Daycare fight club

Rule 1: You do not talk about daycare fight club

When a story hits the news of adults fighting, it is disturbing enough. But Aug. 20, reports broke of a daycare center that doubled as a fight club for children in Delaware. CBS Philly reported that three women working at the daycare were arrested for forcing two 3-year-olds to fist fight. One of the women shared a cell phone video, which eventually led to their arrest.

As Christians, we know the high value that God puts on the innocence of a child’s life. Their rights call out naturally to our hearts, and we should pursue justice in situations like this. To think that this “fight club” was happening in America is disturbing.

Stories like this raise concern about the level of child abuse happening in America. With the media constantly portraying the rights and wrongs of parenting, the line is sometimes fuzzy between what should be allowed for entertainment purposes, and where it needs to stop.

Television programs nowadays depict not only physical violence, but emotional abuse as well. Shows like “Dance Moms” and “Toddlers and Tiaras” are television staples for raising questions about the security of the children being filmed. In most situations, a mother’s lost dreams cause her daughter to have to live up to her view of perfection in a bubble of competition.

I remember distinctly the one time I watched “Dance Moms.” One mother, who was apparently the boss, seemed to physically unhinge her jaw while yelling at those in the room about an issue involving one girl’s behavior and abilities. The entire scene was in front of the mothers, dancers and the entire camera crew.

The women at the daycare company were merely seeking a laugh. According to the information provided, there were no children physically harmed by the incidents. There is clearly a difference between the intentions of those on television and the woman involved, but both were seeking to provide entertainment.

In each situation, there was emotional strain put on the children. From frequently watching their parents yell to having their parents forcing them to behave in absurd ways, the damage to the children is done. It is appalling that the parent’s dangerous obsession with entertainment is causing the lives of children to be devalued.

Yet it is also true that parents are human and will make mistakes. They cannot be expected to be perfect. It is within our freedom as Christians to determine what we will or will not watch or support. We are not called to judge the hearts or intentions of those around us. We are simply called to care for those who are weak, and the victims of oppression.

As Christians, we must always recognize the high value that Christ has given to children and our call to love them and take care of them. Psalm 127:3 says, “Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him.” Situations such as the one in Delaware are disconcerting and should persuade us to want to protect our precious youth, regardless of the situation. We should always be on our guard and ready to respond when injustice is taking place.

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