 18/03/2013 09:14

Read blog of authors adult daughter, all sunshine and light. ... other blogs suggest the methods used deliberately develop stockholm syndrome. ...

ll31 · 18/03/2013 09:15

Awful book. .. hard/impossible to imagine what person could actually think like that. ..sick

Manchesterhistorygirl · 18/03/2013 09:17

Please, please tweet about it. We got those hideous tshirts removed by the power of twitter, so please tweet your disgust to @amazon

worldgonecrazy · 18/03/2013 09:21

I have previously written to Amazon about the book, and their response was that it was perfectly legal to sell the book and that they would therefore not be removing it.

youmaycallmeSSP · 18/03/2013 09:23

That is disgusting. Absolutely incredible that anyone could think that hitting a 4-month old baby is a good idea. DD is 4 months old and my overwhelming instinct is to cuddle and protect her. Disgusting.

VisualiseAHorse · 18/03/2013 09:24

The idea that people will actually carry a piece of plastic in their nappy bag for hitting their child with makes me feel sick.

I'm not completely against smacking a child, but purposefully carrying something which could potentially scar young, delicate skin is just sickening.

AmandinePoulain · 18/03/2013 09:29

I've emailed but I'm not holding my breath for a response. I was going to comment on their fb page but they don't seem to respond there either Hmm

Wallison · 18/03/2013 09:33

My God. When I read the quote at the top of the OP I thought it was some kind of spoof book; done in extreme bad taste, but possibly to some people's minds a 'joke' nonetheless. I am still struggling to get my head around the concept that it's for real, that such abuse and assault is actually advocated and is being presented as a legitimate parenting tool.

youmaycallmeSSP · 18/03/2013 09:45

I'm still trying to process someone having a 'designer' switch for beating their baby. Just, what?!

VisualiseAHorse · 18/03/2013 09:58

*If your 10-month-old is pitching a fit because he wants to be picked up, then you must reinforce your command with a few stinging swats.
Wait one minute, and then tell the baby to stop crying. If he doesn't, again swat him on his bare legs. *

Tell a 10-month old baby to 'stop crying'? Seriously??

mrsjay · 18/03/2013 10:12

you dont see all that on 100 (or whatever) kids and counting do you with the smiley smiley duggars

QuietNinjaTardis · 18/03/2013 10:19

I've signed and put on Facebook. What is wrong with these people?

DeepRedBetty · 18/03/2013 10:25

Signed and shared. Loads of UK names I notice - well done all!

Original poster
becsparkel · 18/03/2013 12:57

phosphene they have 5 children and 18 grandchildren, it's so very sad for those children - he's also a minister so holds lots of sway in the community.

Please keep tweeting and putting the petition on fb - even if the petition gets more signatures, that's a good thing.

have been using #whynottrainachild on twitter, so if you can include that hash tag we might get it trending...

OP posts:
Manchesterhistorygirl · 18/03/2013 13:05

Thank you to everyone who's retweeted, keep it going!

CocktailQueen · 18/03/2013 13:09

What insane publisher published that then??? off to have a look...

BreastmilkDoesAFabLatte · 18/03/2013 13:59

You can read the entire text of the book online here. It's sickening and terrifying, and abruptly ended my admiration for the Duggars.

It has been posted by a woman who wants people to read it and be appalled, apparently.

pigletmania · 18/03/2013 14:14

Sick twistedfeckers the Pearls are

Wallison · 18/03/2013 14:31

Does anybody else agree with me that there is a certain sadistic satisfaction that comes across in the over-wrought language and ritualistic approach to hitting children? It is most disconcerting to read. I mean, it's bad enough that they're advocating assault, but they seem almost to be getting off on it as well, which is really disturbing.

Manchesterhistorygirl · 18/03/2013 15:03

One of my followers won't retweet because its been dealt with apparently and as an amazon author he won't get involved! Shocking!

AmandinePoulain · 18/03/2013 15:08

I've had an automated reply from Amazon. My comments have been passed on to the 'appropriate team' Hmm

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