Responding to Outside Advice
Parents are reflecting on advice received from other family members or friends regarding their parenting choices. They discuss whether to adopt, adapt, or politely reject these external viewpoints.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
stricter
The comparative form of 'strict,' meaning more severe or firm in rules, often used when talking about discipline like limiting screen time for children.
screen time
The amount of time spent using electronic devices like phones or TVs; a common term in parenting discussions about balancing technology use.
back in my day
An idiomatic expression older people use to compare the past to the present, often implying things were better or different before, like in advice about technology.
hands-on
Describes being actively involved in something, like helping with homework directly; useful for contrasting with letting kids learn independently.
take on board
An idiom meaning to consider or accept advice seriously; practical for politely responding to suggestions in conversations about parenting or decisions.
brush off
To dismiss or ignore something lightly, often politely; helpful in discussing how to handle unwanted advice without offending others.
re-evaluate
To assess or review something again to decide if changes are needed; commonly used in reflective talks about family rules or habits.
hover
In parenting, it means to watch or interfere too closely, like standing over a child while they do homework; describes over-involvement.
parenting philosophy
A set of beliefs or principles about how to raise children, including discipline and values; key term for deeper discussions on child-rearing approaches.
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
You know, my mom was here earlier and she was suggesting we really need to be stricter with James about his screen time.
This sentence introduces shared advice using 'you know' for casual conversation and 'suggesting' to report indirect speech; useful for starting talks about family input on parenting rules.
Ah, yes, the classic 'back in my day' argument.
A response acknowledging a common phrase with 'ah, yes' for agreement and 'classic' to show it's a typical, often humorous complaint; great for lightening discussions about generational differences.
It's tough, isn't it? On one hand, you want to respect their experience, but on the other, things have changed so much.
Uses a tag question 'isn't it?' to seek agreement and the structure 'on one hand... on the other' to show contrast; ideal for expressing balanced views in sensitive topics like advice from elders.
How do we even begin to decide what to take on board and what to politely brush off?
A rhetorical question with 'how do we even' to express difficulty, plus idioms 'take on board' and 'brush off'; practical for debating how to handle external opinions in relationships.
I think for the screen time, a strict ban isn't realistic, but maybe we could re-evaluate our current limits.
Employs 'I think' for opinions, contrasts with 'but,' and suggests action with 'maybe we could'; useful for proposing compromises in family decision-making.
We do tend to hover a bit with the homework, don't we?
Includes 'tend to' for habits and a tag question 'don't we?' for confirmation; helps in self-reflective talks about parenting behaviors.
Ultimately, we know James best, and we need to find what works for our family.
Starts with 'ultimately' for conclusion, uses 'we know... best' to assert confidence; key for emphasizing personal judgment in advice situations.
It's about finding that balance of being open to advice while staying true to our own parenting philosophy.
Explains a concept with 'it's about' and gerunds 'being open... staying true'; valuable for summarizing ongoing challenges in parenting discussions.