Childhood Development

adjective shy or timid in a way that is charming or endearing

• The bashful student blushed when called upon to answer the question.
• She's always been a bit bashful around strangers.
• Don't be so bashful, just go talk to her!
• The flowers in the garden seemed bashful, hiding behind the tall grass.

noun the state or time of being a boy; the childhood of a male child

• His boyhood was spent in the countryside, surrounded by nature and animals.
• I remember all the mischief we got up to during our boyhood days.
• Back in our boyhood, we used to hang out at the skate park every day.
• The old house held memories of his boyhood, a time of innocence and wonder.

verb Past tense of the verb neglect, which means to fail to care for properly or to pay insufficient attention to

• The neglected garden was overgrown with weeds and in need of attention.
• The neglected house was falling apart due to lack of maintenance.
• The neglected car was a total wreck, dude.
• Her neglected talents were finally recognized and appreciated by others.

noun the words of a nursery rhyme

• The nursery rhyme 'Humpty Dumpty' is a classic piece of children's literature.
• My favorite nursery rhyme growing up was 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star'.
• Let's sing that nursery rhyme about the old lady who lived in a shoe!
• The politician's speech was like a nursery rhyme, full of simple rhymes and repetitive phrases.

noun a dramatic performance or role-playing

verb to engage in acting or pretending

• The playacting in the theater production was top-notch, with each actor fully embodying their character.
• Stop with the playacting, just be yourself around me.
• I can't stand her fake playacting, she's always putting on a show.
• His playacting at being a tough guy didn't fool anyone, we all knew he was just a softie at heart.

adjective describing a sensation that causes a person to feel a tickling or tingling feeling

adverb in a manner that causes a tickling or tingling sensation

• The young child giggled uncontrollably as the doctor examined his ticklish spots.
• I can't stand being tickled - I'm so ticklish!
• She's super ticklish, so be careful not to tickle her.
• His argument was so weak that it was like tickling a ticklish person - it had no effect.

noun a girl who enjoys rough, noisy activities traditionally associated with boys

adjective relating to or characteristic of a tomboy

• The tomboyish girl preferred playing sports over playing with dolls.
• My sister has always been a bit of a tomboy, she loves getting dirty and playing rough.
• She's a total tomboy, always hanging out with the guys and never wearing dresses.
• Her tomboy spirit shines through in her fearless attitude towards life.

noun an extreme or irrational fear of vegetables

• Lachanophobia is a serious condition that can greatly impact a person's quality of life.
• I heard Sarah has lachanophobia, so she never eats vegetables.
• I can't stand broccoli either, it's like my own little lachanophobia.
• His fear of failure was like a deep-rooted lachanophobia, holding him back from pursuing his dreams.

noun a congenital anomaly in which the lingual frenulum is unusually short or tight, limiting the movement of the tongue

• The condition known as tongue tie, or ankyloglossia, can affect a person's ability to speak or eat properly.
• My baby cousin had a tongue tie that made it difficult for him to latch onto the bottle.
• I heard that getting your tongue tie clipped is a quick fix for speech problems.
• His fear of public speaking felt like a tongue tie, holding him back from expressing himself.

noun a parent who frequently shares excessive information about their child on social media

• The term 'oversharent' refers to parents who share too much information about their children on social media.
• My sister is such an oversharent, she posts every little detail about her kids online.
• I can't stand oversharents who constantly flood my feed with pictures of their kids.
• In the age of social media, it's easy to become an oversharent without even realizing it.

noun a type of thinking that is illogical or unrealistic, often involving beliefs in supernatural or magical powers

• The psychologist explained that magical thinking is a cognitive bias that can lead to irrational beliefs.
• Some people believe in magical thinking, like wearing a lucky charm for good luck.
• I know it sounds crazy, but some folks are into that whole magical thinking thing.
• Her belief in magical thinking was like living in a fantasy world where anything was possible.