Preventing public meltdowns: How to deal with public meltdowns

Many parents have been there. A child throws a massive temper tantrum in public. This is a common occurrence in American society. Most American parents punish children for throwing temper tantrums. In young children, however, full blown temper tantrums can be prevented. In the Early Church, young children were wrapped up in swaddling blankets. 

The use of swaddling blankets 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 here 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 just 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. The 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.

Mothers in biblical times, when out and about in public, wrapped up their young children - under age 6 - next to their bosom in swaddling blankets. From there, 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. When children were swaddled to their mother's bosom, they only cried silently, for only the mother to hear and diagnose from there. When children cried silently, they were held close to the mother's bosom, and offered a teat to suckle on. If children refused the mother's teat, they were ready for solid foods. The swaddling blankets were made of velvet, which grew all throughout the Ancient Middle East.

Children, when out and about in a public market with mom, got most everything that they wanted off the shelf, and everything that they needed. When children wanted something, they usually cried silently when wrapped up next to mothers in swaddling blankets. If the child wanted something off of the shelf, they pointed to what they wanted, and then they got what they wanted. The market carried live lambs, and sometimes, the child wanted to take the lamb home as a pet, in which case mothers obliged, without slaughtering the lamb later. 

Children in biblical times got most everything that they wanted, even at market. Children also got absolutely everything that they needed. Children advocated for a want or need by crying, and usually, mothers got them what they wanted. When children were swaddled to their mother's bosom, they cried silently for what they needed or wanted. Kicking and screaming fits in public were unheard of then, and that is because children were swaddled next to the bosom of mothers, with children crying silently for what they needed or wanted. This swaddling of a child lasted until age 6, which was when the last of the children rejected the teat of mothers.

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!