To Train Up a Child: 30th Anniversary Edition

Child Training for the 21st Century

Best seller — over 625,000 in print!

With more than a million copies sold since its first release, To Train Up a Child is a radical perspective on what it means to raise joyful and victorious children in a world that encourages desolation and godlessness. Mike and Debi carefully explain their child-training techniques with simple instructions, personal testimonies from parents, and real application that comes directly from the source of truth: the Word of God. 

Letter from Mike:

To Train Up a Child, first published in 1994, began as a letter to a homeschooled mother in answer to her question, “How did you train your children to be so happy and obedient?” I did not consider myself to be an author, nor did I possess the means or the knowledge to publish a book. But as I sat down to write a letter to this mother, I realized that it was a big subject that could not be put into a few pages. I consulted my friends and neighbors, gleaning their views and methods of child training. I even interviewed my own children, asking them what they thought about their upbringing. Deb and I analyzed how we were influenced by the traditions that we inherited from our parents, and we looked at the methods that were unique to our family. After about two years, that mother finally got a response. It is now 30 years later, and To Train up a Child has been printed and read millions of times in dozens of different languages, making more of an impact than we could have ever imagined. For our 30’th anniversary, we have decided to update and expand with brand-new content.
No matter where you are in the child-training process, we hope this resource will be a blessing to you and your kids.

Reviews from the book:

Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2026⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Controversial book, but I love it. This is how I raised my kiddos and I have ordered a copy for each one for when they have kids. ~Marcy F.

Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2025⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Very grateful for this book. Just wish I had read it sooner! ~Paul

Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2024 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
We have used this book while raising our own two (now adult) children and have used it in counseling other parents. This book instructs parents on the why and how of training children to happy obedience BEFORE conflict arises. Excellent parental guidance. ~Tracy L.

Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2024⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I was so tired of repeating myself to my 3 kids. I knew what I was doing wasn’t working. Not having parents that I could model, this has been a great resource for Biblical parenting and I have already seen a HUGE improvement in my kids listening and obeying and doing as they are told. They are even getting along better as siblings. Highly recommend. ~Jules