Why co-sleeping is necessary for the parent-child bond

Many parents think that co-sleeping is the irresponsible option in terms of sleeping arrangements in parenting. Many American parents hate the idea of co-sleeping, tarring it with sexual themes that do not exist objectively in that context. The fact of the matter is that co-sleeping is recommended in the Bible. The biblical understanding of surrender to parents refers to closeness to parents, including nighttime closeness to parents.

The Apostle Paul wrote 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 be discouraged.

The Greek root word translated "obey" is υπακουο (Latin: hupakouo) and refers to secure, vulnerable rest in the love and grace of parents. Children are to rest securely in the sacrifice of parents, just as parent believers rest securely in the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Parents are to be extensions of Christ in the family home, sacrificing for their children, just as Christ sacrificed for His children, with children being a Godhead for parents to serve, and with children resting in the submission of parents, owing absolutely nothing in return. Parents are the enemy of children, just as mankind is the enemy of God, with parents being subservient to them just as they are to Him, expecting absolutely nothing in return from children or anyone else.

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and refers to damages or offenses, namely the slightest of personal offense perceived by a child, including, but not limited to, the slightest of offensive touch or speech perceived by a child, coming from entitlement. This commandment was intended by the Apostle Paul, and understood in its original context, as a moral statute prohibiting all forms of punitive parenting, including any punishment or controlling demeanor towards a child. In the Old Testament, punitive parents were put to death by way of bloodletting, after punishing their children too many times. Parents who punished their children were charged with kidnapping, with "kidnapping" being defined under the Law as the slightest of damages or offenses stemming from hostage-taking - child punishment was seen then as holding your child hostage merely for things they did wrong. Paul here was lifting up this legal context to a group of Greek Christian parents who brought their pagan custom of spanking and punishing children into the church. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punishment of a child. Paul, here, was lifting up the Law in order to educate Greek and Roman parent newcomers to the Christian Church on the Jewish parenting traditions of the church, which were attachment-based in nature.

It is common knowledge that children between the ages of 2-6 refuse to go to bed on their own. This is often chalked up by parents to children simply wanting to "undermine" parents. The fact of the matter is that children under the age of 6 are too young to go to sleep on their own. Children under that age have a primal fear of being isolated in a room away from their parents. Children, at the lowest level, are afraid of being preyed on by predators. Many parents might think of this as dated information, but predators still exist within family homes. Most child sexual abuse occurs within a family home, by a father or father figure, and when the child is isolated in a room all by themselves. When children are sleeping next to mothers, nothing can happen, because mom is right there. If anything happens, mom will witness it, and it will expose a predator instantaneously. Mothers in Ancient Israel and the Early Church slept next to their children largely in order to protect them from predators, both human and non-human. Children are simply not meant, by biology, to leave the side of mothers until a later date, and that fact is reflected throughout ancient history and prehistory.

Sleep dependence is another excuse not to co-sleep with children. "Sleep dependence" is a term created by pediatricians and mental health professionals serving children, with the claim that co-sleeping leads to children wanting to sleep next to parents into adulthood. Such happens in cases of autism only, and that is because of delayed emotional development - the child or dependent adult will eventually grow out of it, but it will take longer. Most children in biblical times shook off the warmth of their parents in terms of co-sleeping by the time they were 9-10. Some children took longer to break away from parents, some took shorter. Every child is different, but all children want to be independent. Some are just more burdened in achieving that goal.

Children, in biblical times, wore no clothing, at all, until they became adults. Women only wore clothing outside the home, and otherwise went in the nude to serve their husbands and their children. Mothers served their children by way of providing for them nourishment and sustenance, namely breastmilk (until age 3) and skin-to-skin closeness and intimacy. The core aspect of Christian attachment parenting then was skin-on-skin co-sleeping. Mothers and children snuggled next to each other at night, in the nude. Children went in the nude all the time, inside and outside, and this was so mothers could easily snuggle with them in skin-to-skin closeness and intimacy. Mothers also went naked in order to easily accommodate the attachment needs of children. Co-sleeping of this type was the norm throughout the Bible, including in the Early Church. 

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be forever 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 Hell of fire and torment, suffering God's Wrath forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!