Righteous co-sleeping: Why God wants you to sleep next to your children

Many parents think co-sleeping is the irresponsible choice in parenting. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. However, not only does righteous co-sleeping gel a bond with a child, but it also helps prevent child sexual abuse.

Righteous co-sleeping 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 here to secure, vulnerable rest in the love and submission of parents. This highlighted word ultimately refers to a secure attachment between parents and children in the family home. This secure attachment ultimately comes from parent submission, where parents are to perform good works for children, with children resting securely in the good works of parents. Good work here refers to doing good things for children, meeting the every vulnerable need of children, 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 here 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 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 deacon.

It is common knowledge that young children under age 6 oftentimes refuse to go to bed. This is a common and normal behavior for children to engage in. Most parents punish children when faced by children refusing to go to bed. However, the fact of the matter is that children under age 6 are too young to sleep on their own. Children under age 6 have morbid fears of being devoured by predators when isolated in their own bed. You might think that predators don't exist today. You would be wrong. Most child sexual abuse happens as a bedtime ritual, with the sex offender approaching the child when they they lie in bed. However, child sexual abuse was rare next to non-existent in the Early Church, and that was because the mother was right there, perhaps using herself as a human shield against the sexual wrath of fathers.

The most common excuse for not co-sleeping comes from fearmongering on the part of pediatricians and mental health professionals serving children, with scary terms such as "sleep dependence". However, children growing up in the Early Church co-slept next to mothers in skin-on-skin sustaining warmth every night, until the onset of puberty, when children wanted their own place to sleep. However, even if extended co-sleeping lasted into the teen years, all co-sleeping had an end to it.

Righteous co-sleeping is the centerpiece of a mutual submission relationship between parent and child. In the Early Church, the family bed came entirely in the nude. This setup allowed for easy skin-on-skin warmth between mother and child in particular. This birth nudity setup helped gel a bond between parent and child.

I myself have a trauma from authoritative parenting, and a major power struggle growing up was co-sleeping. I would sneak into my parents bedroom to snuggle with mom. Otherwise, my bipolar mania would keep me up at night, and the racing thoughts that came with it. My father shook me by grabbing my throat several times and yelled at me. However, co-sleeping did have an end to it - when I turned 16 and wanted to prove my independence. I did not have insomnia at the time that I turned 16 and was medicated for bipolar disorder with lithium carbonate. The idea until then is to focus on keeping your child safe above all else, giving up the fight over bedtime, and give in to your child's demands to sleep next to you. My mother did not use skin-on-skin closeness except when I was under age 2, but otherwise, she did it right by allowing me to snuggle next to her at night. 

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!