Christian attachment parenting: Why true Christian parenting is attachment parenting

Many parents in America support punitive parenting, with them citing the Bible as justification for their punishment or abuse of a child. The biblical excuse is the most common excuse for punishing children. However, Christian attachment parenting is true Christian parenting, and is the right way to go as a parent.

Christian attachment parenting is summed up in 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 fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but 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. This word ultimately refers to a secure attachment between parent and child in the family home. This secure attachment comes from parent submission, where parents are to submit to their children dutifully and selflessly, 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 was 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 a child. 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 Christians who brought their pagan custom of spanking or punishing children to the church. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punishment of a child in his secular writings. Paul may not have gotten along with the women of the church, but he sure loved children, and even took in a few orphaned children in his time. Indeed, Greco-Roman fathers used the scourge of cords in order to punish their children, but NOT the Christians among them - the Early Christians were persecuted largely for being "too soft" on their children.

The Greek root word translated "nurture" is παιδεία (Latin: paideia) and refers to here, in this context, modeling and encouraging Christian discipline in children. The Christian standard of discipline is deserving of absolutely nothing, therefore 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 children then following in the footsteps of parents. Children, in biblical times, were caught being good, as opposed to being caught being bad. Whenever children showed good traits - such as sharing, self-control, or patience - children were given lavish praise and encouragement to "keep headed down the straight path". Boys were given manly praise by their fathers when caught being good, and girls were given snuggles and physical affection by their fathers when caught being good. Sometimes, children needed religious instruction. The Greek root word translated "admonition" is νουθεσία (Latin: nouthesia) and refers to religious instruction for children. Fathers introduced their children to the Bible by leaving an Aramaic copy of the Hebrew Bible out for the child to discover and explore. When fathers caught their children studying the Bible, he praised them by saying "that book is good for you". From there, conversation about religion came in question and answer format, with children being eager to learn the facts of life, with fathers giving children pointers on the context. Children have a valid religious development of their own. At first, children's religious beliefs are abstract, but then, as they get older, they start to conform to a specific religious denomination. It may not be what you thought, but as long as they find Christ, they are good.

Children, however, need motivation, if the parents' example and instruction is to mean anything to the child. This motivation comes in the form of a secure attachment. 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, with mother and child quartered in the the nude, in skin-on-skin closeness, in the family home. Children, up until age 3, were held constantly, either by way of being held in mom's arms, or else tied to mom's back in a papoose bag. Children aged 3-6 followed their mother from room to room, and when she strayed away to the other room, she was summoned by her child to come back and tend to the child. Separation anxiety is when a child is terrified of mothers in particular "going away and not coming back". If you get this response from your child, know that you are doing things just right.

Christian attachment parenting is attachment parenting based off of the Early Christian context. The Bible is America's book. The Bible is a founding legal document of this country, even above the Constitution itself. Nowhere in the Bible does it legitimately say to punish a child, in any way. The Bible instead commands Christian parents not to provoke children to anger, meaning do not impose damages or offenses based on entitlement.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be cast forever 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!