Rules of the Playground

Ryan and Brittany meet at a neighborhood park in Seattle while watching their six-year-olds.

Rules of the Playground

Listen and choose the right answer

What does Ryan make his daughter wear?

• A thick winter jacket
• A helmet just to walk on the grass
• A bright orange backpack

How does Brittany describe her parenting approach?

• She prefers free-range kids and lets them decide.
• She follows a very strict military style.
• She never lets her children outside without a supervisor.

What unexpected thing do the children do at the end?

• They start crying and run home to their mothers.
• They ignore their parents and dig a hole together with a stick.
• They put on their helmets and start reading a parenting book.

What do Ryan and Brittany decide to do at the very end of the conversation?

• Go home immediately
• Call their spouses
• Sit on the bench and finish their coffee

Listen again and complete the sentences

• Brittany: Seriously? I ____ how to climb, and honestly, it's so much easier for everyone.
• Ryan: Are you kidding me? If I didn't ____ , she'd probably jump off the highest roof in Seattle.
• Brittany: That's because you're way too overprotective, Ryan. Kids need freedom to ____ .
• Ryan: Call me old-fashioned, but I refuse to ____ and I expect too much discipline maybe.
• Brittany: Well, we prefer ____ in our house. My Leo has been climbing trees since he was three.

Sources: photo by Foto Art Events on Pexels