The Pearl children are so happy??

[katiekind]

Magan, when I realized that, it was SO freeing.

Originally Posted by Dizzy Blond

Amen again. I'm one of those people that turned out fine, so my parents do claim they did everything perfect. But I guess that means that perfect parenting includes: .... forcing them to eat their puke after they puked out a certain food they absolutely hate.

Hugs! I'm right there with you! In my case it was also food that I absolutely hated...and I also happened to be sick. I could force myself to eat the food if I wasn't sick, but that day I wouldn't have been able to keep my favorite food down. Initially I was just given bowlful after bowlful, and told I was going to keep eating until I got through a bowl without throwing up. But then after a while I wasn't allowed to run to the bathroom, I was forced to throw up in the bowl, then keep eating. I guess they were running out of the food (which I will not name in case anyone reading does like it...don't want to ruin their experience for them!).

Jenn

Originally Posted by katiekind

Dizzy Blond,

That broke my heart to read. That was so wrong to have that happen to you. I hope somehow at the time you were able to know you didn't deserve that.

Thanks, Kathy. I've really gotten over most of my hangups, have forgiven my parents and do have a decent relationship with them both, thanks to the healing power of God's love. I did think my parents were kind of nuts when I was a kid, and thankfully, had a wonderful older brother who concurred. In some ways, not knowing that they were so dysfunctional was a blessing. I had a dream that I was 30 and going back to relive my life and was more frustrated, because I knew they were wrong, but since I was a child, they didn't believe I knew any better.

Originally Posted by Knitted_in_the_womb

Hugs! I'm right there with you! In my case it was also food that I absolutely hated...and I also happened to be sick. I could force myself to eat the food if I wasn't sick, but that day I wouldn't have been able to keep my favorite food down. Initially I was just given bowlful after bowlful, and told I was going to keep eating until I got through a bowl without throwing up. But then after a while I wasn't allowed to run to the bathroom, I was forced to throw up in the bowl, then keep eating. I guess they were running out of the food (which I will not name in case anyone reading does like it...don't want to ruin their experience for them!).

Jenn

Sorry, Jenn. I'm sad to see this happened to someone else. Your story reminded me of a news story from many years back: a boy had drank a coke and his mother forced him to drink 5 gallons of water as punishment. He drowned and died. Your story sounds almost just as severe. Hopefully parents reading this and realize not to *ever* make food a discipline issue. Providing healthy options is enough.

Personally, I like to assume a positive intent. The Pearls kids very well may be very happy. The Pearls methods obviously worked wonderfully for them. I would be interested in knowing how often they had to hose down their own 3 year olds, and things like that...so many of the extremely harsh things see to be advice for others, not what they needed to do for their kids. Apart from them swatting the liar son everyday at noon till he stopped being an evil liar.

I've read the letter from their daughter Rebecca. She say's she is the happiest person she knows. I find that comment to be a bit over the top. Who is she trying to convince? Maybe she really is? Of course it could be true.
I hope it is.

Personally, I like to assume a positive intent. The Pearls kids very well may be very happy. The Pearls methods obviously worked wonderfully for them. I would be interested in knowing how often they had to hose down their own 3 year olds, and things like that...so many of the extremely harsh things see to be advice for others, not what they needed to do for their kids. Apart from them swatting the liar son everyday at noon till he stopped being an evil liar.

I've read the letter from their daughter Rebecca. She say's she is the happiest person she knows. I find that comment to be a bit over the top. Who is she trying to convince? Maybe she really is? Of course it could be true.
I hope it is.

Is she the happiest person anyone else knows? What's her frame of reference? I know people who are adamant that they are happy. . . . but, there are a great many issues and things that are hidden. . not necessarily to us, but to *them*. Like the girl who *has* to wear shapeless sacks to cover herself, and walks hunched over and has a nervous tick . . . .she's happy. Also, you know how it is with pain. . . . it stays long enough and you get used to it. . .you may be a bit irritable, but you don't even feel it anymore. But, all of a sudden, it will go away.. . and BAM! you understand now what kind of pain you were in! And you feel almost weird. .. and a little worried, because you'd gotten so used to it that it was part of your life. But, you would very definitely not like to be in that kind of pain again, now that you know what it is like to be without it.

But, what could have happened to make her like that? I ask it again. . .do the ends justify the means? And how in the world did they know that the evil liar stopped lying? If he was anything like me, he just got so good at it that it appeared that way. It also falls back on one of the things they make clear. . .start young and do not give mercy. Start so young that it is ingrained in them like instinct, and be ruthlessly consistant. They will never remember. How many here could remember something from when they were 6 months old? A year old?