Righteous pampering: Why parents are to pamper their children

Many parents think that pampering children is the irresponsible choice. Most parents avoid even the appearance of pampering their children. Many parents cite the Bible for their an excuse as to why they aren't pampering their children. However, the Bible, when understood in context, calls for the pampering of children. Parents are to pamper and baby their children.

Righteous pampering is a 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. This word 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 as they would to God, from beneath yet from above, expecting absolutely nothing in return. See also Matt. 22:35-40. 

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 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 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. 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 during his time as a deacon. Indeed, Greco-Roman fathers got out the scourge of cords in order to punish his children, but NOT the Christians among them - the Early Christians were persecuted largely for being "too soft" on their children.

Righteous pampering is a form of pampering children done the right way, meaning the biblical way. For the first 6 years of a child's life, children were in constant closeness to mothers, meaning that wherever mothers went, so did the child. For the first 2 years of a child's life, they were constantly held, either in mother's arms, or else in a papoose bag on mom's back when her hands were full. Between ages 2-6, children ranged next to mothers, following her from room to room, not allowing mom out of his/her sight, with the child being morbidly afraid of mom "going away and never come back". Whenever children cried, mothers cooed at their children, before picking up the child and holding him/her. Mothers were naked in the family home, and only wore clothing in public. Children were naked wherever they went.

When out and about in public, children were swaddled next to the bosom of mothers, in swaddling blankets. From there, children were tucked underneath the loose-fitting, revealing dress that resembled an apron. The swaddling blankets were tied to the left breast, then across the dot to the right leg, or vice versa, or both in the case of twins. When children cried while swaddled to their mother's bosom, their mothers held them closer, with children crying silently and quietly. The swaddling blankets were made of velvet, which was grown throughout the Ancient Middle East. 

When children were past age 6, they traveled farther and farther from home, engaging in more and more high-risk play, after checking in with mom beforehand. Older children were pampered by given freedom. However, all the way until the end of childhood, children recharged with skin-on-skin co-sleeping with mothers. When children shook off the co-sleeping of mothers, that was the beginning of the end, and was seen as a sign of maturity.

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!