Preventing public meltdowns: How to prevent meltdowns in public

Many parents think that meltdowns in public are inevitable. This is a common belief amongst American parents. Sadly, most parents think that the answer to public meltdowns is punishment of some kind. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American parents punish children who have a public meltdown. The fact of the matter is that there is another answer for public meltdowns. Mothers in the Early Church swaddled their children next to them while in public.

Swaddling children was 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 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. This commandment was intended by the Apostle Paul to lift up the customary law that commands a secure attachment between parent and child in the family home. This secure attachment comes from parent submission, where parents submit to children while expecting absolutely nothing in return.

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 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 modern fixture in American parenting. Many parents think that public meltdowns occur inevitably, and deserve punishment. The fact of the matter is that public meltdowns can both be prevented and that they don't deserve punishment. The Early Christians used swaddling blankets to cradle children up until age 6 next to their bosom.

Children, in biblical times, up until age 6, were swaddled next to the bosom of mothers in swaddling blankets, perhaps with mothers breastfeeding their children if summoned to by her child. The swaddling blankets were made of velvet, and were tied to the left breast of the mother, then tied across the dot to the right leg of the mother, or vice versa, or both in the case of twins. The child, from there, was tucked under the thin, revealing dress of the mother that resembled an apron. 

When children cried while in swaddling blankets, the mother held the child closer to her bosom, reassuring the child by cooing and then diagnosing the need from there. Children were breastfed in public if milk-hungry. Children cried a silent cry while in the bosom of mothers, meaning they did not cry out loud and disturb everyone else in the public venue. 

Older children were generally more disciplined, as they followed the disciplined example of their parents. Sometimes, older children had their moments where they cried. The mother then picked them up and held them, reassuring them by cooing and possibly saying "this too will pass". Most older children, however, didn't get to that point in public, and only threw tantrums at home, which led to co-snuggling between both mother and child.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoked 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!