Why to catch children being good (as opposed to catching them being bad)

Many parents want their children to have discipline. This is a common wish for a parent. However, most parents think discipline means punishing or being controlling with a child. However, there are better ways to discipline a child. The actual biblical way of disciplining your child is catching them being good.

Catching children being good is part of the Christian doctrine of mutual submission. See Ephesians 6:1-4 KJV: 

Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

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; 25:31-46

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to wrath" is παροργίζο (Latin: parorgizo) and refers to damages or offenses, namely the slightest of personal offenses, 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 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 children 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 in the parish at Ephesus 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.

The Greek root word translated "nurture" is παιδεία (Latin: paideia) and refers to here, in this context, modeling and encouraging Christian discipline in children. The Christian standard of discipline is deserving of absolutely nothing, therefore grateful for everything, coming from a sinful nature, leading to a chastened up example for children to follow. Christian parents in the Early Church centered their entitlement in view of their children, with children following in their parents' footsteps. Children in biblical times were caught being good, as opposed to being caught being bad. Whenever children were caught showing good traits by fathers, they were given lavish praise and encouragement with statements such as "keep headed down the straight path". Boys were given manly praise when caught by fathers being good, whereas girls were given a kiss to the forehead when caught by fathers being good. Children also need religious instruction. The Greek root word translated "admonition" is νουθεσία (Latin: nouthesia) and refers to the instruction of the Lord. Religious instruction started out with fathers leaving out a Bible for children to discover and explore. When children were caught by fathers reading the Bible, they were lavishly praised and encouraged with phrases such as "that book is good for you". From there, religious instruction came in question and answer format, based off of what children saw in the text. Children were eager to learn the facts of life, and fathers were quick to give pointers as to the context. Religious development is a part of child development, as religion is a human need for children and adults alike. Younger children - past age 6 - start out developing simplistic religious beliefs non-conforming to any religious denomination or sect. However, as children get older, they start to grow towards a specific religious denomination or sect. It may not be the religion you would choose, but at least they have values.

What motivates a child to hear out the instruction of their fathers? Why not start out with a secure attachment with mothers? For the first 6 years of childhood, children were in constant closeness with mothers, meaning that wherever mothers went, so did their child. For the first 2 years of childhood, children were constantly held by mothers, either in her loving arms, or else on mom's back in a papoose bag when her hands were full. Between ages 2-6, children ranged next to mothers, following her from room to room, not allowing mom out of their line of sight, morbidly fearing that mom would "go away and never come back". Whenever children cried, mothers cooed at children before picking them up, and from there, she diagnosed the need and met it. Maybe the child was tired. Maybe the child was hungry. Maybe the child needed mom's milk. Maybe the child needed mom, period. When mothers and children under age 6 were out and about, mom wrapped up the child next to her bosom in swaddling blankets, with the swaddling blankets - and the child with them - being tucked underneath the loose-fitting, revealing dress worn by mothers that resembled an apron. Come nightfall, children co-slept next to mothers in skin-on-skin format, with this skin-on-skin warmth happening every single night, until the child reached the onset of puberty, which is when children wanted their own place to sleep. Children went naked naked wherever they went, with mothers also going naked within the confines of the family home. This birth nudity setup helped facilitate easy skin-on-skin contact, with children experiencing skin-on-skin sustaining warmth every time they were even picked up.

Christian fathers in the Early Church sought to form a secondary attachment with their children, with mothers being the primary attachment figure. Fatherly attachment started with fathers forming a sexual imprint on their child through spending away parent attraction through righteous masturbation. Once the attraction was spent away, fathers sought to form a warm rapport with their children. Fathers also nurtured alongside mothers, but nurtured in a teaching way, catching children being good before giving them lavish praise and encouragement. This praise and encouragement motivated children to keep up the good work in terms of self-improvement. Children can find their own way of being disciplined, and when they find out how to be disciplined, lavishly praise and encourage them to keep up the good work. Children do not need to be hurt in order to grow up to be disciplined adults - all a father has to do is offer warm and loving praise that helps children know how to act.

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!