ESL Podcast 759 - Worrying About Your Children

to hang around with - to spend one's free time with someone, without a clear purpose or a defined activity

Jill spent the weekend hanging around with her friends instead of studying for the big test.

to run with the wrong crowd - to spend time with people who are a bad influence, usually because they are involved in activities like smoking, drinking, doing drugs, or breaking the law

When the Pedersens realized their son was running with the wrong crowd, they put him in a private high school.

to rebel - to disagree with someone in authority and not do what he or she wants or expects one to do; to fight against those with authority or power

It's normal for teenagers to rebel against their parents at least a little bit.

natural - normal; expected; common

It's natural to feel nervous when speaking in public, but practicing can help.

strict - enforcing rules without making exceptions; expecting other people to do what one says

Kris is very strict about not letting her kids watch more than eight hours of TV each week.

secretive - not sharing information openly; hiding information about one's activities or thoughts

Kayla guessed her friends were throwing her a surprise birthday party, because they were so secretive about their plans for the weekend.

exposed to - having an awareness of something, usually because one has seen or experienced it

Liliana was exposed to foreign languages and foreign foods when she was very young.

off-limits - not allowed; not permitted

We can have the party in the backyard, but my parents' bedroom is off-limits!

to keep (someone) from (doing something) - to prevent someone from doing something; to not allow someone to do something

The only way we can keep the bank from charging monthly fees is by maintaining a $1,000 balance in our checking account.

short of - unless; except for; without taking some extreme action

Short of selling their home, they don't see any other way to pay their medical bills.

to trust - to believe that someone will act appropriately or correctly and will not do anything wrong

Do you trust your kids enough to let them stay home alone all week while you're traveling for work?

to raise (someone) - to educate and take care of a child until he or she is an adult

Joy raised her children by taking them to many concerts so that they would have a love of music.

to handle (oneself) - to be in control of one's thoughts and actions; to behave as one should without assistance or guidance from other people

William handled himself with grace and dignity throughout the scandal.

to take after - to behave or be like another person, usually a parent or an older relative

It's amazing how much Orlando takes after his mother.

resourcefulness - able to use what is available to find ways to solve problems or succeed in difficult situations

Our team owes its success to Wynona's resourcefulness. She found ways to make our project move forward without increasing the budget.

like father/mother, like son/daughter - a phrase used to show that a child is very much like a parent, either in appearance or behavior

Nic's father is an accountant, and he has decided to study accounting, too. Like father, like son.

to take comfort in - to feel comforted and receive reassurance by being aware of something or by having some piece of knowledge

Although she was nervous about the surgery, she took comfort in the surgeon's experience and reputation.

small comfort - not very comforting or reassuring; little help

The slight rise in home prices was small comfort for people who still owe more than they paid for their home.