Righteous pampering: Why God wants parents to pamper and baby their children

Many parents think that pampering your child is bad parenting. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American parents oppose the mere concept of pampering and babying children. However, the fact of the matter is that God wants you to pamper and baby their children, not just any old way, but in a certain specific way, using the context as a guidepost.

The acronym of righteous pampering is 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 parent and child in the family home. This secure attachment comes from parent submission, where parents are to perform good works for children, with children resting securely in the good works of parents. Good works here refer to doing good things for children, meeting the child's every vulnerable need, 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 in biblical times 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. 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 isn't just any old pampering, but instead involves a certain specific form of pampering found in the biblical context. For the first 6 years of childhood, children were in constant closeness to 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, seemingly attached to her hip, crying out loud when mothers as little as went into the other room, morbidly fearing that mom would "go away and never come back". Whenever children cried, mothers cooed before picking up the child, and from there, she met the need before meeting that need. Maybe the child was tired. Maybe the child was hungry. Maybe the child needed mom's milk. Maybe the child needed mom, period. Whatever the child needed, they got it. When mothers and children under age 6 were out and about in public, mom wrapped up the child next to her bosom in swaddling blankets, with the swaddling blankets - and the child in them - being tucked underneath the loose-fitting, revealing dress that resembled an apron. Come nightfall, children co-slept next to mothers in skin-on-skin format. Children went naked wherever they went, with mothers also going naked within the context of the family home. This birth nudity setup helped facilitate easy skin-on-skin sustaining warmth, with children receiving skin-on-skin contact merely when being picked up. 

After children attained the age of 6, they were allowed to play freely while naked. Older children engaged in wet and messy play. Children explored the terrain, venturing farther and farther from home, engaging in mud battles in the process. However, children needed to let mom know where they were going first. When dinnertime came, children were called one by one, and then were cleaned up with a handrag before being served a nice, homecooked meal from mom. Older children also sometimes accompanied mothers to the market when they weren't playing, and were given spending money as a means to teach children the value of money. 

Children under age 6 were very much protected, in a sheltered way. Young children were either kept at home, or else swaddled to the bosom of mothers, due to the fact that children that young could not appreciate the dangers that existed in public in biblical times. Those dangers included venomous snakes and scorpions. Today, there also exists dangers towards children, namely busy streets and would-be 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!