A while back my two-year-old niece had to cry while being dropped off at daycare because she was scared, the first time in months.

Now you probably wonder what might have happened and your thoughts go to the worst possible place… no thankfully nothing horrible has happened. Far from it, something good, something positive, a step towards normality.

It was the first day the staff at the daycare was allowed to work without wearing a mask.

My niece had to cry because she was scared to go to the daycare she has gone to for almost a year because it was the first time she saw the faces of the people taking care of her two days a week.

Take a moment and let that sink in.

And now think back to how many politicians, doctors, media outlets claimed that children were resilient, that it was no issue for them, that this was fine and would not leave any permanent scars.

Now, picture the situation I just described. A two-year-old being scared of the people who have taken care of her two days a week for almost a year because it was the first time she was allowed to see their faces.

I would like for all the people I mentioned before to please explain to me again how my niece is going to be fine, how this will not leave any permanent scars, how this is no issue for her!

I don’t understand how so many people were just okay with this. How they were okay with their kids not knowing the faces of the people taking care of them, dressing them, feeding them, changing their diapers, holding them when they cry,… I honestly wouldn’t feel comfortable being comforted by a faceless stranger… I think most adults wouldn’t be, yet, the majority thought it was okay for their children, it was no big deal?

I know a sweet little two-year-old who is proving them all wrong.

Shame on every single person who was okay with that! Who didn’t speak up and especially the ones who encouraged it. Shame on all of you and I hope one day you will feel the same way those kids have felt for the past two years.

This was wrong. This was child abuse, only very few people cared. They’d rather handed their children over to faceless strangers than to family members with a different opinion.

I don’t care if you think I’m being harsh. I’m talking about defenseless little children who can’t protect themselves. Being harsh is the only way to wake people up.

Congratulations to the politicians, the doctors and the media you have done an outstanding job in making our children scared of people’s faces!