The attachment parenting traditions of Christendom

Many parents believe that Christian parenting, when done properly, involves corporal punishment and other punitive measures. The fact of the matter is that parenting in biblical times was not punitive in nature. Far from it. Attachment parenting was the norm in ancient Hebrew culture, including the Early Christian church.

It says in Colossians 3:20-21 KJV:

Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they become discouraged.

The Greek root word translated "obey" is υπακουο (Latin: hupakouo) and refers to trust in parents. Replace "obey" with "trust" and you roughly come to a better translation, with this verse written aside of minor children for their parents to keep. This was a special form of trust, namely one that was borne out of maternal warmth and sustenance. Attachment parenting was the norm in ancient Israel and adjoining churches, with children being in the nude while swaddled to their mother's body, in skin-to-skin closeness. Even older children remained wrapped up most of the time next to their mother, snuggling next to mother in a sustaining place of nourishment. Children up to age 3 were seen as infants and nourished as such through breastfeeding. Parents were seen as "home base" by today's terminology, holding their children close, with children playing freely with parental supervision, with children never leaving the line of sight of parents, and when they were done playing, they ran right back to their parents, surrendering in the loving arms of their parents. This level of closeness was intended to earn the respect and cooperation of children once they were older, meaning children admired their parents deeply for the tender loving care they received as children, not because of any punitive treatment to "beat respect into them". This attachment parenting context applies today to the degree it can be applied by the individual parent.

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and refers to provocations to anger, meaning any and all offenses against children, with "offense" defined as the slightest of offense perceived by a child. This commandment was intended by the Apostle Paul and the legal context of the time to include any form of punishment or control of a child, including corporal punishment. Roman law allowed for a legal defense for pro-spanking parents then, but no such defense existed under Jewish or Christian law. Paul was convicting and admonishing Greek Christian parents for their custom of spanking children which was brought into the church. Corporal punishment only existed under the Old Testament law, and only as a summary punishment for a capital offense, and only for ADULT children. Minor children were not legally responsible for their actions, with culpability falling on the parents, with parents having to apologize for their children's mischief in court. Defending mischief was seen as a sign of permissiveness, the most common error of Hebrew Christian parents.

Attachment parenting is denoted in the Bible. It says in Luke 2:7 KJV:

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room at the inn.

Notice the language about swaddling clothes. That is exactly how most parenting went then in ancient Hebrew and Christian societies. Sometimes, the child was wrapped in the mother's swaddling clothes, and held close to mother, even as an older child. This context is applied today by the abovementioned command in Col. 3:20-21 for mutual submission between parents and children, which is lifted up in Scripture for all mankind to hearken to.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke children to anger will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them burn in the lake of fire and burning sulfur, which is the second death, which is Satan's final resting place! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!