Daily English 1276 Using an On-site Daycare

Dialogue/Story

Slow Speed begins at: 1:13
Explanation begins at: 3:28
Normal Speed begins at: 17:17

Complete Transcript

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 1,276 – Using an On-Site Daycare.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 1,276. I’m your host, Dr. Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California.

This episode is a dialogue between Francesca and Jorge about using a place where you work, to take care of your young children. Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Francesca: Hey, don’t we have a meeting at 1:30?

Jorge: We do. Sorry I’m late. I popped over to see how my kids are doing in the new on-site daycare.

Francesca: I didn’t even know we had an on-site daycare.

Jorge: It’s something new the company is offering to working parents. It’s a big perk and it’s great not having to drop off and pick up my kids from a separate daycare every day.

Francesca: That’s nice.

Jorge: It’s really helped with the transition back to work from maternity and paternity leave. Finding the right childcare was turning out to be a big problem.

Francesca: We really missed you when you were away.

Jorge: Thanks. I’m also less distracted. I have peace of mind knowing the kids are here in the same building and I can check on them anytime. It’s better for productivity.

Francesca: That’s good. Now should we get started with our meeting?

Jorge: Okay, but let’s keep it short. I want to check on the kids again in about 10 minutes.

Francesca: How many times have you checked on them already?

Jorge: Four times.

Francesca: Just today?

Jorge: Just in the past hour.

[end of dialogue]

Francesca begins our dialogue by asking Jorge, “Hey” – which is just a way of getting Jorge’s attention – “don’t we have a meeting at 1:30?” Jorge says, “We do. Sorry I’m late. I popped over to see how my kids are doing in the new on-site daycare.” The phrasal verb “to pop (pop) over” means to go or visit someone quickly and unexpectedly, without an appointment. “I’m going to pop over and see my mom on the way to work.” I’m going to go and see her not for a long meeting probably, certainly not for anything formal, but more as an informal visit.

We could also use the phrasal verb “to pop in” when someone stops to talk to you with whom you didn’t have an appointment or whom simply you didn’t expect to see. We might use the two-word phrasal verb “popped in” – “He popped in to see me.” That means he came to see me for a short time and I probably wasn’t expecting him to see me or to visit me.

Jorge says he popped over to see how his kids were doing in the new on-site daycare. “On-site” (on-site) is an adjective used to describe something that is in the same place as something else. So for example, if you work in a building that also has a coffee shop in it, or a place where you can buy coffee, we might say that you have a coffee shop “on-site” where you work.

In this case, we’re talking about an “on-site daycare” (daycare). The word “daycare” is used to describe a place that takes care of young children, usually children who are not old enough to go to school yet. In this case we’re talking about an “on-site daycare” – a place where parents can leave their children that is located in the same place where they work, or in the same building. Jorge went to see his kids in the new on-site daycare. Francesca says, “I didn’t even know we had an on-site daycare.”

Jorge says, “It’s something new the company is offering to working parents.” “Working parents” just means a mother or a father who also works outside of the home. In the last few decades or so, when someone uses the verb “to work,” they’ll often add the phrase “outside of the home” to indicate that the person has a job that requires them to go somewhere other than their own house. The idea behind the expression really is to recognize that people who stay home with their children, mostly mothers, also are working. They’re just not working outside of the home or working for extra pay.

Jorge says this new on-site daycare is a “big perk” (perk). A “perk” is a special benefit that you get, usually at your job, in addition to being paid. Your company, for example, might have a gym in the building that you can use after work or before work. That would be a “perk” – a special or additional benefit that you get besides getting paid. Jorge says, “It’s great not having to drop off and pick up my kids from a separate daycare every day.”

The phrasal verb “to drop (drop) off” means to leave a person or a thing at a particular place. Parents use this phrasal verb when talking about their children in situations where they are taking or transporting their child to one place and then later going back and getting the child from that same place. When they go back and get the child, we would use the phrasal verb “to pick (pick) up.” “I’m going to drop off my child in the morning and pick him up and take him back to my house in the afternoon.”

These two phrasal verbs can also be used more generally to refer to taking someone from one place to another. “I’m going to drop off my brother at the airport.” That means I’m going to leave him there and then he will go on his plane and go somewhere else. When my brother comes back or when my brother arrives at the airport, I would then go and “pick him up.” So when someone says, “Can you pick me up at the airport?” he means “Can you go to the airport and take me from the airport to another place?” If someone asks you “to drop him off at the airport,” he means that he wants you to take him from a certain place, his hotel or your house, to the airport.

Jorge thinks it’s great to be able to drop his child off at the daycare there where he works rather than having to drive somewhere else and drop him off and then go to work. He continues by saying, “It’s really helped with the transition back from maternity and paternity leave.” A “transition” (transition) is a period of change from one situation to another. “Maternity” (maternity) comes from the Latin word “mater,” meaning “mother.” “Maternity” refers to something related to being a mother. “Paternity” (paternity) comes of course, for the Latin “pater” and that refers to something related to being a father.

