Terms starting with S

Every Buhata Life Terms entry that starts with S, with its short definition.

S

Safe sleepThe AAP's rules for lowering the risk of SIDS and suffocation: baby on the back, alone, on a firm flat surface in their own sleep space, every sleep.

Safe withdrawal rateThe share of a retirement portfolio you can withdraw in the first year, then raise with inflation, with a high chance the money lasts a set number of years.

Safe-to-spendThe money left for everyday spending before your next payday, after upcoming bills, subscriptions, card payments and planned savings are set aside.

Salary negotiationDiscussing pay and other terms with an employer before you accept a job offer, to reach a starting salary that fits the role and your skills.

SatisficingChoosing the first option that meets your standards instead of searching for the best one, a term coined by Nobel laureate Herbert Simon.

Save More TomorrowA savings plan by Richard Thaler and Shlomo Benartzi in which you agree now to raise your retirement contribution each time you get a pay raise.

Savings accountA bank or credit union account for money you're setting aside for later, which earns interest and is insured up to federal limits at insured institutions.

Savings bondA US Treasury savings bond, sold today as EE or I bonds through TreasuryDirect, that earns interest for up to 30 years and can be cashed after one.

Savings challengeA set of simple saving rules followed for a fixed stretch, such as a rising amount each week, to build a savings habit and a balance by the end.

Savings goalA specific amount you plan to save by a set date for one purpose, which turns into a monthly or per-paycheck amount to set aside.

Savings rateThe share of your income you save, found by dividing what you saved in a period by what you earned in that same period.

Scam textsText messages sent by scammers, often posing as a bank, a delivery company or a prize offer, to get you to click a link, pay money or share personal details.

Scarcity mindsetThe narrowed focus that comes from having too little money or time, which pulls attention to the shortage and leaves less mental room for everything else.

ScholarshipsMoney for school that a student doesn't repay, usually awarded for grades, skills or abilities by a college, employer, community group or state.

School choiceThe range of K to 12 options a family can pick from instead of only the assigned public school: other public schools, charters, private school or homeschooling.

School psychologistA school-based specialist trained in assessment, learning, behavior and mental health, who supports students, families and teachers.

School supply listThe list of supplies a teacher or school asks each student to bring for the year, such as notebooks, pencils, folders and art materials.

School zoneA marked stretch of road near a school where drivers must watch for children and obey the posted school zone speed limit, often at set times of day.

Science of readingThe large body of research on how people learn to read and how reading is best taught; it names a field of evidence, not one curriculum or program.

Scope creepThe uncontrolled growth of a project's scope, when work gets added without anyone adjusting the time, budget or people to match.

Screen timeThe time a child spends using screens such as TVs, tablets, phones, computers and game consoles, counted across a day or a week.

Screen time for adultsThe hours an adult spends looking at phones, computers, TVs and other screens, for work and for leisure, counted across a day or a week.

Screen-free timeSet times or places in a family's day, like meals, bedrooms or the hour before bed, when phones, TVs, tablets and games stay off.

ScrumA lightweight framework, defined in the Scrum Guide, in which a small team delivers work in fixed-length Sprints of one month or less and adjusts after each one.

Scrum masterThe person on a Scrum Team accountable for the team's effectiveness and for Scrum being understood and used as the Scrum Guide defines it.

Scrum teamThe small, self-managing group that does the work in Scrum: one Product Owner, one Scrum Master and the Developers, typically 10 or fewer people.

ScrumbanA way of working that starts from Scrum and adds Kanban practices such as a visible board, work in progress limits and pulling work in when there's room.

Seasonal affective disorderA type of depression that follows the seasons, most often starting in late fall or early winter and lifting in spring and summer.

Seasonal home maintenanceHome upkeep sorted by time of year, so each job lands when the weather suits it and before the system it protects is needed most.

Seasoning cast ironBaking a very thin coat of cooking oil onto cast iron cookware so it sets on the surface. Lodge bakes it for one hour at 450 to 500°F.

Second brainTiago Forte's name for a digital store of the notes and ideas you save, organized so you can find them and reuse them in your own work.

