Elopement: What to do about toddlers and young children running off

Many parents have to worry about it. Most parents have been in this situation. A child runs off. Most parents then find the child, and then punish the child for being curious about their surroundings. However, at the same time, there are too many hazards in public for young children to be left on their two feet in public. The idea is that, when out and about in public, growing up in the Early Christian church communities, were swaddled next to the bosom of mothers, all the way up until age 6.

Swaddling children is part of the Christian doctrine of mutual submission in parenting. 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. This commandment was intended by the Apostle Paul to lift up the customary law that commands a secure attachment between parents and children in the family home. This secure attachment comes from parent submission, where parents are to submit to their children as their enemy, from beneath yet from above, 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 context, as a moral statute prohibiting all forms of punitive parenting, including, but not limited, any punishments, reprimands, or other 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 secular writings.

Elopement, meaning toddlers and young children running off, is a modern concept. Children quite often get lost in stores these days, with these incidents being entirely preventable. The Early Christians, due to the hazards outside, did not allow children to walk on their own two feet except when inside the family home. In the family home, young children ranged beside mothers, never leaving her side. However, when mothers were out and about, they swaddled next to the bosom of mothers in swaddling blankets.

Children in biblical times were prevented from running off in public. This was because children were swaddled next to the bosom of mothers, in swaddling blankets. Swaddling blankets were made of velvet, and were tied to the left breast, then across the dot to the right leg. Children were too busy soaking up the rays of skin-on-skin mammary closeness when swaddled to want to run away and explore. The child was then tucked under the mother's loose-fitting, revealing dress that resembled an apron. Mothers offered breastfeeding until the child pushed away the nipple, which signaled that the child was ready for solid foods.

This abovementioned setup, today, can prevent a catastrophe when your child runs away in a crowded store. There have been instances of young children being abducted while lost in a store. It is not good for children to have two feet on the ground. Instead, the child with the two feet should be held in swaddling blankets. When you swaddle your child next to your bare bosom, you gently keep them out of harm's way. Children up until age 6 are babies, and are to be treated as such.

Some children rejected closeness with mothers from an early age. These children were seen as stand-beside-me children. These children shook off the closeness of mothers as young at the toddler years. Such was allowed by more spirited children, but only under the condition that they stand beside mothers. In most cases, these children would have fit the modern diagnosis of oppositional-defiant disorder. Most children in the Early Church, as well as Ancient Jewish culture at large, had some traits of oppositional-defiant disorder, but wanted closeness in their earlier years.

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 day and night forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!