A Minor Distinction

I remember pushing my younger sister with my feet when we were kids, just to bug her, push her out of my way...whatever. I don't really remember why, but that's irrelevant. I just remember doing it, and her yelling to our parents, "He's kicking me!!"

I, of course, was too smart for that, so I would say, "I am not kicking you! I'm just pushing you with my feet!"

My point was that "kicking" made it sound like I was hurting her, when in fact I was merely irritating her.

So why is it, then, that when my three-year-old "pushes with his feet" his 22-month-old brother, I scold him to "stop kicking him?"