Time-in: Why mammary closeness is the biblical way to do time-in

Many parents think that punitive measures in parenting is the way to go. This is a common attitude amongst American parents, with most child abuse happening in the form of time-out, with the occasional spanking done "out of love". I myself was abused in this way. However, time-in is there to replace time-out. There are many ways to do time-in, but the one biblical form of time-in is mammary closeness.

Mammary closeness is a part of the Christian doctrine of mutual submission, with the burden of proof falling squarely onto the part of parents. See Colossians 3:20-21 KJV:

Children, obey your children 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, 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 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 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.

Whenever children cried, mothers picked up the child. The mother cooed every time the child cried, with the child being picked up whenever they cried. The child then rested in the mother's arms, in mammary closeness. From there, the mother diagnosed any needs beyond being held, and then met those needs.

Breastfeeding and mammary closeness go hand in hand. Breastfeeding ended when the child refused the teat of the mother, with suckling of the teat lasting until then. In most cases, this lasted until age 2, but could last until age 6 or even beyond. Mothers could breastfeed whenever they were called to, including in public. 

Children under age 6 were in constant closeness to mothers, including when out and about in public. When 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 tied from the left breast, and then across the dot to the right leg, or vice versa, or both in the case of twins. From there, children were tucked underneath the loose-fitting, revealing dress worn by mothers that resembled an apron. Whenever children cried, they were held closer to their mother's bosom, with milk-dependent children being offered the teat for them to suckle. The swaddling blankets were made of velvet, which grew throughout the Ancient Middle East. 

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 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!