Rating: 
Summary: Shepherding a Child's Heart
Review: This is a very bad book that wears the cloak of Biblical authority to hoist a regressive, abusive, punative, unwise and unloving methodology of child mircormanagement. I would give it 0 stars if it were possible. The book contains no actual wisdom, but is a projection of a fundamentalist desire and need of control and is itself based on the theological notion of object-faith (the idea that faith is a belief that corresponds to objective things apart from one's self). And just as information can more or less relay the status of things, Tripp's contention of constant punative intervention to correct the inherently 'sinful' child so he can learn what is good is a betrayal of the Christian heart in its deepest sense. It betrays Christianity as deeply as the aplogists, objectivizing faith into simple correspondence and completely abandoning the pathless illumination of the heart. William Blake said long ago: "Jesus is the imagination". Just so, cultures from all ages have used their particular conceptual idols to justify their known and unknown emotional agendas. They have forgotten their active involovement via the imagination in their own interpretations. And more damning: to micromanage a child as Tripp would have you is to either emotionally labotomize him, or to guarantee deep seated anger, resentment and rebellion. The book is extreme, caustic, and displays a shockingly accluded approach to Biblical interpretation and child rearing that nearly rises to level of self-parody.
Rating: 
Summary: Not too bad, not too good either
Review: There is some good advice here, but personally I found that the author suggested "blaming God" for spanking the children. That is not a good idea at all! If your spanking your child for disobedience, tell them so, don't "hide" behind the verses in Proverbs. Not a bad book, but not great wither. Like all things, use your own judgment and prayerfully decide what to put into practice in your home.
Rating:
Summary: A one size fits all approach
Review: Didn't really care for the book, although I agreed with some of what was said. I like the emphasis of getting to the child's heart rather than just modifying behavior. I also like the comments that parents need to be authority figures in their child's lives, not just their "buddy's". But all of this was said in a very harsh way and put down EVERY child rearing and behavior modification currently out there. It teaches that kids should not many ANY decisions of their own, and cannot be trusted in anything. Some of the alternatives ways of communicating heart issues to your child seemed unrealistic. The author gives you a choice of either spanking or appealing to your child's conscience, that's it. When you spank, you need to make sure that the child knows that you are doing it on God's authority, and when you appeal to their conscience you also invoke God's name and instruction. I don't disagree that more discussion of God's commandments would be good in our child rearing, but saying "God doesn't want you doing that" or "God says stop" or "that would not make God happy" every five minutes would really turn a child off to God. Judge for yourself, but I prefer Love and Logic.
Rating: 
Summary: Must Have Book for Christian Biblical Parenting
Review: This book is packed full of essential Biblical teaching and instruction. Tedd Tripp is funny, witty, serious and thought provoking. This is the kind of book you read over and over again as there is much to learn about ourselves contained within its pages. You won't like this book if you're a frequent visitor to the "self-help" isle. No newage psychobabble here, Tedd Tripp seeks to instruct God's way. Please take advantage of the "about me" features when checking the credibility of reviewers including me. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" (Jer 17:9) Peace! <><
Rating:
Summary: THE most biblical parenting resourse
Review: This book is solidly biblical, based on sound exegesis of the scriptures. The video series for small group study is also excellent. I have read EVERY SINGLE negative review on this page, and absolutely without exception, every one has severely misrepresented or totally misunderstood the contents of this book. These people have forsaken God's Word, and chosen to follow the vain philosophies of men instead---secular humanism in particular. It's too bad they can't call it what it is. I can only assume that they have never bothered to crack open a bible and seriously study.
Rating:
Summary: Not the answer
Review: I am a Christian Mom, who felt mislead by the title of this book. Please DO NOT BUY this book. Instead I would get,
The Complete Book of Christian Parenting & Child Care: A Medical & Moral Guide to Raising Happy, Healthy Children, by William and Martha Sears.
