Instruct: Classify Amazon reviews into positive or negative sentiment
Query: Beating a child into unquestioning obedience?

A well-meaning friend gave me all 4 of the To Train up a Child series. I read them, and was mostly appalled by the methods advocated. I do not want unquestioning obedience from my son. My goal is to raise a thinking, functional human being who can make decisions on his own. The very thought of needing to "switch" my child for evey incident of childish behavior makes me cringe. In all fairness, the Pearls do speak of loving their children and advocate "tying heartstrings" , i.e. always maintaining loving communication with their children. However, I do not understand how their advocated methods will achieve this. I do not understand how a child can be called a terroristic manipulator and a joy at the same time. Their methods confused me, a rational adult - how much more havoc will they wreak in the minds of our most defenseless little ones?