Time-in: Why mammary closeness is the biblical way to do time-in

Many parents still support punishing children. The most common way children are punished and abused these days is time-out alongside a spanking, meaning first putting children in time-out, then spanking them. This is called a disciplinary spanking, and it is recommended by many researchers who obviously were never children before. However, most decent researchers know that time-in is the way to go. But, there is a right way and a wrong way to do time-in. Mammary closeness is a form of time-in that was used in biblical times, and thus is God-honoring. It is the most time-tested way to soothe a crying or upset child. But, if you will only work if you sit on the woman's side of the aisle. Us men can't do it like mothers do.

Time-in is a variant of the Christian teaching of mutual submission, where children surrender themselves into the loving arms of parents, namely mothers in particular. 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, 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. 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: erethiso) 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 they did wrong, thereby treating a 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. 

Children, in biblical times, wore absolutely no clothing, at all, until they were 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 way of providing for them nourishment and sustenance, namely items of Christian attachment parenting such as breastfeeding and skin-on-skin comforting strategies. Children went naked in biblical times for a reason - so that mothers could scoop up children and snuggle them next to their bosom in mammary closeness. When out and about, children up until age 6 were swaddled next to the bosom of mothers in swaddling clothing, also maybe being allowed to breastfeed, if they were milk-dependent. This swaddling kept children close to mothers when they were crying or upset - they could just fall asleep in the bosom of mothers. When children were in the house with their mother, mothers co-snuggled with children in skin-on-skin format when they were crying or upset, giving them mammary closeness by holding them next to her bosom...This context is applicable today just as it was in the days of old, albeit with some tweaking.

How can this abovementioned context be replicated today? Several ways. The main way, at home, is to disrobe when your child is ramping up with crying and upset, possibly to the level of underwear, but preferably to total nudity. Then, invite the child to throw off the clothing. Then, embrace and hold your child, giving them ample mammary closeness in skin-on-skin format. When in public, children up until age 6 can be swaddled to the bosom of mothers in swaddling blankets, preferably while the mother is wearing a low-cut top to ensure ample skin-to-skin closeness and intimacy. For older children, maybe a trip to the ladies' room might be in order, with the child being tucked under the shirt of the mother while in a stall. Skin-on-skin comfort and sustenance stops crying within 1 to 2 minutes, and then, you can talk to your child about what went wrong.

Most forms of time-in are not time-honored and time-tested like mammary closeness. The attachment research is all for mammary closeness as a form of time-in. The breasts of mothers were not designed primarily for the objectification of men. They are there to nurture children, meaning that when you hold a child next to your breasts as their mother, the nerve endings in the mother and the child create friction that causes the child and the mother to feel at ease. Just do it once as a mother who is stressed by your child crying, and you will regret doing it sooner, as you will then know that such is the natural way to soothe your crying or upset child.

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!