I often discuss respect
and maybe today is no different but this one drives me crazy!!! Kids….kids….kids.
No not my children, they are not driving me crazy, although sometimes other
people who do not parent their children and their children are out of control
drive me crazy, but not this time. It is the word "kids" and its constant use to
refer to a human child.
Children in society
have very few rights, have little say is the world and are one of our most
vulnerable of populations. We often ignore them and disregard what they say as unimportant.
So that with standing why is it that we continue to insult them further and not
only insult but patronize and demean our most precious asset in the world, our
children, by calling them kids?
It was my understanding
that a kid was a baby goat, not a human child. When I gave birth to my children
I do not recall giving birth to goats. I do not recall the sound of Nanny goats
is the delivery room and I do not recall the smell of hay, nor do I recall any
one calling my new born infant anything but a child, with respect.
We deliver such little
respect to children in a general sense that calling them something they are not
just seems to pile on the ignorance by the adults. My children are accustom to
being called a child or the children. We have never addressed them any other
way since they were born. It just seemed the right thing to do. After all they
are not goats they are humans.
After some general
research on the web I was unable to find any information as to why we call our
children this sad and insulting name. Some of you may find goats cute and baby
ones at that might be cute. My best guess as to why, is it came from the days
when we were farmers and hunters and food was more scarce and some poor soul
went and had some milk right from the goat like the baby did and maybe that
stuck who knows? It is only a guess and a thought.
I never liked being
called a kid when I was a child and remember fighting over that with people
usually my older brothers even at times my parents. I just found it to be
something that lowers a human being to the ground. And when we look back at the
movies from the past and you can see the older man waving some change at young
boy to get him to run an errand and shouts out to him “Hey kid.” That image of
the elder taking respect but not giving it to the child runs in my mind and
draws me to the present day and hearing people talk and how casually they will
use the slang "kids" to describe their children.
I suppose I am never
going to change the world but I hope my little corner has some understanding in
this idea of respect to our children. Those who know me know that I stand with
integrity and do my very best to be respectful to others. This includes the
little ones around me and I call them all children with respect.
Give respect to our
children by calling them children they deserve that.
1.
