Preventing public meltdowns: How to deal with public meltdowns

Many parents have to deal with it, if not most. Most parents feel the need to punish their children for public outbursts. This punishment is a common reaction to a child kicking and screaming in public. However, children kicking and screaming was nearly unheard of in biblical times. That is because mothers knew to wrap up their young children in swaddling blankets next to her bosom, thus pacifying the tears of the child being swaddled.

Swaddling children, in the Early Church, was understood as part of the Christian doctrine of mutual submission. See Colossians 3:20-21 KJV:

Children, obey your parents in all things: as 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. 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; 25:31-46

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 is 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 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.

Whenever mothers and children under age 6 were out and about in public, mothers wrapped up the child(ren) next to her bosom in swaddling blankets. From there, the swaddling blankets - and the child(ren) with them - tucked underneath the loose-fitting, revealing dress worn by 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. Whenever children cried while swaddled, their cries were pacified. From there, mothers held their children closer to her bosom while cooing, perhaps allowing the child to suckle her teat if the child was still milk-dependent. These swaddling blankets were made of velvet, with velvet being grown throughout the Ancient Middle East.

Cooing from mothers was a primal vocalization that put children at ease. Whenever children cried in public, mothers cooed at their children before picking them up, or holding them closer if they were wrapped up in swaddling blankets. Cooing from mothers helped children feel heard when they cried in public. 

Much of the time, children cry in public when they want something. In the Early Church, children got most all of what they wanted, and absolutely all of what they needed. In most cases, mothers in biblical times got children what they wanted at market, including any sweet treats that were on the market shelf. Sometimes, children wanted a pet lamb for sale at the market. Mothers obliged, without slaughtering the child's pet lamb later. Usually, children communicated what they wanted through pacified tears and pointing to the item that they wanted, with mom getting the item off the shelf for her child. Parents only said "no" when the orders from children were unsafe, unworkable, and/or immoral. An example of when mothers said "no" is when children wanted expensive jewelry - modesty in the Bible meant not making a fashion statement, with things such as public nudity instead being known as indecency when nudity happened outside of proper channels - children went naked wherever they went, including in public.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to anger though 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!