Soccer Moms
Todd explains American parenting labels like soccer mom and Nascar dad to Julia, and they compare how each stereotype behaves.
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Transcript
Todd: So, Julia, now you are a parent.
Julia: That’s right.
Todd: And have you heard of all these terms that we have in the US for different types of parents? I wonder if you have them in the UK?
Julia: You mean like soccer mum, stuff like that?
Todd: Exactly.
Julia: That’s the only one I’ve heard of actually.
Todd: OK. So what do you think a soccer mom is? What have you heard?
Julia: My image is a mother who dedicates her time to running her kids to and from soccer practice. Is that right?
Todd: Right.
Julia: And also drives a big vehicle? My image is of a big SUV or a big four wheel drive.
Todd: Right. I think it’s also, it’s like a parent that has many scheduled events for their child.
Julia: Oh, OK.
Todd: So maybe they have swimming class or soccer practice, ballet and stuff like that.
Julia: Oh, maybe I’m a little bit of a soccer mum.
Todd: Yeah, I think now, yeah. I think it’s actually a good term. It’s like, I think a soccer mom usually is considered a caring parent.
Julia: OK.
Todd: And they try to have their child doing productive things.
Julia: It must be pretty, quite an affluent perhaps middle class kind of parent.
Todd: Yeah, exactly, exactly. Now we have the equivalent, it’s called a Nascar dad.
Julia: Is Nascar some kind of car racing?
Todd: Yeah, basically it’s just the, these cars they run around and ride around in a circle. It’s kind of like horse racing for cars, you just go round and round. But, yeah, so I guess it’s the same thing. It’s just a dad who’s really, you know, really into his kids, spends a lot of time with his kids.
Julia: Would this be a stay at home dad, like a…?
Todd: No, no. It’s just kind of like a good old boy father, like a dad who’s kind of blue collar, not rich, you know, maybe lower middle class maybe but just kind of like your typical sitcom, TV sitcom dad I guess.
Julia: But that’s nice. Takes his kids everywhere, that’s nice.
Todd: Yeah, yeah.
Julia: Involved in the…
Todd: Yeah, like a Nascar dad would probably take his sons hunting and maybe take his daughter shopping and stuff like that.
Vocabulary
Comprehension Questions
A soccer mom ____.