--- title: Minding the little ones: «you're the oldest» — a lesson of Mova's school · trees and pragmatics description: «Minding the little ones: «you're the oldest»», a lesson of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, sentence by sentence with dependency trees and pragmatics. It begins: In Birmingham, Ifeoma, 10, is the oldest of five; Mum and Dad run a small shop. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/) / [Everyday](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/) / Minding the little ones: «you're the o… # Minding the little ones: «you're the oldest» Lesson 502 of the everyday course of Mova's primary school: 42 sentences, each with its syntax tree and pragmatics. The lessons are written for Mova, and their agreed trees are part of Mova corpus 0.4 (CC BY-SA 4.0). How Mova does on its tests: [the lesson at school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/). - [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/1/) — In Birmingham, Ifeoma, 10, is the oldest of five; Mum and Dad run a small shop. - [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/2/) — «Watch the twins while I nip to the shop,» says Mum. - [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/3/) — Two minutes later the twins have drawn a rainbow on the wall. - [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/4/) — Mum comes back: «Ifeoma! - [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/5/) — I told you to watch them!» Ifeoma is furious: she didn't do it. - [6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/6/) — Older kids often get blamed for what the little ones do, and that's unfair when they are children too. - [7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/7/) — She can say calmly, «I was watching, they were too fast,» and it's fair to ask not to be in charge every time. - [8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/8/) — Helping is good, but some kids carry too much. - [9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/9/) — In Peterborough, Mum works evenings, so Kacper, 9, gives his brothers, 4 and 6, their tea and puts them to bed most nights. - [10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/10/) — He does his homework at ten and is tired and grumpy at school. - [11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/11/) — Kids who do a lot of looking after are called young carers, and there are groups and help for them and their families: Kacper should tell a teacher. - [13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/13/) — Then she misses her mate's party because she has to mind the boys, and she's gutted (very disappointed). - [14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/14/) — Missing out can be unfair: tell your mam it matters, so someone else might mind them next time. - [15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/15/) — The oldest's things need protecting too. - [16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/16/) — In Houston, Aaliyah's little sisters wreck her slime collection. - [17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/17/) — Mom says, «They're little, let it go.» Aaliyah yells, «It's always my fault or my problem!» A lock box or a high shelf is a fair ask. - [18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/18/) — In London, Harrison's little brothers break his PlayStation controller and Dad says, «You should've put it away.» «That's peak,» mutters Harrison (London slang for «so unfair, so bad»). - [19](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/19/) — It's fair to ask that the little ones say sorry too. - [20](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/20/) — In Leicester, every time there's a fight Aarav hears, «You're the oldest, you should know better.» Fairness means everyone takes their share: «Can we each say what happened?» - [21](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/21/) — Little ones copy you because you're their hero. - [22](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/22/) — In Glasgow, Kenzie's wee brother, 3, follows her everywhere: «Kenzie dae it, me dae it!» («dae» = do). - [23](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/23/) — Her pals say, «Aw, he's pure cute» («pure» = really). - [24](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/24/) — Kenzie says, «Try livin' wi' him,» but secretly she loves it. - [25](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/25/) — In Galway, Nuala changes her baby brother's nappy while Mam's in the shower. - [26](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/26/) — «Rank!» she gags (Irish slang for disgusting), then laughs: little jobs help families, and you can say when it's too much. - [27](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/27/) — When something goes wrong, small things you can fix; big things need a grown-up. - [29](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/29/) — «I'm fixin' to cry,» she thinks («fixin' to» is Southern US for «about to»). - [30](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/30/) — She takes a breath, puts on a band-aid (a plaster) and hugs him. - [31](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/31/) — Well done, and anything bigger needs a grown-up straight away. - [32](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/32/) — In Leeds, Tomasz's little sister cries and wants Mum, and he doesn't know what to do. - [33](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/33/) — He rings Mum, who talks to her on speaker. - [34](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/34/) — You don't have to solve everything: calling a grown-up is smart. - [35](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/35/) — Older children often get blamed for what the little ones do, which is unfair when they are children too. - [36](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/36/) — It is fair for an older child to explain calmly what happened and to ask not to be in charge every time. - [37](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/37/) — Children who do a lot of looking after at home are called young carers, and there is help for them and their families. - [38](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/38/) — If minding siblings leaves you too tired for school or homework, tell a teacher. - [39](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/39/) — Helping is good, but always missing out on your own life is unfair; you can tell your parents it matters. - [40](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/40/) — The oldest child's things deserve protecting too; a lock box or high shelf is a fair ask. - [41](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/41/) — Fairness means each child takes their share of the blame, not always the oldest. - [42](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/42/) — Little siblings copy older ones because they look up to them. - [43](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/43/) — A child can deal with small hurts like a cut knee, but anything serious needs a grown-up straight away. - [44](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/502-minding-the-little-ones-youre-the-oldest/44/) — When you are stuck, calling a grown-up is the smart thing to do. - ← previous: [Big brothers](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/501-big-brothers/) - next →: [Twins and big families](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/503-twins-and-big-families/) - ↑ back to [Everyday](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/)