Perfect Phrases for ESL Everyday Situations
Perfect Phrases for ESL Everyday Situations
CHAPTER 
Babysitters, Nannies, Day Care, and Early Learning Centers
Child care is an important concern for all parents, and there is more concern in a new country. This chapter offers perfect phrases related to child care.
Babysitters
Babysitting is a term used for taking care of young children while their parents are occupied. The services of a babysitter are usually for several hours at a time. Perhaps one parent is working while the other has an appointment, or a couple is going out for the evening. Daytime adult classes or meeting venues may offer babysitting services free or for a small fee to pay the babysitter. The good part of this scenario is that the babysitter has been selected and has credentials and/or training for the job.
If you need a babysitter and have to find one on your own, it is important to get referrals from neighbors, colleagues, a medical office, a school, or a hospital. Interview the babysitter before hiring her or him, and if you can, have a dry run: hire the potential babysitter for a short time, do something in another room, and observe the interaction between the babysitter and your child or children. You may want to observe interactions in several situations—playtime, mealtime, and bedtime.
Phrases to Use When Interviewing a Babysitter
Have you babysat before? How often? How long have you been babysitting? Have you taken a course in babysitting at your school or community center? How many hours was the course? Did you get a certificate for taking a course in babysitting, and may I see it? How old are the children you have babysat for? Have you babysat___________(during the day when the children are awake, during the night after the children are asleep)? What do you do when the children are sleeping? What are your thoughts about discipline? What are your feelings about the children watching TV or videos? What children’s___________(TV shows, videos, games, books) are you familiar with? Have you taken a course in___________(first aid, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, CPR)? What has been___________(the most difficult, unusual, funniest, scariest) babysitting experience you have had? How much___________(do you charge, do you make, do you make an hour)?What You May and May Not Ask Job Applicants
Remember equal employment opportunity laws. When you interview a candidate for a babysitting or nanny position, as well as any job, there are federal laws that apply to asking questions to all job applicants. Allowable questions relate to their skills and experience. You may ask for references.
The areas you may not ask questions about include age, race, religion, place of birth, marital status, disabilities, and arrests. Many companies provide, at a cost, background checks, and you may choose to hire them to check criminal, driving, and financial records.
There are good questions to ask the references that your applicant has given you at your request. These include:
What are his/her strengths and weaknesses?
Is he/she reliable?
Why did the previous employment end, and would you rehire him/her?
Are there concerns about the number of children he/she would be responsible for or concerns about the ages of the children he/she would be in charge of?
How does he/she handle stress and multitasking?
Does he/she have special position-related skills?
The best way to hire for these positions is always a recommendation from someone who has used the babysitter or the nanny.
Phrases for Instructing the Babysitter
I/We use___________(time-out, no dessert, no play date) as a punishment. I/We take away TV if the children misbehave. Let us know if the children___________(act up, misbehave). I/We never spank the children. I/We never send the children to bed without dinner. I/We would like you to be involved with the children when they are awake. They like to read one book before bedtime. I/We want you to___________(play games, read stories, help with homework) with them. I/We don’t want___________(playing rough, using the swimming pool, driving with the children in the car). I/We don’t want you to have___________(visitors, long phone conversations, computer time) during work. If the baby cries, pick him/her up. Have you ever put children to bed? We put the baby in her crib at 7:30. Have you fed the children yet? The kids should eat everything on their plates. Don’t worry if the kids don’t eat everything. ___________(child’s name) is a picky eater. They are not allowed dessert unless they eat their vegetables. Have you ever changed diapers? Put dirty diapers in this hamper. Have you given children a bath? Make sure they brush their teeth. ___________(child’s name) likes a night-light in his room at bedtime. ___________(child’s name) likes this blanket. Call us if you have any problems. Here is our cell phone number. We can be reached at___________(this restaurant, the Smiths’ home, the kids’ school). Here are the telephone numbers.Idioms and Other Vocabulary
Act up: behave badly
Couple: two (a couple of books), two people in a romantic relationship, a husband and wife
CPR: cardiopulmonary resuscitation, breathing in someone’s mouth and pressing on his or her chest to restart breathing and the heart beating
Credentials: documents that show you are able to perform in a position
Discipline: training used to change negative behavior into positive behavior by giving consequences for negative behavior
Dry run: practice session for the actual event
First aid: basic medical attention given quickly
Multitasking: doing two or more things at the same time.