The word “leave” (leave) refers to time away from your work, when you don’t have to work. You may be getting paid – that would be called “paid (paid) leave” – or it might be “unpaid leave.” You are away from your work for a week or a month or two months and you’re not being paid, but at the end of that time, you can come back to your job. A “leave” is when you are not working but you haven’t left your job. You still are able to come back to your job when you are done with your leave.

A “paternity leave” is time that a company or an organization would give a father right after a child has been born so that the father could stay home and help take care of the child. More common is a “maternity leave,” where a mother leaves her work for a certain amount of time after a child is born to take care of the child. Jorge is obviously talking here about “paternity leave,” since he wasn’t the mother of the child. I’m pretty sure.

He says, “Finding the right childcare was turning out to be a big problem.” “Childcare” (childcare) is when you arrange or you get someone else to take care of your child, either by having that person come to your house or by taking your child to someone else’s place or house. Francesca says, “We really missed you when you were away.” Jorge says, “Thanks. I’m also less distracted.” “To be distracted” (distracted) means not focused, not able to think clearly about something because other things are bothering you.

Jorge continues, “I have peace of mind knowing the kids are here in the same building and I can check on them anytime.” “Peace (peace) of mind” means you are relaxed, calm. You don’t feel anxious or worried. Jorge says he’s not worried because he knows his kids are there in the same building as he is, and he can “check (check) on them.” “To check on” someone means to quickly see how someone is doing, to take a short amount of time to make sure someone is okay. You may call your daughter or son, if they go away to college, every day or every week to check on them, to make sure they’re okay. And they, of course, will call you when they need money.

Jorge says that having the childcare there in the building is better for “productivity” (productivity). “Productivity” refers to the amount of work that a person or a group of people are able to complete in a certain amount of time. Companies will often talk about the productivity of their employees – how much the people that they pay to work for them get done in a certain amount of time. Francesca then says, “That’s good. Now should we get started with our meeting?”

Jorge says, “Okay, but let’s keep it short.” The expression “to keep it short” means to do it quickly so it doesn’t last very long. He says, “I want to check on the kids again in about 10 minutes.” Francesca then asks him, “How many times have you checked on them already?” Jorge says, “Four times.” Francesca then asks, “Just today?” And Jorge responds, “Just in the past hour,” meaning in the last 60 minutes, he’s checked on his children four times. Perhaps the on-site daycare isn’t as good for productivity as Jorge thinks it is, or at least his company might think that.

Now let’s listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.

[start of dialogue]

Francesca: Hey, don’t we have a meeting at 1:30?

Jorge: We do. Sorry I’m late. I popped over to see how my kids are doing in the new on-site daycare.

Francesca: I didn’t even know we had an on-site daycare.

Jorge: It’s something new the company is offering to working parents. It’s a big perk and it’s great not having to drop off and pick up my kids from a separate daycare every day.

Francesca: That’s nice.

Jorge: It’s really helped with the transition back to work from maternity and paternity leave. Finding the right childcare was turning out to be a big problem.

Francesca: We really missed you when you were away.

Jorge: Thanks. I’m also less distracted. I have peace of mind knowing the kids are here in the same building and I can check on them anytime. It’s better for productivity.

Francesca: That’s good. Now should we get started with our meeting?

Jorge: Okay, but let’s keep it short. I want to check on the kids again in about 10 minutes.

Francesca: How many times have you checked on them already?

Jorge: Four times.

Francesca: Just today?

Jorge: Just in the past hour.

[end of dialogue]

There’s no one more productive than our scriptwriter, Dr. Lucy Tse. Thank you, Lucy.

From Los Angeles, California, I’m Jeff McQuillan. Thank you for listening. Come back and listen to us again right here on ESL Podcast.

Glossary

to pop over – to go to a place or visit someone quickly, informally, and unexpectedly without an appointment or agreement to do so

* Beatrix popped over to see our new puppy on her way home from work.

on-site daycare – a facility and service that takes care of employees’ children while the employees are working

* The on-site daycare currently has one opening for an infant and three openings for preschool-aged children.

working parent – a mother or father who has a job outside of the home and needs to leave his or her children with someone else while he or she is working

* As a working parent, Holly sometimes needs to leave work early to pick up her kids from school.

perk – a special benefit or right that one receives in addition to what one is paid for working

* The perks of working at this coffee shop include free drinks and muffins.

to drop off – to leave a person or thing at a particular place; to provide transportation to another person; to deliver something

* Can you drop off these clothes at the dry cleaner on your way to work?

to pick up – to retrieve someone from a particular place; to meet someone and give him or her a ride in one’s car

