Righteous co-sleeping: Why co-sleeping is good for a secure attachment between mother and child

Most parents think that co-sleeping is the irresponsible choice. Most parents oppose co-sleeping next to children entirely. However, the Bible, when understood in context, prescribes attachment parenting, and sound attachment parenting calls for co-sleeping. Co-sleeping can save a child's life, in fact.

The doctrine of righteous co-sleeping is the centerpiece of the 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 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 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 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 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 as the slightest of damages or offenses stemming from hostage-taking - child punishment was seen 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 in his time as a deacon.

It is common knowledge that children aged 2-6 often refuse to go to bed. This is a common occurrence in family homes. Most children that refuse to go to bed are punished for it. However, the reason behind bedtime refusal is that children under age 6 aren't ready to sleep on their own. Children of that age have primal fears of being devoured by predators. This is because parents are to protect their children from predation. Maybe predators of the animal type are non-existence, but human predators might just exist in your own home. Children are most likely to be sexually abused when isolated alone in a crib or bed. When co-sleeping was done in biblical times, the child was protected from harm, as the mother was right there. Co-sleeping happened in skin-on-skin format every night, and the man of the house had to get used to it, or else the mother would leave with the children in a hasty divorce. 

A common excuse not to co-sleep is "sleep dependence", as commonly given by pediatricians and mental health professionals serving children. Most parents are afraid to co-sleep, because they don't know when it will end. In the Early Church, co-sleeping ended at the onset of puberty, when children wanted their own place to sleep. 

Co-sleeping is the best way for a child to bond with mothers. Co-sleeping is the core way to understand Christian attachment parenting, meaning Christian attachment parenting calls for co-snuggling and co-sleeping of the skin-on-skin variety, every single night until the child is ready to sleep on their own. Christian attachment parenting is attachment parenting based off of the Early Christian context. Children in the Early Church went naked wherever they went, with mothers also going naked when in the confines of the family home. Mothers co-slept next to their children every night, with the birth nudity facilitating warm and cozy co-sleeping. Children who were milk-dependent were given mother's milk as a means to soothe them to sleep, every night until the child rejected the nipple. Children rested in the love and submission of parents, meaning in the loving arms of parents, especially mom. 

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 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!