Secret SantaA group gift exchange in which each person secretly draws one other member's name and gives that person a gift anonymously.

Secured credit cardA credit card backed by a cash deposit you pay up front, which usually sets your credit limit; used mostly to build or rebuild credit.

Secured debtMoney you owe that's backed by collateral, such as a home or car, which the lender can take if you don't repay.

Security depositMoney a tenant pays a landlord at the start of a lease, held to cover unpaid rent or damage beyond normal wear and tear and returned, minus listed charges, after move-out.

Self-careTaking time to do things that help you live well and look after your physical and mental health, such as moving, sleeping, resting and staying in touch.

Self-cleaning ovenAn oven with a built-in, high-temperature cleaning cycle that breaks down baked-on food so it can be wiped out once the oven cools.

Self-compassionTreating yourself with the kindness you'd offer a friend when you struggle; researcher Kristin Neff describes three parts: self-kindness, common humanity and mindfulness.

Self-employment taxThe Social Security and Medicare tax self-employed people pay on their own profit: 15.3% of 92.35% of net earnings, owed once those reach $400 a year.

Self-esteemHow a person feels about themselves and what they can do. In a child, healthy self-esteem shows as feeling liked, accepted and able to try again after a mistake.

Self-evaluationYour own written assessment of your work over a review period, which your manager reads alongside their view during a performance review.

Self-imposed deadlineA deadline you set for yourself ahead of any real one, often with checkpoints in between, to pace a task instead of leaving it to the last minute.

Self-regulationA child's growing ability to manage their own feelings, attention and actions, like calming down, waiting a turn or sticking with a hard task.

Self-soothingCalming yourself when you're upset by deliberately using one of your five senses, like a warm drink, a soft blanket or a favorite song, to ease the distress.

Semi-monthly payBeing paid twice a month on set dates, 24 paychecks a year, as opposed to biweekly pay every two weeks, which comes to 26.

Sensory overloadWhen sounds, lights, crowds, touch or other input become more than a child's senses can handle, often ending in distress or a meltdown.

Sensory playPlay that invites a child to touch, squish, pour, smell, listen and look, such as sand, water, playdough or textured materials.

Sensory processingHow the brain takes in and responds to what a child hears, sees, touches, tastes and smells.

Sensory seekingA pattern where a child keeps looking for strong sensations, like tight hugs, fast movement or crashing into things, because ordinary input feels faint.

Sentimental clutterThings kept mainly for the memories or feelings attached to them, such as heirlooms, cards, photos and souvenirs, once they crowd a home.

Shared expensesCosts two or more people agree to split, such as rent, utilities, groceries or a shared subscription, as opposed to costs each person covers alone.

Sheet washing frequencyHow often bed sheets should be washed. Cleveland Clinic advises at least once a week, with pillowcases in the same load.

Shoulder seasonThe travel period between a destination's peak and off-peak seasons, just before or after the busiest weeks, when fares are often lower than at peak.

Shutdown ritualA short end-of-workday routine, made popular by Cal Newport, of reviewing tasks and plans before saying a set phrase that marks work as done.

Sick leaveTime off work an employer allows when you're ill, injured or caring for your health, paid or unpaid depending on the employer's policy and state or local law.

Side hustlePaid work done alongside a main job or other commitments, such as freelancing, delivery driving or selling goods; the IRS treats the income as taxable.

Sight wordsWords a reader knows instantly, without sounding them out; schools also use it for common words like "the" and "said" that children practice early.

Simmer vs boilBoiling is liquid at its boiling point, 212°F for water at sea level; simmering keeps it just under that, steaming with a few small bubbles.

Simple interestInterest figured only on the principal, never on interest already earned, so the same balance at the same rate adds the same amount each period.

Single parentA parent raising one or more children without a spouse or partner living in the home.

Sinking fundMoney set aside in small, regular amounts for a known future cost, so the bill doesn't land on a single paycheck.

Sinking fund vs emergency fundA sinking fund saves for costs you can put on a calendar; an emergency fund covers costs you can't predict, like a job loss or an urgent repair.

