Preventing public meltdowns: How public meltdowns were averted in biblical times

Many parents think that public meltdowns in children are deserving of punishment. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American parents take public meltdowns for granted, but punish them nonetheless. There is a way to stymy the tear flow of public meltdowns, and that involves the lost art of swaddling children. 

The art of swaddling children is part 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.

Public meltdowns are a common appearance in our stores and restaurants in here in America. Many times, young children in a store or restaurant cry and carry on. Most parents take it for granted, in a punitive way. However, there are ways that public meltdowns in children can be averted. The fact of the matter is that the fact that they are crying and carrying on like that means they aren't getting their attachment needs met.

Christian parents in the Early Church averted meltdowns by way of swaddling. Children, up until age 6, were swaddled next to the bosom of mothers in swaddling blankets. If the child was milk-hungry, the mother would breastfeed the child in public. The swaddling was intended to meet the inherent attachment needs of the child, as well as guard the child from predators such as snakes and scorpions. When children did cry, while swaddled next to their mothers, they cried silent tears, therefore not disturbing the peace or offending others. From there, the mother cooed and diagnosed the need, and provided it. The swaddling blankets were tied from one breast, across the dot to the opposite leg, and were made of velvet. They held the child next to the bosom of mothers, underneath the dress of the mother, in skin-on-skin format.

Children under age 6 have an inherent need, in terms of attachment, to be wherever their mother is. This secure attachment was ensured by children being swaddled next to the bosom of mothers. In the home, children followed mothers around wherever she went, even when she was cooking dinner, with children being curious about what mom was doing, sometimes trying to help. When out and about, however, children wanted to be swaddled to the bosom of mothers, and so they were placed in swaddling blankets and wrapped up next to the bosom of mothers.

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!