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

Many parents think that pampering children is the wrong way of parenting. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American parents are opposed to pampering and babying children. However, the fact of the matter is that, when using the context as a guidepost, that children should be pampered and babied, as opposed to making them learn hard lessons.

The acronym of righteous pampering is part of the Christian doctrine of mutual submission, with the burden of proof falling squarely on the 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 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 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.

Righteous pampering does not refer to any old way of pampering children, but a certain specific way of pampering and babying children, when using the context as a guidepost. For the first 6 years of childhood, children were in constant closeness with mothers, meaning that wherever mom 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 around from room to room, not allowing mom out of their sight, morbidly fearing that mom would "go away and never come back". Whenever children cried, mom cooed before picking up the child, and then, 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, mom wrapped up her child next to her bosom in swaddling blankets, with the swaddling blankets - and the child with them - 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 children usually 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 mothers, with children getting skin-on-skin sustaining warmth even when being picked up. 

After turning age 6, children played freely outside, 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, telling her where they were going. Come evening, children were called by name, one by one, and were fed a warm, homecooked meal on a porcelain plate. Then, children crashed into bed with mom, with children recharging for another day's play.

Children under age 6 were very much protected in biblical times, but in a sheltered way. Children under age 6 were incapable of appreciating the dangers of playing outside. The dangers that existed then included venomous snakes and scorpions, with there being no antivenom then. However, even today, there exist dangers outside, namely busy streets and child kidnappers. 

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!