Preventing public meltdowns: How to prevent public meltdowns in children

Many parents have to deal with it. A young child kicking and screaming when throwing a temper tantrum. This is a common sight in today's stores and supermarkets. However, in biblical times, children rarely threw loud temper tantrums in public. That is largely because young children were swaddled by their mothers, and because children got most everything that they wanted anyway.

Using 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 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 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.

Children in biblical times almost never kicked and screamed in public. That was because mothers wore their young children on her bosom in swaddling blankets. Children under age 6 were wrapped up next to the bosom of mothers in swaddling blankets. The swaddling blankets - and the child with them - were then tucked under the loose-fitting, revealing dress worn by mothers that resembled an apron. The swaddling blankets were tied to the left breast, then across the dot to the right leg, or vice versa, or both in the case of twins. When children cried while swaddled, they cried silently, with mothers holding the child closer to her bosom, with milk-dependent children latching onto the teat of the mother. The swaddling blankets were intended to cover children for their nudity (children went naked at home), and to pacify the child's cries - children cry silently when swaddled right next to the bosom of mothers in skin-on-skin format. The swaddling blankets were made of velvet, which was grown throughout the Ancient Middle East.

Most children growing up in the Early Church got most everything that they wanted, and absolutely everything that they needed, even when in public. When children were taken to market, they were always allowed the sweets off of the shelf. Sometimes, the children wanted to pardon a pet lamb, in which case the mother bought the child the lamb without slaughtering it later. Parents, under customary law, had to say "yes" to their child far more than the word "no", when out and about with their child. The only thing that Christian parents then said "no" to was showy jewelry, as making a fashion statement was what was deemed immodest under Christian law. Even when children were swaddled next to mothers, children simply pointed to the item that they wanted, and mothers got the item off of the shelf. 

A child should hear the word "no" seldom, meaning almost never. However, when children have to hear the word "no", that word should come with an explanation and reassurance. Mothers can reassure their child through cooing at them, and then picking them up and holding them. Milk-dependent children were offered the teat of mothers. Most children were weaned by age 2, but some children weren't weaned until age 6, with weaning happening when the child refused to latch onto the teat of mothers. Beyond that point, mothers simply held their children in close skin-on-skin warmth.

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 ar hand!