Occupied: busy, doing something
Play date: appointment for children to play with each other
Playing rough: playing in a way in which someone might get injured
Position-related: having to do with one’s job or work
Scariest: making you feel the most afraid, frightened, scared
Scenario: situation that may occur
Spank: hit a child on the rear or backside as a form of punishment
Term: word
Time-out: in sports, time taken from a game to rethink how to continue the game; in child care, a punishment in which children must stop playing and be alone to rethink their actions
Venues: places where activities happen
Nannies
A nanny takes care of a child or children for a family in the family’s home and for a longer time and much more regularly than a babysitter. The nanny may be paid by the hour, but more often by the day, week, or longer period. It is a regular employment situation, so references and background checks should be verified carefully. Often benefits come with the nanny position. A common benefit is paid vacation time, which is time away from work while receiving pay equal to your salary for the same period of time.
A nanny may take care of one or more children for working parents or for a single working parent full-time. The nanny often acts as a part of the family. Nannies are most often women; there are, however, male nannies. Families that employ a male nanny sometimes say that they appreciate having a positive male influence from someone who serves as a role model, especially for sons.
Phrases for interviewing nannies include many or most of those used for interviewing babysitters, but there are additional phrases. When you are interviewing and hiring a nanny, it is, of course, really an advantage to hit the ground running. Get a head start by checking out recommended candidates with neighbors, colleagues, the human resources (HR) department where you or your spouse work, or even an agency. You still have to conduct serious interviewing, but some questions may already be answered.
Phrases to Say When Interviewing a Nanny
Where did you___________(study, learn, get a license, get certified) to become a nanny? Did you___________(study, learn, earn a certificate, get a license) to become a nanny, and may I see your credentials? Would this be your first position as a nanny? What type of work did you do before this? Have you worked as a nanny before? Where? Do you have references? How many children were in the family or families you worked with? Why did you leave your last position? Did you live in the home of the family? Did you commute? How many___________(hours, days) did you work during a week? What were the___________(time off, vacation time) arrangements? Can you___________(cook, drive, speak [your language], perform CPR, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, first aid)? Do you have a certificate in___________(first aid, swimming, lifesaving, CPR)? We don’t allow___________(smoking, drinking) in front of our children. Do you go to bed early or very late? What___________(music, TV programs) do you like to ___________(listen to, watch)? Do you like to watch or participate in sports? Are you a U.S. citizen? Do you have a visitor’s visa? Do you have a green card? Do you drive? Do you own a car? What are your thoughts on discipline? How do you handle a child who refuses to___________ (eat, go to bed, wash his or her hands before a meal, share with a brother or sister)? What do you do with a child who won’t stop___________ (crying, biting another child, screaming in a store for toys or candy)? When the children are___________(sleeping, napping, in school, at music lessons), what are your feelings about ___________(cooking, cleaning, ironing, doing the wash, shopping for food, performing other household duties)? We___________(return to [your country], take a vacation) every___________(summer, Christmas, month) and would like you to have the same time for your ___________(vacation, paid vacation). We would like the house___________(closed, rented, occupied by our friends) then, so do you have a place to live?Idioms and Other Vocabulary
Background checks: verification that what someone has told you about his or her past education, employment, etc., is true
Commute: travel back and forth between work and your home
Head start: a lead, an advantage
Hit the ground running: have a head start to be successful at what you are doing
HR: human resources department (Many people just pronounce the initials.)
Male influence: a man’s effect on, example of behavior
References: letters from people for whom you have worked, people who know you from your educational background, and people who know you from your past and can offer personal references, which say nice things about your character qualities such as honesty
Role model: someone you admire and want to pattern your behavior after
Verified: checked out
Day Care
The first step in the public school system in the United States is kindergarten. The age at which children in the United States begin kindergarten is usually five. However, many parents choose earlier education opportunities. These choices may be called day care, early learning centers, preschool, or nursery school. Day care and early learning centers are often for infants up to kindergarten age. The other options—nursery school and preschool—may take children from two or three years old to when they start kindergarten in the public school system.
Early learning centers or day care facilities are locations at which you drop off children or send them, if they are old enough, by bus or van for a number of days during the week. Children are cared for and involved in learning and play that challenges their minds and bodies for as many hours during a day as needed. The need depends on a parent’s work schedule and feelings about having the child exposed to other children, teachers, and activities.
Before you decide on a place that is appropriate for your child, visit several centers. Take a complete tour of the facilities, observe the teachers and the students, and ask questions. You will be turning your child over to strangers, so do everything you can to make them not be complete strangers. Do a thorough sensory check—a thorough inspection of the environment, including the general environment (Does it have a welcoming feel to it? Is it clean, or does it smell like dirty diapers?), the parking lot (Is there a lot of garbage and trash?), and the body language of the children and the teachers (Are they happy?). Talk to everyone you can who will meet your child, including the bus or van driver, if your child is being driven to the center and not dropped off by you.
