Co-sleeping: Why this is recommended in the Bible

Many parents think that co-sleeping is the irresponsible parenting choice. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American parents disapprove of co-sleeping, with the main argument being that it hinders children's ability to self-soothe. However, the Bible, meaning its context, recommends co-sleeping as a means of forming a secure attachment with your child. Not only do children not need to learn how to self-soothe, but co-sleeping has benefits in preventing child sexual abuse.

The concept of co-sleeping is a form of mutual submission in the Bible, and is part of the teaching of mutual submission between parents and children. Parents are to submit to their children as they would God, and children are tor rest safely and securely in the submission of parents. See Colossians 3:20-21 KJV:

Children, obey your parents in all things: as 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, dutifully and selflessly submitting to children as they would God, with children resting safely and securely in the submission of parents. Children are to rest safely and securely in the presence of parents, trusting parents in all things, following mothers around especially like goslings to a mother goose.

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, stemming 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 punishments or controlling demeanor towards children. In the Old Testament, punitive parents were put to death by way of bloodletting, after punishing their children one last time. Parents who punished their children were charged with kidnapping, with "kidnapping" being defined under the Law as the slightest of damages or offense perceived by a child - child punishment was seen in biblical times as holding your child hostage merely for things they did wrong, thereby treating your child as a quartered slave. Paul here was lifting up this legal context in order to convict 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.

It is common knowledge that children between the ages of 2-6 often refuse to go to bed on their own. Most parents simply chalk it up to defiance, and then punish children for refusing to go to sleep on their own. The fact of the matter is that young children refuse to go to sleep on their own because they are not ready to sleep on their own yet. The refusal to go to their room is a primal fear of being devoured by predators. Many people think that there are no predators today that would devour their child, but sexual predators exist. Most child sexual abuse is committed by a father o father figure in the home, and usually, the abuse happens when the child is isolated in a room alone at night. That is why mothers in biblical times snuggled right next to their children. Mothers were guarding children from the sexual entitlement of their fathers. The co-sleeping situation, which was skin-on-skin in nature, convicted the father of his secure attachment to his child, and also his sexual entitlement towards his child, with the father purging the unrequited lusts through masturbation.

It is a myth that children need to learn how to sell-soothe. This is common advice from doctors and professionals - that children need to learn how to self-soothe. Psychohistory has different advice for parents. In biblical times, children co-slept next to their mothers, and did so until they were old enough to shake off the comfort and warmth of mothers, and insist on sleeping on their own. This happened between the ages of 6-10. When children are ready to self-soothe, they will let you know. 

Children, in biblical times, wore absolutely no clothing, at all, until they became adults. Women only wore clothing outside the home, and otherwise went in the nude, in order to serve their husbands and their children, separately. Mothers served their children by providing for them nourishment and sustenance, namely attachment parenting items such as breastfeeding and skin-on-skin co-sleeping. The core aspect of Christian attachment parenting in the 1st Century was skin-on-skin co-sleeping, with mother and child fast asleep next to each other in the nude, with the child soaking up the rays of skin-to-skin contact with mothers. 

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke 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 ever-burning Hell of fire and torment, suffering God's Wrath forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!