Welcome to a new episode of English Vocabulary Booster.
My name is Lara and I'm a SALSA-certified English teacher.
Learning new vocabulary usually takes a long time, but we'll do it in a way that's easy, quick and efficient.
In every episode, we'll learn how to use five new English words or expressions, so that you too can start speaking like a native.
So let's get learning!
Welcome back you guys to this special episode of English Vocabulary Booster.
So this week's topic is babies.
Let's listen to the story and then we'll find out why this episode is different.
Gosh, having a child is so hard sometimes.
The other day I had to take him to the pediatrician and I asked my husband to go with me.
So I got the kid in the stroller like I always do.
And then I checked to make sure I had everything I needed.
Well, it took me a while because I had no idea where he'd left his pacifier.
And then all of a sudden, Harry started throwing a tantrum.
He wouldn't stop screaming and he was so mad at me.
He kept saying he didn't want to go.
Well, you've got to be patient.
He's only a toddler.
What?
No, I'm not talking about my kid.
I'm talking about my husband.
He didn't want to go.
He wanted to stay home and watch the game.
Welcome back, you guys.
So like I said before, today's a very special episode.
I'm trying to do something different.
And I'm not actually here by myself today, but I have someone with me, although not physically with me.
I have my friend Sarah connected.
Hello, Sarah.
Hi, Lara.
So, Sarah and I are actually, we go back, I don't know, I think maybe 20 years, I want to say.
Yeah.
We go to school together.
We go to school together.
That's right.
And so, yeah, I asked her to be the guest of today's episode.
And Sarah is an English learner as well.
So how long have you been learning English, Sarah?
I would say about like 15 or 20 years.
Great.
Yeah.
So Sarah is Italian, just like me.
But now she's not living in Italy, right?
No, I'm not.
Where are you living right now?
I live in the Principality of Monaco in the Southern France.
Gotcha.
Yeah.
And I also asked her to be the guest for this episode because she has a baby and I have little to no experience with babies.
And I thought, you know, let's ask a mom because you're a mom, right?
Yeah, exactly.
I've been a mom for like six months, more than six months now.
My baby Liam is six and a half months now.
Amazing.
And you told me before that, when's his birthday?
On the 31st of October is a little pumpkin.
A Halloween baby.
Awesome.
Okay, Sarah.
So let's take a look at today's expressions, and let's begin with number one pediatrician.
The other day I had to take him to the pediatrician.
So is a pediatrician a doctor who deals with children or adults?
Children.
That's right, is the doctor for children.
And what is the oldest you can be to go to the pediatrician?
I would say until you're 18 years old.
Actually I think you're right and I was actually surprised when I Googled that because I thought you had to be like a kid or a teenager, but apparently you can go to the pediatrician until you're like 18 years old, sometimes 21 even.
Even 21?
Yes, that's what I read.
Like, if you're going to college and you don't feel like switching to a normal doctor – then yeah, so that's interesting.
And so let's talk about Liam.
How often do you take Liam, your kids, to the pediatrician?
Well, until he was six months old, so until this month, it was every month.
But let's say when he was born, you had to take a meeting in the week that he was born.
Or like not more than two weeks after.
And then every month until he's six months old.
Wow.
So that's a lot of visits to the pediatrician.
Exactly.
And now the next one is going to be when he's going to be nine months old.
So it's going to be in three months.
Okay.
So they get a little, you have to go a little less often.
Yeah.
I don't remember much from when – I do remember that I loved my pediatrician, but I think – I mean as a kid.
Obviously I was a little older than Liam and I would go probably like twice a year.
So, yeah.
Okay, let's take a look at expression number two, stroller.
I got the kid in the stroller like I always do.
Okay.
So what does a child do in a stroller?
Do they stand?
Do they sit?
Or do they lie on their back?
I would say they sit, but sometimes he can lie as well on his back.
If the stroller has the back that is able to go down.
Yes, you can actually recline it.
Recline it, yeah.
That's right.
Normally you sit.
But yeah, if the child wants to sleep, they don't lie all the way down.
But yeah, you can.
And does a stroller have wheels?
Yes.
Yes.
How many?
Four.
Yes.
Unless it's an adventurous child who wants to try the two-wheel thing, but I don't think so.
There are some strollers that have three wheels, but not all of them.
Yeah, you're right.
And who pushes the stroller, the child or the parents?
The parent.
Yes, unless your child is super duper talented.
Yes, it's usually the parents that take care of that.
Or the bigger brother.
Oh, that's true.
Yeah.
So does Liam like sitting in the stroller?
Yes.
Yes, he does.
But we have a special stroller that enables him to lay all the way down if he wants to sleep.
So it's really good.
Okay.
I honestly, I would love to have a stroller now as an adult to just walk around.
I think it's one of the hardest things to give up when you're a kid.
