Righteous pampering: Why God wants you to pamper and baby your children

Many parents think that pampering your child is the wrong thing to do. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. However, the Bible, when using the context as a guidepost, calls for parents to pamper and baby their children. 

Righteous pampering is a part of the Christian doctrine of mutual submission, with the burden of proof falling squarely onto 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 parents and children 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 damagetns 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 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 offenses or damages 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. 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.

When using the context as a guidepost, righteous pampering does not mean any old pampering, but instead means a specific type of pampering and babying children. For the first 6 years of childhood, children were in constant closeness, 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 her back in a papoose bag when her hands were full. Between ages 2-6, children ranged next to mothers, following mom from room to room, not allowing mothers out of their line of sight, morbidly fearing that mom would "go away and never come back". Whenever children cried out loud, mothers picked up the child, and from there, she diagnosed and met the needs of a child. 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 in public next to mothers, mom wrapped up her child next to her bosom in swaddling blankets. Come nightfall, children co-slept next to mothers in skin-on-skin format, happening every night, until the onset of puberty, which was when children wanted their own place to sleep. Children went 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 receiving the rays of skin-on-skin sustaining warmth merely when being when picked up. 

Past age 6, children played outside freely, naked. Children explored the terrain, venturing farther and farther from home, playing high-risk games such as "marriage". However, children had to check in with mom before heading out, telling her where they were going. Come evening, children then were called by name, one-by-one, and were given a nice, warm homecooked meal, usually on a porcelain plate. From there, children co-slept next to mothers, recharging for another day's play.

Children growing up in the Early Church were protected, but in a sheltering way. In the Early Church, dangers existed outside the confines of the family home, namely venomous snakes and scorpions. However, even today, dangers lurk outside - busy streets and child kidnappers. Children younger than age 6 cannot possibly appreciate the dangers of the outside world, hence why the Early Christian parents kept young children at home.

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!