Douglas’s Reviews > The New Strong-Willed Child > Status Update

“The culture is not on your side.” Such an odd push pull.

I’m shocked that he advocates a parent apologising if they lose their temper or go too far. That is the first thing he’s written that is good, and counterintuitive to the traditional Christian.

Spanking and the threat of spanking is found throughout this book, not just the focal chapter.

Setting and maintaining limits is parenting. The threat of violence is not required.

The caricatures of other sources of parental advice is stupid. “Horse manure” and “wimp parenting”. Don’t be a wimp! Break your child! Who actually believed the blank slate hypothesis? Tilting against windmills, Dobson.

Sometimes parents must be left far behind. Sometimes parents deserve to be left far behind. Parents who believe capabilities need to be beaten out of “strong-willed” children. Parents needing their children to believe as they do. Dobson talks of “sneaky” strong-willed children; that’s a survival tactic, asshole.

Now Dobson is bragging about interviewing Ted Bundy before his execution. Game recognises game.

Dobson believes that if you don’t use his techniques, you are somehow capitulating your will to the child. What a power-hungry weakling.

I don’t think I believe any of this abuser’s stories. “I’ve talked with at least 100 000 parents.” “Teenagers tossed a pup out of a car.”

This monster took a belt to a 12-pound dog. This is meant to be a funny story to open the book. It’s obvious how the rest will unfold. Gross and abusive and power-hungry.