But yeah.
Let's talk about number three, pacifier.
I had no idea where it left his pacifier.
So what does a kid do with a pacifier?
Do they lick it or suck on it?
Suck on it.
That's right.
It calms them.
And what is a pacifier used for?
I would say to make the baby, how do you say that, be chill?
Yeah, like more relaxed.
That's right, yeah.
The pacifier is used to soothe the child, so to calm the child down.
So what about your kid?
Does he take the pacifier?
Not that much.
Now he's not taking it at all.
Really?
At the beginning.
Yeah, because I breastfeed him.
Mm-hmm.
And he doesn't want to pacify her that much.
At the beginning, we were giving it, giving it to him a little bit, but now not at all.
I see.
I remember, I don't remember actually taking the pacifier, but the story that I've been told is that when I had to give it up and obviously, you know, like every, because normally like Liam, I think is one of the, and one of those categories that's not so popular of, kids that do not take the pacifier because usually kids love the pacifier.
And so I remember my mom told me that, since we had been on vacation in Sicily.
Then we went back to Milan and she told me they'd forgotten the pacifier in Sicily.
And that was their way of like telling me that there was no pacifier anymore.
And I was just like, all right, whatever.
You know, it's in Sicily.
There's nothing I can do.
It's not like you can go to the store and buy another one.
So, but I think you're lucky with Liam because that way you don't have that problem anymore.
Well, it depends on how you raise your child and what you do.
I think the fact that I breastfeed him is really helping him in coping with not having a pacifier.
Yes.
And for those of you who don't know, breastfeed is when you use your own milk to feed the child.
All right, let's look at number four.
Throw a tantrum.
Then, all of a sudden, Harry started throwing a tantrum.
Who normally throws tantrums?
Children or adults?
I would say even both because... throw a tantrum?
Yes.
Theoretically, yes.
And I actually, I'm one of those adults that throws tantrums.
But yes, normally it's children.
It's associated with children.
And if a child is throwing a tantrum, how are they usually feeling?
Angry or happy?
Angry.
Yes.
They're very upset when they're throwing a tantrum.
And if a child is throwing a tantrum, are they angry for a short period of time or for a long time?
I don't know.
I would say a short period.
Yes, it's usually very short, also very intense.
Having a child that's throwing a tantrum is not fun, especially if it's in public.
It's pretty embarrassing.
Yeah.
But yeah, it's only usually a few minutes until they calm down.
So what about your kid?
I think your kid is too young, actually, to throw a tantrum.
I think it's more in toddlers.
That's right.
Yeah.
So for older kids, when they're kind of like, they know their power and they know how to use their emotions to get what they want.
But what about when you were a kid?
Did you used to throw tantrums?
I think so.
I think every kid, you know, there's tantrums every once in a while.
Absolutely.
Okay, let's get to the last expression, which is toddler.
You've got to be patient.
He's only a toddler.
Which is younger, a toddler or a baby?
Younger is a baby?
That's right.
A toddler is a little bit older.
And can a toddler walk faster?
A toddler?
Yes, I would say yes.
Yeah, a toddler can walk.
He's actually he's learning the he's learning to walk.
So they're in that process of, you know, where they're still learning.
And that's what actually you know.
There's no set age to define a child, a toddler.
It's more about you know how they're moving their body.
So if a child is Learning to walk, you can call them a toddler.
So I would say like between two and, I don't know, when do babies start to walk?
What is it, like two?
Around one, one year, one year and a half.
So yeah, between 12 months and 18 months old.
Which do you think is harder, taking care of a toddler or taking care of a baby?
I think they're both challenging.
But maybe a toddler is more energy consuming because you have to walk around every time, because he walks everywhere.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
I don't know.
I don't really know.
It's a tough one.
I was trying to think of that.
I have no experience taking care of a baby.
But I think the only positive thing about, or the easier thing about, taking care of a toddler is that at least you can talk to them and kind of like distract them using your words or explain things to them.
Like, When a baby's crying and you don't know why, I don't know.
I find that very stressful.
I don't know if that happens to you with your kids.
Yeah, that's why we're actually seeing a new kind of new thing, which is baby sign.
I don't know if you heard about it.
But it's a good thing to help babies try to express themselves before they learn to speak.
So it's like sign language, but for babies.
Exactly.
Yeah.
It was actually born in the US.
Really?
Yeah.
Yes, it's really interesting.
So just like basic vocabulary, like food and you know, like drink food or pain and stuff like that.
So interesting.
I had no idea.
Well, thank you very much, Sarah, for being with me.
Absolutely.
Thank you, Lara.
Bye.
And that is it for today.
And remember, if you want to access the transcript, as well as lots of other resources, visit enboocom.
That is E-N-B-O-O-O dot com.
Have a great day.
