Righteous pampering: Why God wants children to be pampered and babied by parents

Many parents think that pampering children is the irresponsible choice on the part of parents. Most parents in America oppose the concept of pampering or babying children. However, the Bible, when understood in context, endorses the righteous pampering of children. This means parents should pamper and baby their children.

Righteous pampering is a part of the Christian doctrine of mutual submission, with the burden of proof falling squarely on the part of parents. 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 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, but he sure loved children, and even took in a few orphaned children during his time as a deacon.

Righteous pampering does not mean just any old pampering of a child. Instead, righteous pampering refers to a certain specific form of pampering and babying children, with parents using the context as a guidepost. For the first 6 years of childhood, children were in constant closeness to mothers, meaning that wherever mothers went, so did her 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 and then picked up the child, and from there, she diagnosed the need and then 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 in public, 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 co-sleeping warmth happening every night, until the onset of puberty, which is when most children wanted a place of their own to sleep. Children went naked wherever they went, with mothers also going naked in the confines of the family home. This birth nudity setup helped facilitate easy skin-on-skin contact, with children receiving rays of skin-on-skin sustaining warmth even when they were simply picked up.

Past age 6, children were allowed to play freely outside, naked. Children then ventured farther and farther from home, exploring the terrain, playing high-risk games such as "marriage". But first, children had to check in with mom to tell her where they were headed. Come evening, children were called one-by-one to a nice, homecooked meal from mom. From there, children co-slept next to mothers, with the child recharging for another day's play.

Children under age 6 were kept close to mom at home because there were hazards in the environment. The hazards then existed in the form of venomous snakes or scorpions, with there being no antivenom available then. Today, there also exists dangers outside of the home, namely busy streets and oncoming traffic. Before age 6, children cannot possibly understand the risks out there, even when confronted with them. 

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be forever cast 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!