In the words of Jessie Coe Lichauco

Illustration by steph bravo

I’ve been around a long time. I’m now 103. I’ve always had great respect for the living creatures who are called goats and their little kids, which is what you call the offspring of goats.

Since this is the Chinese year of the goat and the sheep and I am a Capricorn (which is the symbol of the goat), I would like to put things in perspective—to emphasize that children and goats are not the same species.  There is no reason therefore to call our children “kids.”

Children are people who are born of human beings and only have two legs—and the little goats that are called “kids” have four legs. There is no resemblance whatsoever except they’re both cute when they’re small and so it’s a great mistake to label children as kids.

I was raised on goat’s milk—every morning and in the daytime—as we did not have cows around when I was young. Goat’s milk is a very good, healthy thing. I’ve lived a good life, and I’m healthy—I’ve only lost five teeth at my age!

I respect the goats, I respect the children. But I don’t think that they can be the same thing. They each have their place. One is the baby of the mother goats. And when a human mother gives birth, she gives birth to a child, not a kid.

There are so many better ways to refer to our children other than “kids.” In Tagalog, we have “anak,” which is a short word. And we have “bata.” There are several other ways of calling them. You can call them “hey you,” if you want to. But we must distinguish them and give children their human identity, and not call them “kids,” which is belittling the human being.

What I’d like to see? I’d like to see children being called children, and given the dignity and respect that they deserve. Maybe if they think that they’re kids, they can go around and do any old thing and be excused. But that’s no excuse. So love your children. Raise them well as human beings. Make them proud of being human beings—not little four-legged goats.
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