“Parenting Our Children’s Prejudice” from the Desiring God website, August 5, 2015, written by Zach Owens.

Our daughter refers to her room as “the party.”

And it’s a great party. She sits on her bed and asks us to pile on every one of her stuffed animals. They have a great time talking, rocking, singing, and imagining.

One night, I found Sharkey — a souvenir from the beach. Unfortunately, Sharkey found his way into our dog’s mouth not long after coming home. He was tattered and frayed, languishing in the bottom of the toy bin. I thought it would be fun to invite him to the party.

Our daughter wasn’t so enthusiastic. She told me, in no uncertain terms, that Sharkey wasn’t welcome.

“I don’t want him. He’s broken.”