Crying: Why crying in children is not bad behavior

Many parents think that crying in children past a certain age is bad behavior. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American parents think that crying in a child is bad behavior, and often see the child as being manipulative. The fact of the matter is, however, that children cry for purposes of communication, meaning a crying child is communicating a need. 

The solution for crying comes in the form of the Christian doctrine of mutual submission. 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 submission 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 just as they would to God, expecting absolutely nothing in return, with children resting safely and securely in the wake of parent submission. Parents are to submit to children as their enemy, from beneath yet from above, revering and fearing children as vulnerable extensions of God.

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, thereby treating your child as a quartered slave. Paul here was lifting up the Law 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 in his writings.

Crying in children was remedied by a setup of birth nudity for children. Mothers and children went in the nude next to each other. When a child started crying at home, mothers cooed and picked up the child, and laid down with the child, co-snuggling with the child, perhaps breastfeeding the child if milk-hungry. However, due to the nude setup of birth nudity, even holding a child gave the child ample skin-on-skin rays.

When in public, crying was stymied by mothers swaddling their young children. Young children up until age 6 were wrapped up next to the bosom of mothers in swaddling blankets, while tucked under the dress of the mother. One end of the swaddling blanket was tied to the mother's left breast, with the other end being tied across the dot to the mother's right leg, or vice versa, or both in the case of twins. Mothers wore over their child a loose fitting, revealing dress that resembled an apron. Mothers did not have to wear any clothing, but wore clothing that covered up the basics anyway, in order to honor their husbands. This swaddling setup preserved the peace and order of the community, as children then cried silent cries that only the mother could hear, and then the mother held the child closer, perhaps then breastfeeding the child in public if summoned by her child to do so.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them forever 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!