English with Jo

Parenting is the process of supporting the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development of a child from infancy to adulthood. There are many different parenting styles from permissive to authoritarian. Social class, culture, and nationality can play a big role in determining what methods of child rearing are used by the parents.

Video on Parenting Tips

• Which do you think is the best piece of parenting advice?
• Why do you think it is good advice?

Parenting Phrases

• To raise a child – to care for and look after a child
• Stay at home Mum - A mother whose job is to stay in the house to take care of the children.
• To be brought up - To be raised and taken care of by a certain person.
• To take after - To resemble or have similar characteristics of one of your parents.
• To be a role model for – To display good and respectable behaviour so that your children will try to do the same.
• To spoil a child - To give a child everything he wants, which results in the child being ungrateful and demanding.
• To throw a temper tantrum - An outburst of anger and yelling that kids do to get their way.

Conversation Questions

General

• What skills are involved in being a parent?
• What do you think is the most important thing to remember about parenting?
• Do you think parenting has changed throughout the ages?
• Do you think parenting is the same all over the world?
• Are parenting skills different for women and men?
• What are some things that your parents did that you would never do?
• What do you think are some of the most difficult problems faced by parents?
• Should a good mother give up her job to stay at home with her children?
• Do you think it is ok for a father to stay at home with the children instead?
• What do you think of people who say they don't want to be a parent?
• What do you think is the best parenting style e.g. authoritarian, permissive, democratic etc.?

For Parents

• Do you think that you are a good parent? Why?
• What are the best things about being a parent?
• What are the most difficult things about being a parent?
• What is the hardest challenge you have faced so far as a parent?
• What skills have you learnt since becoming a parent?
• Do you think parenting is easy or difficult?
• Is it how you imagined it would be?

For Those Without Children

• Would you like to be a parent in the future? Why / Why not?
• Do you think you would be a good parent?
• What do you think would be the hardest aspect of being a parent?
• Is there anything you fear about becoming a parent?
• What are you looking forward to the most?