Playing with other children to share

refers to letting all children take turns with toys, etc

to bully – when one child is rude to another, hinders their play or forces them to do things they don’t want to

to get along – children playing nicely together to have a good/fun time

playgroup – group of children and parents from different families that meet, often once a week, to play together

Let’s all help pick up the toys.

Let’s all just get along. (Adult says this to a group of children that were fighting.)

Now, isn’t it more fun to play together? This has the tone of a friendly scolding.

Why are you always picking fights?

I’m going to tell. = A child saying, I’m going to inform a grownup of what you just did.

Don’t be a tattle-tale. = don’t always be reporting to grownups what other children are doing that might be wrong.

He’s not sharing. = He wouldn’t let me play with his toy. Children use the verb “to share” a lot because adults are always using it with them.

She hurt my feelings. another phrase used very often in connection with children. Adults, especially teachers, use this when explaining why you shouldn’t call your classmate an ugly witch, etc. (“Don’t hurt people’s feelings.”)

That’s not playing fair! You cheated! (A common accusation that one child makes to another.)

You have to learn to stand up for yourself. (This is for children who allow other children to bully them too much)

When things get too rough:

Don’t play rough.

Don’t kick.

Don’t step on his toes.

Don’t hit him.

She doesn’t want to be held like that.

No bullying.

Don’t pull her hair.

Pulling hair isn’t nice.

It hurts people.

Don’t trip her.

Stop punching each other.

No more roughhousing.

Things children themselves say

Oops! / Oopsie / Oopsies. Said after an accident or mishap. “Oops, you spilled water all over my shirt.”

Pick me up! (Child to adult, meaning lift me up in your arms)

Carry me!

Guess what? (Anytime a child has something to announce to a grownup, they usually start off with this. They don’t wait for an answer, it’s “Guess what! We saw a big whale!” )

I know! Let’s play catch! (“I know!” is a very common way that children express the fact that they just had a great thought or idea.)

Uh-oh! Very common, said whenever a little accident occurs. “Uh-oh, you dropped the crayons all over the floor.”

Adults are almost always called “grownups” by children. E.g., “Only grownups can touch that.”

Look-it! (Not grammatical, but lots of American children say it)

Whole bunch = lots. “We saw a whole bunch of trucks.” means “We saw many trucks.”

“Lots”, meaning “many”, is also colloquial, but very very widely used.

no way = I’m not going to do it, there’s no way I’ll agree to that, etc (not very polite) (also: No way, José!)

itty-bitty – very small (“Back when you were just an itty-bitty little baby…”)

teeny-weeney – very small (“Look at that teeny-weeney spider.”)

tippytoes – refers to walking on the tips of ones toes (i.e., with heel off the ground) as in “I’m walking on my tippytoes.”

big old – often means just “big”. It’s not logical, but children often say “We saw a big old house.” To just mean “We saw a big house.”

17. Babysitters/Daycare

Date: 2016-01-03; view: 816