Excellent post.
It seems like people think that children are not human who need to be recognized for being a feeling thinking human being.

I read once in a book an example; If a child pushes something over by accident he or she**, often gets punished in some way. If the same situation happens with an adult person visiting the house. The same person person punishing the small human, acts politely; Oh let me help.
**I almost said; " If a child pushes something over by accident IT, often gets punished in some way".
But a child is not an 'it', I believe it's telling that society (and me, just jet) is referring to a child as 'it'.
It sounds just like, referring to a robot. That is also the way very much adults treat children; like robot's that don't have feeling, intelligence (the ability to learn), dignity or worth.
( I have to say that I don't like political correctness, and I only mentioned the "it" thing to make people conscious I'm not telling people what they may or may not say )

"We are all flawed. We all make mistakes" you say. I'd like to give you add on perspective. (or how do you call it). "We" are not flawed because we make mistakes, but only if we don't learn from mistakes. Then maybe what we DO is flawed. (But we ARE not flawed i.m.h.o.) We need to make mistakes ourselves and have plenty of room for that, and we need to trust enough in ourselves that if we make mistakes, we are able to recognize and correct them, but even that we have to learn. But trust and room from the people who are surrounding a child in his or her early age, is very important in this, i believe.
Freedom(room) and trust is what would help a lot to make strong, independent human beings with self esteem and self worth from the inside.
Not the kind of "self worth" bullies etc. have, by putting others down. that's not self worth. That's having no self worth what so ever i.m.o.