* You won’t be able to see well after the eye exam, so please make arrangements for someone to pick you up from the doctor’s office.

transition – a period of change or adaptation to a new situation

* The transition from high school to college can be very difficult for students who have never lived away from home before.

maternity leave – the period of time when a woman is allowed not to work so she can stay at home with her newborn baby

* Only the best jobs offer several weeks or even months of paid maternity leave.

paternity leave – the period of time when a man does is allowed not work so he can stay at home with his newborn baby

* The company offers a few weeks of paternity leave, but men sometimes feel that using it could hurt their career.

childcare – arrangements made for someone to take care of one’s child, either by having an individual coming into one’s home or by taking the child to another home or facility

* We could probably get more parents to come to our classes if we offered free childcare.

distracted – not focused; not able to think clearly on a particular topic because one is thinking about other things

* Why are you so distracted today? Did something happen? What are you thinking about?

peace of mind – calmness; the relaxing feeling of not being worried or frightened

* Having a few thousand dollars in the bank gives us peace of mind, because we know that we can handle any unexpected expenses.

to check on (someone) – to quickly see how someone is doing; to see someone for a very short period of time just to make sure he or she is okay

* Could you please check on Grandma after work? She wasn’t feeling well this morning.

productivity – the amount of work that a person or department can complete in a given period of time with a certain amount of resources

* With these new machines, we could double the factory’s productivity.

to keep (something) short – to do something quickly or to end it early so that it does not last very long, usually because one has something else to do afterward

* Please keep the call short, because the phone company is charging us almost $1 per minute.

Comprehension Questions

1. What does Jorge mean when he says, “It’s a big perk”?
a) It’s a wonderful convenience.
b) It’s a significant job benefit.
c) It’s very expensive, but worthwhile.

2. According to Jorge, what are the benefits of knowing the kids are in the same building?
a) They are safer.
b) He can focus on his work.
c) He can work longer hours.

Answers at bottom.

What Else Does It Mean?

to pop over

The phrase “to pop over,” in this podcast, means to go to a place or visit someone quickly, informally, and unexpectedly without an appointment or agreement to do so: “When you have some free time, pop over and I’ll show you my new boat.” The phrase “to pop the question” means to propose marriage or to ask someone to marry oneself: “Blake seems really nervous, and I think he might pop the question tonight!” The phrase “to pop pills” means to take a lot of pills, especially illegal drugs: “I’m worried about how Michael has started to pop pills all the time. Do you think he has an addiction?” Finally, the phrase “to pop into (one’s) head” means for one to suddenly think of something: “The answer to the test question suddenly popped into my head.”

to keep it short

In this podcast, the phrase “to keep it short” means to do something quickly or to end it early so that it does not last very long, usually because one has something else to do afterward: “Please keep the introduction short so that the main speaker will have enough time for her presentation.” The phrase “to be short” can mean to not have enough money to pay for something: “I’m a little short tonight. Can you loan me $10 to pay for dinner?” The phrase “to be short with (someone)” means to speak in a rude or unfriendly way: “I don’t think Reeve meant to be short with you. I think he’s just stressed and hurried.” Finally, the phrase “to be short of breath” means to be breathing quickly usually because one isn’t very healthy or fit: “Wendy was short of breath after walking up the hill.”

Culture Note

Things to Consider When Considering a Daycare Facility

Many new parents are “nervous” (anxious and worried) about leaving their children in a daycare facility. They “invest” (put in time, energy, and money) significant time in “evaluating” (comparing and determining which is best) the available daycare facilities.

Probably their “top” (highest priority; most important) concern is their children’s safety. They want to find a facility that is clean, safe, and “staffed by” (have workers who are) “competent” (able to do something well) “caregivers” (people who care for others, such as children or the elderly). Parents are encouraged to check with local government agencies to see if any “complaints” (statements about the poor quality of service) have been “filed” (submitted officially) against the daycare facility. They can also check to see if the “ratios” (the maximum number of children who may be cared for by a single person) are appropriate, and if the “childcare providers” (people who care for other people’s children) are “certified” (have enough training and experience to be allowed to work in a particular job).

Many parents visit the daycare facility to “observe” (watch) part of a typical day. They want to “get a feel for” (understand) daily activities and how caregivers interact with the children. They might pay attention to whether children are left alone in “cribs” (beds with walls, for babies) or held and “stimulated” (given attention and things to respond to). They might observe whether children are left to watch television or encouraged to explore outdoors, play with toys, and look at books. And they might consider how healthy the snacks and meals are.

Finally, many parents speak to other families that are using the daycare facility to try to learn from their experience. After all this research, though, many parents “ultimately” (in the end) simply “trust their gut” (listen to their internal voice or feelings) to make a decision.

Comprehension Answers

1 - b

2 - b