Co-sleeping: Why this is crucial to a secure parent-child bond

Many parents refuse to sleep next to their child at night. On the other hand, young children often have trouble getting to sleep, especially in the earlier years. Could just letting them sleep next to you as a parent be the answer? There are more upsides to co-sleeping than there are downsides.

The centerpiece of an attached Christian parenting relationship is Christian Agape love for children, as denoted in the New Testament by the Greek root word αγαπαο (Latin: agapao), and refers to prioritizing children first, and yourself as a parent last, in a fearful and convicted way leading to dutiful and selfless submission to children and their every vulnerable need, expecting absolutely nothing in return from children or others, with children resting in the good works of parents, without a worry in the world, resting in place of God. See 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 be discouraged.

The Greek root word translated "obey" is υπακουο (Latin: hupakouo) and refers to secure, vulnerable rest in the love and grace of children. This usually means rest in the bosom of mothers, especially for young children, but also for children of any age intermittently or by night. Children were naked in biblical times, everywhere they went. Women also were naked when in the confines of the family home, in order to serve her husband and her children, separately. Mothers served their children by providing nourishment and sustenance, namely breastmilk (until age 3) and skin-to-skin closeness and intimacy (especially during co-sleeping). Sustenance included co-sleeping, which is the most important part of fostering a secure parent-child bond with your child. It also protects your child from predators (see further below). In Ancient Jewish society, children were seen as lawful extensions of God, and were honored and venerated as such, with the child's every need being a lawful summonses from God. This form of attachment parenting was mandated under customary law in Ancient Israel, and also was mandated under church ordinance in the Early Church. It was a special type of attachment parenting that focused on children being worshipped and venerated in place of God, and parents being an extension of Christ serving that Godhead, meaning everything the child needed. When you think divine rest, think rest on a throne, while being pampered and doted on by parents. That was how parenting was then.

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and refers to damages or abuse, namely child abuse in this context. Child abuse, as defined under biblical law, is the slightest of personal offense perceived by the child, including, but not limited to, the slightest of offensive touch or speech perceived by the child, coming from entitlement. This commandment was intended by the Apostle Paul to prohibit all punitive parenting, including all punishment or controlling demeanor towards children. The Apostle Paul was rebuking Greek Christian parents for bringing their pagan custom of spanking children into the church, with Greek Christian parents using the book of Proverbs to justify their pagan punishment habits. Spanking does not come from the Bible, but was a Greco-Roman custom for purifying young children and teenage girls. The Roman Catholic Church absorbed these customs, and pandered to European pagans that beat or whipped their children as a form of punishment. The rod verses - all seven of them - do not refer to raising children, and are repealed verses, as they refer to a dated, archaic form of judicial corporal punishment where the father of the offender was appointed by the court to whip the lawless ADULT son by issuing 40 minus 1 lashes with the rod of correction, intended as a last warning before putting the errant son to death. MINOR children were sacrosanct from prosecution, as they were not seen then as subject to the Law, but instead were simply learning the Law.

Why is co-sleeping so crucial to a secure parent-child bond? Usually, co-sleeping comes with some level of skin-to-skin closeness and intimacy. Children rest in the bosom of mothers at night, recharging for the next day. Co-sleeping is the most time-honored tradition in terms of bonding with children, with mothers, for ions, sleeping next to their children. Co-sleeping is also an American tradition, as it implied in the Bible as optimum biblical parenting. Co-sleeping was done in the nude in biblical times, as it should be done today.

Children under age 6 refuse to go to bed for a specific reason that is a primal part of their nature. Children often say that they are afraid of monsters eating them up. That is because, in the ancient world, predators existed, to the point that the existence of predators is hardwired in the child's brain at that age, to the point that children cannot possibly get over that fear. The practical reason for tending to that fear is that child predators could well be lurking in your home. Child predators usually ambush children when they are isolated in a room. When the child is sleeping next to mother, there is limited access. This causes abusive fathers to go insane, in an explosive way that involves teeth gritting and maybe some cursing. It is the whole fake propriety speech about co-sleeping, but louder and more hysterical. Children do have something to be afraid of when they say "monsters might eat me", because monsters can be anywhere, and can be anyone.

Sleep dependence is something brought up by pediatricians and doctors serving children, and it is a hypothesis based on scant research that shows that certain populations of children will become dependent on co-sleeping, namely those with autism. I myself, as someone with autism, slept next to my mother at night, and did until I started sleeping on my own - at my own initiative. This was around age 15-16, which is normal for a child with autism.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke children to anger will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be cast into the lake of fire and burning sulfur, which is the second death prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Let them descend into the abyss which is the ever-burning Hell of fire and torment, suffering God's Wrath forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!