Elopement in public: How to prevent children from running off in public

Many parents have to deal with it. A child running off, perhaps into traffic. Most parents punish children for running off. The fact of the matter, however, is that running off is developmentally appropriate behavior, as children don't understand the dangers of running off. In the Early Church, mothers had a solution to children running off. Children, when in public, were not allowed on their own two feet. Children were instead swaddled next to the bosom of mothers in swaddling blankets.

Swaddling 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. This form of surrender to parents came with strings attached on the part of parents, with children issuing righteous demands from their place of rest, usually when parents weren't doing their part around the house.

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, but not limited to, 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. Surely, Paul didn't get along with women, but he loved children, and took in orphaned children. Indeed, Greco-Roman parents used  the scourge of cords on their children as a form of punishment, but NOT the Christians among them - the Early Christians were hated largely for being "too soft" on their children.

Child elopement, or children running off - perhaps into traffic - is a modern problem. Children today are given freedom before they are ready. Just like today, in the biblical context, hazards existed. There existing venomous snakes and scorpions. Today, the hazards include oncoming traffic when with your child at a thoroughfare. It isn't enough for parents to hold their children's hands, as children can shake loose. Young children under age 6 are too young to understand the threat of oncoming cars.

Children, when out and about in public, were not allowed to be on their own two feet. Children were instead swaddled to the bosom of mothers, in constant skin-on-skin mammary closeness. When children were wrapped up in the swaddling blankets of mothers, they could not get down in order to run off, but in a way that was enjoyable for both mother and child.

The swaddling blankets that held the child were tied to the left breast of the mother, then across the dot to the right leg of the mother. From there, the child was tucked underneath the loose-fitting, revealing dress of mothers, that resembled an apron. This sustaining warmth kept the child alive and safe. Swaddling children is also enjoyable especially for the child.

Some children do not respond well to swaddling, and shake such closeness off. These children, in biblical times, were known as stand-beside-me children. Stand-beside-me children were told by their mother to "stand beside me". They usually did stand beside their mother, but they were not the warm and cuddly type of child. Mothers then respected the autonomy of a stand-beside-me child, to the point that mothers knew not to force affection on them. The child simply was right beside the mother. Children stood beside the mother because the mother never punished or was controlling with the child.

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!