Time-in: Why mammary closeness is the biblical way of doing time-in

Many parents think that children need a time-out, alongside the occasional disciplinary spanking. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American adults support punitive parenting practices. However, God wants parents to do a time-in, not a time-out. There is only one biblical way to do a time-in, and that method is mammary closeness. 

Time-in 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. This word ultimately refers to a secure attachment between parent and child within 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 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 forms of 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. The 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 Christians 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.

Time-in is a necessary method in attachment parenting. However, there is only one biblical way to do time-in - mammary closeness. Mammary closeness happened when children cried. Whenever a child cried, they were cooed at before being picked up. Once picked up, children were held next to the bosom of mothers, in skin-on-skin mammary closeness. From there, mothers diagnosed the every need of the child. Maybe the child was tired. Maybe the child was hungry. Maybe the child needed mom's milk. Maybe the child needed mom, period. Either way, mom was there in order to be used, like a sponge or a milking cow.

During the course of mammary closeness, children latched onto the nipple, and were nursed using the mother's teat. Mothers breastfed wherever, mean anywhere and everywhere where they were summoned to by their child, including in public. Children who were done with breastfeeding refused the nipple, and from there, they could move onto solid foods. Most children in biblical times refused the nipple around age 2, but some children weren't ready for solid foods until age 6 or even older. Children up until age 2 were constantly held by mothers, and were nursed whenever they cried. Sometimes, the child had to be unloaded from a papoose bag when the mother's hands were full.

Mammary closeness was practiced even in public by Christian mothers. When out and about in public, children were held close to the bosom of mothers in swaddling blankets, in constant skin-on-skin mammary closeness. The swaddling blankets - and the child with them - were tucked underneath the loose-fitting, revealing dress of mothers that resembled an apron. The swaddling blankets were tied from the left breast, then across the dot to the right leg, or vice versa, or both in the case of twins. The swaddling blankets ensured constant skin-on-skin protection and sustaining warmth. When children cried, they were held closer to the bosom of mothers, with milk-dependent children being breastfed to sleep. The swaddling blankets were made of velvet, which was grown throughout the Ancient Middle East.

Mothers also practiced mammary closeness in private. Children went naked wherever they wanted, and mothers also went naked within the confines of the family home. This birth nudity setup facilitated skin-on-skin optimal sustaining warmth. Whenever a child was picked up after crying, they were treated to skin-on-skin closeness and intimacy, as both parties were in the nude. 

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!