Rating:
Summary: VERY SHOCKED
Review: I have to say I'm very shoched at what positive comments this book has gotten. This is my first review and many will probably say be it your last, but I just had to speak up. I'm christian and believe very much in biblical teachings but I just don't understand how hitting your child will help them to learn from their mistakes. It will just scare them into not doing it again. Logical Consiquences make a child learn and treating them with respect as you wish to be treated. Hitting teaches you are bigger and stronger not trust in the Lord.
Anyway my jaw hit the floor when I got to page 31.
Ex. I recall many situations like this
FATHER: You didn't obey daddy did you
CHILD: No
FATHER: Do you remember what God says daddy must do if you
disobey me?
CHILD: Spank Me?
FATHER: That's right. I must spank you. If I don't, then I would
be disobeying God. You and I would both be wrong. That
would not be good for you or for me, would it?
CHILD: No. (a reluctant reply) Read Children: The Challenge by Rudolf Dreikurs. It's common sense and logical and works without degrading yourself or your child. Children can respect and have the fear of God without being hit.
Rating:
Summary: A must for parents wanting to train in a Biblical way
Review: This book has been a God-send to us as we raise our four children. With practical, Biblical advice, this book will challenge and encourage you to keep up the fight against modern child-raising tactics. I give this at every baby shower I attend to help the new parents out. I have never received anything but gushing thanks a few months or even years later! Whether you are a young couple just starting out or already have grown kids, this is a must have for your home library.
Rating: 
Summary: Practical advice from a radically different philosophy
Review: The key thing that distinguishes Tripp's book from most parenting books is that he rightly understands that our goal in parenting is not to produce children who are obedient, nor is it to produce children who are happy. Rather, both of these are the beneficial result of raising our children in such a way that we are always addressing the issues of the heart (selfishness, rebelliousness, discontent, etc.) rather than just working on the externals. Tripp gives some very practical advice to this end: how to recognise the "teachable moments", how to spank, the problems with strategies that don't work (e.g. bargaining or bribery). He also makes it clear that discipline only works in an atmosphere of trust and communication. I was very pleasantly surprised to see someone agree with me that in a situation where you "know" your child has done something wrong, but you don't have the evidence to prove it, the right thing to do is to encourage honesty on their part, but if necessary to let them get by with it, rather than acting on a presupposition that might be wrong and injuring the trust between parent and child. He also writes a good bit about parenting goals and strategies for different age groups (from toddlerhood to teenage). The book does have its flaws, though. The most serious is that Tripp does not do a sufficient job of setting the context of what we are about in parenting. Doug Wilson's Standing on the Promises does that well, and should be viewed as a necessary companion to this book. As another reader pointed out, he also does not effectively discuss how to build attachment during the early years (although he hints at it - for instance, his insistence that the child be laid across the lap for spanking is grounded in a desire to not distance the child and he condemns parenting methods that attempt to manipulate the emotional fears of children to achieve a result). I was tempted to give the book a lower rating due to some philosophical problems with Tripp in his view of whether God promises to work through godly parenting to bring children to faith, his views of education and socialisation and so on. However, he does not work out a practice consistent with these flaws and touches on them only tangentially, so they can mostly be overlooked. He also has a tendency to be a bit absolutist about things that aren't absolutes. For instance, he sees spanking as the only effective means of punishment in discipline. He rightly understands that the purpose of spanking is to get the child's attention so that the real work of discipline (the teaching aspect) can proceed out of the infraction, but doesn't seem to understand that with some children there are more effective means of getting their attention. I'm a big fan of spanking, but have recognised in my own daughter that sometimes the removal of privileges is much more effective.
Rating:
Summary: Phenomenal Teaching!!!
Review: Having heard Ted Tripp's two day seminar, which focused primarily on this book, my wife and I had the "interactive" version of this teaching. He has been a pastor for many years, loves children, and his own children are shining examples of the teaching he garners from the Bible. This is not easy reading. This is "straight to the heart," and if you want your child to become conformed to the image of Christ, be prepared to look in the mirror yourself to see where you stand. It is challenging and edifying as well as encouraging, and I highly recommend it!! Not for those who are weak in heart.
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