ESL Podcast 883 - Taking Care of a Willful Child

willful - stubborn, doing what one wants even if one is not supposed to or if other people have asked one to stop

Dynee was a very willful child, but her parents rarely gave her what she was demanding.

strong-willed - stubborn, with a lot of determination and persistence, doing what one wants even if one is not supposed to or if other people have asked one to stop

Everybody told Ingrid that quantum physics would be too difficult for her to understand, but she is very strong-willed and she managed to earn her degree.

to throw a tantrum - for someone to behave very badly and angrily, losing control of one's actions and words, shouting and possibly kicking or hitting, especially when talking about a child

Two-year-olds often throw tantrums when they don't get what they want, but if their parents ignore the behavior, it usually changes quickly.

stubborn - refusing to change one's mind or opinion, no matter what other people say or do

Last week, Jenna said that she wouldn't wash any more dishes, and she is so stubborn that now their kitchen is covered in dirty dishes and they don't have any clean plates!

to shriek - to yell very loudly in a high-pitched voice

The neighbors heard horrible shrieking and called the police.

at the top of (one's) lungs - very loudly; as loud as possible when shouting

Richard is losing his hearing, and even if you shout at the top of your lungs, he probably won't be able to understand you.

to bite - to use one's teeth to cut something, especially food

Don't put your hand in the monkey's cage. The monkey might bite your finger!

to express (one's) displeasure - to say or show that one is unhappy or dissatisfied in some way

Mariah expressed her displeasure with the board's decision and then submitted her letter of resignation.

to bottle up (one's) feelings - to hide one's emotions from other people, pretending to be calm when one is very upset inside

Frank hates conflict, so he often bottles up his feelings for weeks or even months, but then one day he explodes in anger.

to pacify - to calm someone down; to make someone feel more relaxed or tranquil after he or she has been very angry, upset, or agitated

Do you think the inspectors will be pacified if we take them out to an expensive lunch?

to spoil (someone) - to give a child everything he or she wants, so that they don't learn how to respond to the word "no" and they begin to behave very badly

Grandparents love to spoil their grandchildren, buying them toys and giving them special foods when they know the parents wouldn't approve.

sugar rush - a temporary feeling of having a lot of energy and possibly being out of control after having eaten a lot of sweet foods

The kids at the birthday party drank soda and ate cake and ice cream, and a few minutes later, they were all running around with a terrible sugar rush.

to grow out of - to become older and become more mature so that one no longer does something or is no longer interested in something

Do you think Adriana will ever grow out of her love of horses?

stage - a period of development characterized by certain traits or behaviors

Almost all teenagers go through a stage where they rebel against authority.

to babysit - to take care of another person's child as a way to make extra money, but not as a regular or full-time job

As a teenager, Lynn earned money by babysitting the neighbors' kids.

to have another commitment - to be obligated to do something else; to have an appointment with someone else

I can't meet on Thursday afternoon, because I have another commitment. Can we meet on Friday morning instead?