Righteous co-sleeping: Why God wants parents to sleep next to their children

Many parents think that co-sleeping is the irresponsible choice in parenting. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American parents oppose co-sleeping as a strategy to gel a bond with their children. However, not only does co-sleeping lead to a secure attachment, but it also can prevent child sexual abuse. When using the context as a guidepost, co-sleeping is the way to form a secure attachment with a child.

Righteous co-sleeping is 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 parents and children 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, giving to children without receiving, 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. Paul here was lifting up the Law in order to convict a group of Greek Christians 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.

It is common knowledge that children under age 6 oftentimes refuse to go to sleep in their own bed. Bedtime refusal is a common excuse for parents to punish their children. However, children that young are definitely not ready to sleep on their own. Children under age 6 have fears of being devoured by predators. You may think that predators don't exist. You would be wrong. Most child sexual abuse happens as a bedtime ritual, with the sex offender sneaking into the child's bedroom and raping her. Mothers in the Early Church solved this problem by having children co-sleep next to them. The father could not have his way with the children, because mom was right there, willing to use herself as a human shield if necessary to protect her children. Co-sleeping came in skin-on-skin format.

The most common excuse for parents to avoid co-sleeping comes from fearmongering on the part of pediatricians and mental health professionals serving children, with frightening terms such as "sleep dependence". However, children growing up in the Early Church co-slept next to mom every night, until the onset of puberty, when children usually wanted their own place to sleep. However, even if the child co-slept past the onset of puberty, they were treated to co-sleeping with no end in sight. Extended co-sleeping is a sign of autism and/or ADHD. Even if your child is co-sleeping into the teen years, all co-sleeping has an end to it. I decided to end co-sleeping myself at age 16, when I wanted to prove my independence.

Co-sleeping is the centerpiece in forming a secure attachment with children, with righteous co-sleeping being the ultimate way to gel a bond with your child. The family bed, in the Early Church, was completely nude in terms of setup. Children went naked wherever they went, with mothers also going naked within the family home, with fathers also taking off their robe when walking in the door. Children slept next to mom on one side, with fathers sleeping on the other side of mom.

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!