Public meltdowns: How to deal with public meltdowns in children

Many parents have had to deal with it. Most, if not all, parents have had a child have a full-blown meltdown in public. This usually occurs during the first 6 years of life, when children have poor self-control by nature. The fact of the matter is that the Ancient Jewish culture, including the Early Church, used swaddling blankets, with children only being allowed on their own two feet in public starting at age 6.

Swaddling is part of the Christian doctrine of mutual submission, where children are to rest securely in the loving arms of mothers. 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 child 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. With this form of surrender to parents, children were allowed to issue righteous demands in return, in most cases when parents weren't doing their fair share 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 writings. The Apostle Paul may have not gotten along with women, but he was great with children. Indeed, Greco-Roman fathers used the scourge of cords on their children, but NOT the Christians among them - the Early Christians were hated largely for being "too soft" on their children.

Public meltdowns, when in full form, were rare in the biblical context. Most mothers, when out and about in public, swaddled young children under age 6 next to their bosom in swaddling blankets. The swaddling blankets tucked the child underneath the woman's loose-fitting, revealing dress. The child was tied to the mother's bosom by way of tying the swaddling blankets around the left breast, then further tying the child across the dot to the mother's right leg. From there, children could easily breastfeed if milk-hungry, or simply relax while in the cozy warmth of mothers.

Children, while being held in swaddling blankets, cried silent tears, not loud tears. The mother then held the child closer to her bosom while cooing at the child, in skin-on-skin mammary closeness. Actual public meltdowns, meaning kicking and screaming on the floor, were rare. Children were swaddled to the bosom of mothers in swaddling blankets.

Sometimes, older children had a meltdown in public. Mothers then picked up the older child, and cradled them in their arms, reassuring and validating their upset by cooing at them. Cooing serves a special purpose in telling the child, in their primal language, that they are heard and they are listened to. Sometimes, older children hit their mother or their father, in which case the parent either feigned crying or actually cried out loud, and that was the last time they hit a parent.

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!