Righteous co-sleeping: Why God wants parents to co-sleep next to their children

Many parents think that co-sleeping is the irresponsible choice as a parent. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American parents isolate their children in cribs and beds from day one. However, children in biblical times co-slept next to mothers. Not only did it help form a bond with children, but it helped protect them from child sexual abuse.

Righteous co-sleeping is the centerpiece 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 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 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 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.

It is common knowledge that children under age 6 often refuse to go to bed on their own. This is a common reason for parents punishing their children. However, children refuse to go to bed on their own is that they are emotionally unready for being isolated in a room alone. Children under age 6 have a primal fear of being devoured by predators. There may be no snakes or scorpions like there was in biblical times, but predators still exist in modern times, usually in human format. Most cases of child sexual abuse involve a bedtime ritual, where children are raped by night while isolated in a bed on their own. Mothers in the Early Church solved that problem by co-sleeping next to their children. Then, sexual abuse couldn't happen because mom was right there, ready to use herself as a human shield if anything happened. She usually slept with the father on one side of her, and the children on the other.

Many pediatricians and mental health professionals dealing with children do not recommend co-sleeping, due to unfounded fears that it can cause "sleep dependence". The fact of the matter is all co-sleeping has an end to it. Most of the time, children co-slept next to mothers until the onset of puberty, which is when children wanted their own place to sleep. If they still want to co-sleep next to you past that point, that is a sign of a developmental disorder such as autism spectrum disorder. Even then, they do grow out of co-sleeping, but usually not until later. I have autism, and I co-slept next to my mother until age 16, which is when I took the initiative to sleep on my own. In most every case, children eventually want to sleep on their own to prove their independence from their parents, usually come puberty.

Co-sleeping is the ultimate way to bond with your child. Most co-sleeping in biblical times was done in skin-on-skin format. Children aged 0-10, on average, co-slept next to mothers, with children past age 10 usually starting puberty and thus wanting their own place to sleep. Children went naked wherever they went, including when snuggling into bed with mom, with mothers also being naked within the confines of the family home. Fathers just had to get used to children sleeping naked next to them in bed, and masturbated to sexual thoughts of their naked child. The family bed, in the Early Christian context, was completely nude in terms of setup. 

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!