IELTS® Speaking 3 Practice 12

Do you have a large or a small family?

I have what most consider a nuclear family. Don’t get me wrong, we have relatives on each side, close and distant ones alike. But to tell you the truth, we don’t see each other that often, and our relationships are somewhat sporadic.

I grew up at my grandparents’ farm in a big extended family. There were a slew of jobs to do at the farm, but my grandparents never ran out of an extra pair of hands. Sadly, things have never been the same since then, and my family is pretty spread out now.

Could you tell me more about your family?

I grew up without a father, so I don’t know anyone on my father’s side of the family. On my mother’s side, we have a medical dynasty, with everyone from my great grandparents to my mother being physicians. I’m graduating next year, and I’ll be the fourth generation.

My mom is a high-school teacher, and my dad is a navy officer. Actually, military service runs in my family when it comes to men. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and it’s no wonder why I plan on applying to a naval academy.

Who are you closest to in your family?

I’d say I get on best with my grandfather. That is because he’s been through a lot during WWII, and I always learn something from our conversations.

I’ll tell you who I’m not closest to: it’s my sisters-in-law. They’re so annoying, and it seems like they’re the ones getting all the attention every holiday. Grant it, my brother-in-law is sweetness itself, and I love playing hide-and-seek with him.

What are your parents like?

My mom is what psychologists would call a type A personality: she’s easy-going and a real go-getter. I’d say it runs in the family since all women on my mother’s side are like that. My dad, on the other hand, is far from being a social butterfly, and he mostly keeps to himself.

My dad builds houses for a living, and he’s a jack-of-all-trades, just like my uncle. So he fixes things around the house rather quickly. This keeps my mom, who’s such a bookworm, very glad, and it helps her focus on her work: she’s a writer, like my aunt.

Do you get along with your brothers or sisters?

For better or worse, I grew up without any siblings. But I was surrounded by my cousins, and we always had so much fun playing together. I guess I shouldn’t complain: at least I never had to deal with sibling rivalry.

My parents have no other children but me, which is why I have no siblings. Luckily, I am sometimes a full-time parent to the nieces and nephews of my spouse. Watching them play and have fun sometimes makes me regret I have no brothers or sisters of my own.

Do you think parents should punish children?

Let us be honest: raising kids is far from being a cakewalk. And if you extol your children all the time, they’ll turn into spoiled brats. Surely, punishing your own child may be hard, but sometimes a stumble may prevent a fall.

If you ask me, I don’t believe fear is a good motivator. When you want to instill values in children, it’s much more effective to make them work hard for something that they desperately want. Be it a new video game or more TV time, make them earn it.

How do you think children should be raised?

You can’t go wrong with the good old carrot and stick. If your kids seem to have gotten out of hand, impose punishments: don’t hesitate to ground them for unacceptable behavior. On the other hand, be sure to praise and reward lavishly even the smallest of their achievements.

In my opinion, foster children are worth a special mention. Many of the conventional parenting strategies simply don’t apply in their case. For instance, giving kids time-outs is a popular tactic, but it may get foster children down and make them distrust their foster parents.

What do you think makes for a good parent?

As far as I’m concerned, a good parent must be an excellent role model. Perhaps the best upbringing you can give to your kids is being the example they can follow throughout their lives. It’s a lot easier to bring up your children when all they do is aspire to become someone like you.

In its essence, parenting is a balancing act. Nothing is set in stone when you are a parent: your child may behave exceptionally well one day but do something awful the day after. Nevertheless, I believe that relying on the expert advice of child psychologists can help you instill values in children.