Phrases You May Hear at an Early Learning Center or Preschool
Our center serves children from infants to five years old. Our center offers a safe and secure environment for active early learning. Our teachers and staff communicate with parents to provide the best experience for the child. We work with parents to be on the same page on discipline matters. We have many activities at the center that include family participation and visits. We like the children, especially the infants and very young children, to bring a transitional object to have at nap-time. A teddy bear or a doll works well. We ask the older children to bring in family photos. We find these objects make the transition from home to the center easier for the children. Children live in the moment, so it isn’t appropriate to wait to discipline until the child returns home. Many parents use___________(time-out, removal of privileges, talking privately with the child about the incident) at home. Our counselor will discuss our discipline policy and how we can work together.Phrases to Say When Visiting an Early Learning Center or Preschool
May I check your accreditation documents? My main concern is my child’s safety and security. What is the center’s___________(philosophy of learning, discipline policy, attitude about teaching or modeling social skills)? What is the ratio of adults to children___________(in a class, for infants, for one-year-olds, with four-year-olds)? How do you discipline young children? How do you handle the___________(eating, napping, playing together) scheduling? Who drives the bus or van, and how long has he or she been driving for you? What is the driver’s safety record? How does the center celebrate___________(diverse cultures, different languages, holidays)? What___________(training, special training, developmental activities, ongoing preparation) do the___________ (teachers, aides, assistants, other staff members) ___________(have, get, receive)?Phrases About Activities and Learning
What will my child be doing all day, and why? What are the activities for___________(my child’s age group, infants, one-year-olds, four-year-olds)? How are the children learning? What are the materials and methods, and what are the reasons for using these? What___________(learning games, language activities, physical play) do the two- and three-year-olds participate in? I___________(understand, have read, have heard) that finger painting strengthens hands and fingers and is a lead-in to handwriting. When are children exposed to finger painting? Do the teachers have___________(different cultural backgrounds, dual-language ability, multi-language skills)?Phrases About Special Needs
I am new to the United States. I just started learning English. We speak___________(your language) at home. How can I help my child with homework when I don’t speak English? Do you___________(give, require) homework for the four- to five-year-olds? Are you able to recommend___________(a tutor, a way for my child and me to learn English together)? Are all of the teachers fluent in English? Are some of them bilingual or multilingual? Does the center accept children with___________(physical disabilities, learning issues, special needs)? Do you conduct some activities in English and___________ (my language) as a bridge to learning English? Does the center offer___________(testing, counseling)?Phrases for the First Day
I have brought a___________(teddy bear, toy, family photo) for my child. May I stay for a short time until my child___________ (stops crying, is more comfortable, becomes more relaxed)? If I can’t___________(be here, sit with my child, wait for him or her to calm down), who will___________(calm him or her down, control him or her, take care of him or her)? What do you want me to do?Idioms and Other Vocabulary
Accreditation documents: documents showing that schools have met required standards and gotten official approval
Aides: helpers
Appropriate: good, a good fit for
Attitude: opinion about a subject
Body language: movements of parts of your body that show what you are thinking without you speaking
Celebrate: treat as special
Children live in the moment: children only think about what is happening now as far as rewards and punishments
Counseling: emotionally supporting the children who attend the center and their parents
Counselor: a person whose job is counseling
Discipline policy: the center’s official opinion about discipline at the center
Diverse: many different
Drop off: leave your child at the center after taking him or her to the destination
Exposed to: not protected from
Finger painting: painting with special paint and using fingers not brushes (Children do this activity.)
Handle: take care of
Handwriting: connected script writing
Holidays: days that celebrate historic or religious events
Incident: something that happens
Kindergarten: the first year in the public school system, which prepares children for first grade (Children start kindergarten at age five or six depending on their birth date.)
Lead into: prepare for
Materials: teaching tools used for learning, making, or doing something
Methods: ways of doing something
Modeling: showing good behavior you want to copy
Naptime: time devoted to a short sleep, called a nap (Young children nap during a long school day.)
On the same page: thinking in the same way as someone else about doing something
Philosophy of learning: ideas about learning
Physical disabilities: conditions that keep someone from doing all that others can do
Ratio: a relationship between two numbers or amounts
Recommend: make a suggestion after careful consideration
Safe: not dangerous
Safety: conditions without danger
Secure: protected
Security: protection
Sensory check: process of noticing everything that has to do with the five senses—sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch
Social skills: ability to get along with people, good manners
Special needs: needs related to physical and/or mental problems
Strangers (also total strangers): people you don’t know
Strengthens: makes strong
Teddy bear: a soft toy in the shape of a bear
Testing: a full range of evaluations
Transition: movement or change
Transitional: changing from one place to another, such as from home to day care
Tutor: someone who teaches one or a few students privately
Welcoming: designed to make people feel comfortable