Sleep debtThe running total of sleep you've missed, counted night by night as the hours you need minus the hours you actually slept.

Sleep hygieneThe everyday habits and bedroom setup that make it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep, like a steady wake-up time and a quiet, cool room.

Sleep regressionA stretch when a baby or toddler who was sleeping fairly well starts waking more at night or fighting sleep, usually for a week or two.

Sleep sackA wearable blanket a baby sleeps in, zipped over their clothes, that keeps them warm without a loose blanket in the crib.

Sleep scheduleThe set times a person goes to bed and gets up each day, planned so they get the hours of sleep recommended for their age.

Sleep trainingTeaching a baby to fall asleep on their own, both at bedtime and after waking in the night, using a planned, consistent method.

Slow-to-warm-up childOne of Thomas and Chess's three temperament types: a child who holds back from new people and places at first, then warms up with repeated exposure.

SMART goalsGoals written to pass five tests: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound, an idea first published by George T. Doran in 1981.

Smoke detector testingPressing a smoke alarm's test button once a month to make sure it sounds, and replacing the alarm 10 years after the date it was made.

Soap opera sequenceRussell Brunson's welcome email series from DotCom Secrets, usually five emails over five days that tell a story and build to an offer.

Soap scumThe dull, gray-white film that forms on tubs, tile and shower doors when soap reacts with the calcium in hard water.

Sober curiousQuestioning your drinking out of curiosity, cutting back or trying alcohol-free stretches by choice, without having to call yourself an alcoholic or quit for good.

Social media manager salaryThe pay of someone who runs a company's social media accounts; PayScale's June 2026 data puts the average US base salary at $60,881 a year.

Social Security cardThe card from the Social Security Administration that shows the Social Security number assigned to a person, used for work, taxes and benefits.

Social-emotional developmentHow a child learns to understand their own feelings, read other people's, and build relationships, from early smiles to taking turns in games.

Social-emotional learningHow children and adults learn to understand and manage emotions, get along with others and make caring decisions, often taught as five CASEL competencies.

Soft inquiryA credit check that isn't tied to an application, such as checking your own report or a preapproved offer; it doesn't affect your credit scores.

Soft startupThe Gottman Institute's term for opening a hard conversation gently: how you feel about one specific situation and what you need, without blame.

Speech delayWhen a child's talking develops more slowly than most children the same age, in making speech sounds, in using words, or both.

Speech therapyTreatment from a speech-language pathologist to help a child with speech sounds, understanding and using language, social communication or swallowing.

Speech-language pathologistA professional, often called an SLP or speech therapist, who assesses and treats problems with speech, language, social communication and swallowing.

Spend save give jarsA way of teaching kids about money by splitting each allowance or gift into three jars: one to spend, one to save and one to give away.

Spirited childParent educator Mary Sheedy Kurcinka's term for a child who is more intense, sensitive, perceptive, persistent and energetic than most. It isn't a diagnosis.

Sponge replacementSwapping a kitchen sponge for a new one on a schedule, which Cleveland Clinic puts at least every other week, or sooner if it looks or smells off.

Spousal IRAAn IRA for a married person with little or no pay of their own, funded on a joint return using the working spouse's income.

Sprint backlogIn Scrum, the Sprint Goal, the Product Backlog items chosen for the Sprint and the Developers' plan for delivering them, kept visible and updated daily.

Sprint goalThe single objective a Scrum Team sets for one Sprint, agreed at Sprint Planning, which gives the team a shared focus while leaving room in the exact work.

Sprint planningThe Scrum event that starts each Sprint, where the whole Scrum Team agrees why the Sprint is valuable, what can be done in it and how the work will get done.

Sprint retrospectiveThe last Scrum event of each Sprint, where the Scrum Team looks at how it worked and picks the changes most likely to make it more effective.

Squeaky door hingeA door hinge that creaks or squeals as the door swings. The usual fix is to take out the hinge pin, clean it, lubricate it and put it back.

Squeaky floorA floor that creaks underfoot, often where the subfloor has pulled away from a joist. Most squeaks can be quieted by fastening the floor down.

