The fetal position treatment: The cure for childhood defiance

Many parents think that the solution for defiance is punishment. This is a common belief amongst American parents. Most American parents want a quick fix for defiant behavior such as whining and talking back. What is the best way to deal with an angry child? The ancients in biblical times would say the fetal position, particularly when a mother was supervising the child.

The fetal position is one form of the Christian teaching of mutual submission. Parents are to be submissive to their children, just as parent believers are to be submissive to God. In turn, children are to rest safely and securely in the submission of parents. 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 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, expecting absolutely nothing in return, with children resting safely and securely in the submission of parents. Parents submitted to children in biblical times from beneath yet from above.

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 offenses stemming from hostage-taking - child punishment was seen in biblical times as holding your child hostage merely for things that they did wrong. 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.

Mothers in Ancient Jewish culture, including the Early Church, used the fetal position as a treatment for defiance. What mothers would do is that, when a child was being defiant and wanted something that they couldn't have, they would pick up their child, then lay down with them on the floor of their house, and then curl up with them in the fetal position. This brought the angry child to tears, and then the mother and child snuggled with each other. 

In biblical times, children went completely naked. Women only wore clothing outside of the home, and otherwise, went naked as well, in order to serve her husband and her children, separately. Children were naked for a reason - so that mothers could easily facilitate skin-to-skin contact with their crying or upset children. "Upset" here means defiant as well, meaning a child shouting insults and profanity at you perhaps. Jewish and Christian mothers in biblical times didn't take it personally, and neither did fathers. Mothers were charged with caring for children, with fathers being either a breadwinner or a playmate to children.

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 both their husbands and their children, separately. Mothers served their children by way of providing for them nourishment and sustenance, namely attachment parenting items such as breastfeeding and skin-on-skin comforting strategies, including the fetal position when children are being defiant. With milk-dependent children, children were also offered to breastfeed while placed in the fetal position 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!