Why to catch children being good (as opposed to being bad)

Many parents think that discipline means to catch a child in the act of doing something wrong, then punish them for the infraction. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American parents see discipline in parenting. The fact of the matter, however, is that actual Christian discipline of children involves catching children being good, in the context of a secure attachment.

Catching children being good, in the context of secure attachment, is a part of the Christian doctrine of mutual submission. See Ephesians 6:1-4 KJV:

Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye father, provoke not your children to wrath: bur bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

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 children as their enemy, from beneath yet from above, expecting absolutely nothing in return.

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to wrath" is παροργίζο (Latin: parorgizo) 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, but not limited to, any punishments, reprimands, 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, thereby treating your child as a quartered slave. Paul, here, was lifting up the Law in order to convict Greek Christian parents in the parish at Ephesus of bringing 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.

The Greek root word translated "nurture" is παιδεία (Latin: paideia) and refers to here, in this context, to modeling Christian discipline to children. The Christian standard of discipline is deserving of absolutely nothing, thereby grateful for absolutely everything, coming from a sinful nature, leading to a chastened up example for children to follow. Christian parents in the Early Church centered their entitlement in view of their children, with their children following in their footsteps. Children in biblical times were caught being good by fathers, instead of caught being bad. When children followed the disciplined example of parents, and were caught doing so, they were rewarded with lavish praise and encouragement to "keep headed down the straight path". Boys were given manly praise when caught being good, and girls were given snuggles from aside when fathers caught them being good. Sometimes, children need direct advice and counsel. The Greek root word translated "admonition" is νουθεσία (Latin: nouthesia) and refers to the advice and counsel of parents, meaning parents could only give advice to children, and counsel children when they are upset. Parents did not have any lawfully binding authority over children, with children being the ones calling the shots.

What motivated a child to learn right from wrong? Parents sought a secure attachment from children. For the first 6 years of a child's life, children were in constant closeness to mothers, meaning that wherever the mother went, so did the child. The Early Christians practiced birth nudity, where mother and child are in the nude next to each other, in skin-on-skin closeness and intimacy. Whenever children cried, mothers responded with sustaining warmth, picking up the child in skin-on-skin format, then holding the child close to her bosom in mammary closeness. When out and about in public, mothers swaddled their young children - under age 6 - in swaddling blankets made of velvet. When a child was swaddled to the bosom of their mothers, and cried, they were held closer to the bosom of mothers. Most children who were swaddled next to the bosom of mothers cried quietly, with mothers responding immediately. 

This abovementioned sustaining warmth during the child's formative years conditioned children to accept discipline on their own accord from fathers. Fathers were a secondary attraction figure for children, based off of the primary attachment of a child to his/her mother. Righteous masturbation was used by fathers to center their sexual drive towards a child in a certain place. This masturbation ultimately kindled a bond between father and child, and especially father and daughter.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to wrath 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!