Many parents think that children should not be pampered, lest they "spoil" the child. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American parents don't even want to be seen as permissive, and so they punish their children. The fact of the matter is that children need to be pampered and babied, in just the right way.
God's Law prescribes a secure attachment between parents and children. See Colossians 3:20 KJV:
Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
The Greek root word translated "obey" is υπακουο (Latin: hupakouo) and is better translated as "trust", as in "trust your parents in all things", with children surrendering into the warm embrace of mothers, with mothers showering children with Christian Agape love. Ultimately, this commandment refers to a secure attachment between parent and child The context, when used as a guidepost, tells us how to form a secure bond with your child. The Early Christians pampered and babied their children to form a secure bond with their children, and so should you.
Righteous pampering refers to a specific form of pampering and babying children, as found in the Early Christian 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 at the hip to mothers, not allowing mothers out of their line of sight, morbidly fearing that mom would "go away and never come back" Christian parents in the Early Church knew more than parents today that children are born trusting their parents to meet their every vulnerable need. Christian parents then knew punishment, as well as ignoring needs in children, severs this trust. However, the Early Christians knew that the way to ultimately preserve that inborn trust in children is to meet their every need during the formative years of childhood, which is ultimately from conception until age 6. These formative years may be the most tumultuous, but it sets the stage for a healthy parent-child bond that lasts a lifetime. Never punish or ignore a crying child, as they only cry as a means of communicating a vulnerable need to parents.
When children turned age 6, they were allowed to play outside freely, naked. Children explored the terrain, venturing farther and farther from home, engaging in wet and messy play. However, children first had to check in with mom, to tell her where they were going. Other times, older children wanted to be with parents, ranging beside them some of the time, then asserting their independence other times.
Young children, under age 6, were very much protected by parents, in a sheltered sort of way. Children under age 6 were held close partially due to the fact that they could not appreciate the dangers that existed out of the context of the family home. In the Early Church, there existed venomous snakes and scorpions, with there being no antivenom then. Even today, dangers to children exist outside, such as busy streets and would-be kidnappers.
The depraved and entitled parents who are unloving and unchartiable to their children will not inherit the Kingdom of God! 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!
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