Spanish · B1 · Family moment
Slowing Down With Baby in Spanish
This guide focuses on how to express alternatives in daily parenting routines. By using 'en vez de' or 'en lugar de' with an infinitive, you can describe choosing slower, more mindful actions with your baby.
What you'll learn
- Express alternatives using 'en vez de' and 'en lugar de'.
- Learn vocabulary related to gentle routines and baby movements.
- Formulate sentences where one action replaces another using infinitives.
Spanish phrases for slowing down with baby
En vez de darte la toma con prisas, hago un breve descanso.
Instead of rushing through your feed, I take a short break.
'Dar la toma' is the standard way to refer to breastfeeding or bottle feeding.
En lugar de encender la luz brillante, uso la lámpara tenue.
Instead of switching on the bright light, I use the dim lamp.
'Tenue' is a great B1 word for soft or dim light.
Nos sentamos juntos en el suelo en vez de quedarnos en el sofá.
We sit together on the floor instead of staying on the sofa.
Note the use of the reflexive 'quedarnos' (staying ourselves).
En lugar de comprar otro juguete, roto los juguetes de tu cesta.
Instead of buying another toy, I rotate the toys in your basket.
'Rotar' is increasingly used for the concept of 'toy rotation'.
Canto bajito en vez de hablar fuerte mientras te calmas.
I sing softly instead of talking loudly while you settle.
'Bajito' is a common colloquialism for 'suavemente' (softly).
En lugar de impulsarte hacia el juguete, te giras sobre la barriguita.
Instead of pulling yourself towards the toy, you roll onto your tummy.
'Barriguita' is the diminutive and child-friendly version of 'barriga'.
Vamos por el camino tranquilo en vez de caminar por la carretera concurrida.
We take the quiet path instead of walking beside the busy road.
'Concurrida' means busy or crowded.
En lugar de mirar el móvil, te observo practicar el gateo.
Instead of checking my phone, I watch you practise crawling.
'Gateo' is the noun for the act of crawling.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
La toma
The feed / feeding session
Specific to babies eating, whether breast or bottle.
Tenue
Dim / Faint
Commonly used for lights and sounds.
El gateo
The crawling
Derived from 'gato' (cat); literally 'cat-walking'.
Con prisas
In a rush / hurriedly
A very common adverbial phrase in Spain.
Expressing Alternatives: En vez de / En lugar de
In Spanish, to replace one action with another (equivalent to 'Instead of ... -ing' in English), you use 'en vez de' or 'en lugar de' followed by an infinitive. This structure is used when the subject of both actions is the same.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Structure | En vez de + Infinitivo | En vez de correr, caminamos. |
| Synonym | En lugar de + Infinitivo | En lugar de gritar, susurro. |
| With Reflexive Verbs | En vez de + Infinitivo-se (matching subject) | En vez de quejarte, relájate. |
More examples
En vez de bañarte ahora, vamos a leer.
Instead of bathing you now, we are going to read.
Notice the infinitive 'bañarte' includes the object 'te' (you).
En lugar de usar el carrito, te llevo en la mochila.
Instead of using the stroller, I carry you in the carrier.
'Mochila' is often used for baby carriers in many regions.