Standard deductionA fixed dollar amount the IRS lets you subtract from income before tax, set by filing status and adjusted yearly; for 2026 it's $16,100 single and $32,200 joint.

Standard operating procedureA written, step-by-step set of instructions for a routine task, so it's done the same way every time, whoever does it.

Standardized testingTests given and scored the same way for every student; in U.S. public schools, mainly the yearly state tests in reading, math and science that ESSA requires.

Standards-based gradingA way of grading that reports how well a student has met each learning standard, usually on a short scale of levels, instead of one averaged letter grade per subject.

State of the union meetingA weekly check-in, about an hour long, where a couple trades appreciations, notes what went well, then talks through one issue with understanding before solutions.

Statement balanceWhat you owed on a credit card when the billing cycle closed, as printed on that month's statement.

Statement dateThe day a credit card's billing cycle closes and the statement balance is set; the due date comes afterward.

Statute of limitations on debtThe state-set time limit for a creditor or collector to sue you over an unpaid debt; after it passes, the debt is called time-barred.

Stay-at-home parentA parent who stays home to care for the children and run the household instead of working for pay outside the home.

Stay-at-home parent salaryA way of pricing a stay-at-home parent's unpaid work by what it would cost to pay others for the same hours; no official source sets one figure.

Sticker chartA chart where a young child earns a sticker right after each target behavior, with stickers adding up to small and larger rewards.

StonewallingShutting down during an argument by going silent, looking away and no longer responding, one of the Gottman Institute's four patterns that harm couples.

Store credit cardA credit card offered by a retailer, either usable only at that store or co-branded with a card network, often with store discounts and a higher APR.

Storm shuttersCovers fixed over windows and glass doors before a storm so wind pressure and flying debris can't break the glass and let wind and rain inside.

Story pointsA unit agile teams use to estimate the relative effort of a piece of work, weighing its size, complexity and uncertainty rather than hours.

Stovetop cleaningKeeping a cooktop free of spills and burned-on food, with a quick clean after each use and a deeper clean with a cooktop cleaner every few weeks.

Stranger anxietyA baby's wariness or fear around people they don't know, often showing up at about 8 to 9 months. CDC lists it as a 9-month milestone.

Stranger dangerThe old rule telling children to fear and avoid all strangers. NCMEC now teaches kids to spot risky situations, since most abducted children are taken by someone they know.

Structured procrastinationJohn Perry's method for procrastinators: keep a list with a big task on top, and get plenty done by doing the worthwhile tasks below it instead.

Student loanMoney borrowed to pay for college or career school, repaid with interest after you leave school; it comes from the federal government or a private lender.

Student-led conferenceA parent conference that the student runs, walking the family through their own work, progress and goals while the teacher supports.

Subscription auditGoing through every recurring charge you pay, adding up what each costs a year, and canceling the ones you no longer use.

Summative assessmentA test or project at the end of a unit, course or school year that measures what a student learned against the standards that were taught.

Summer bucket listA family's list of things to do together over the summer break, written at the start and ticked off as the weeks go by.

Summer camp costWhat families pay for day or overnight summer camp; in a 2022 American Camp Association survey, most day camps charged $1 to $100 a day.

Summer scheduleA family's plan for the school break: steady wake and bed times, blocks for camp, play and chores, and a slow shift back before school starts.

Sump pumpA pump set in a pit in a basement floor that switches on as groundwater collects there and sends it through a pipe away from the house.

Sun safetyThe habits that protect skin and eyes from the sun's UV rays: shade, covering clothes, a hat, sunglasses and broad spectrum sunscreen reapplied often.

Sunday resetAn informal name for a weekly routine, usually on Sunday, of tidying, laundry, food prep and planning so the household starts the week caught up.

Sunk costMoney, time or effort already spent that can't be recovered whatever you decide next. Letting it steer the next decision is the sunk cost fallacy.

Swedish death cleaningDöstädning, the Swedish practice of clearing out unneeded belongings over time so the people you leave behind don't have to sort them.