Righteous pampering: Why God wants parents to pamper their children

Many parents think that children should not be pampered, lest they end up "spoiling" the child. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American parents instead are punitive with their children. However, parents are to pamper and baby their children, as per Scripture.

Righteous pampering 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 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 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 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.

Righteous pampering means pampering children in a certain specific way. For the first 6 years of childhood, children were in constant closeness to mothers, meaning that wherever the mother went, so did the child. For the first 2 years of childhood, children were constantly held by mothers, either in her loving arms, or on mom's back in a papoose bag when her hands were full. Between the ages of 2-6, children ranged next to mothers, following her from room to room, not allowing mothers out of their sight, morbidly fearing that mom would "go away and never come back". Whenever children cried, mothers would coo at their children before picking up the child, and from there, she diagnosed the child's need. Maybe the child was tired. Maybe the child was hungry. Maybe the child needed mom's milk. Maybe the child needed mom, period. When children under age 6 were out and about with mothers, mothers wrapped up the young child in swaddling blankets, and then tucked the swaddling blankets - and the child with them - underneath her loose-fitting, revealing dress that resembled an apron. Come nightfall, children co-slept next to mothers in skin-on-skin format, with this skin-on-skin co-sleeping happening every night, until the child reached the onset of puberty, which was when they wanted their own place to sleep. Children went naked wherever they went, with mothers also going naked within the confines of the family home, with this birth nudity facilitating easy skin-on-skin sustaining warmth. 

After turning age 6, children played outside freely, naked. Children ventured farther and farther from home, exploring the terrain, playing high-risk games such as "marriage". However, children had to check in with mom before leaving the house, and tell her where they were going. Come nightfall, children were called by name - one by one - and were treated to a home cooked meal on a porcelain plate. From there, children climbed into bed with mothers, and then they co-slept next to mothers in skin-on-skin format, recharging for another day of active play. 

Children under age 6 were not allowed to play outside freely because they were too young to appreciate the dangers that existed outside. Those dangers included venomous snakes and scorpions, with there being no antivenom then. Young children were very much sheltered and protected in biblical times. Today, the dangers include busy streets and oncoming traffic. 

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!