So many new people to welcome and so many great au pairs returning home to their countries!

It is so exciting to meet all the new au pairs arriving this summer.  August is a month filled with arrivals, but along with the arrivals are so many departures.  Before we move on to our new friends we bid farewell to many people we have grown to love.  Many of the au pairs who have been in the USA for 2 whole years, others for a year, but each of you will face some real challenges when you go home.

At first you will be greeted with welcome home parties with lots of your friends and family gathering to see you again.  The excitement will wear off and everyone will go back to their regular routines and expect you to do the same.  But you are different now!  You are experiencing some reverse culture shock!  You remember how it was in America, you might miss your independence, your favorite restaurant or store, your friends and your host family.  Just like when you came to America, you are feeling a bit homesick.  That will pass and your experiences will enrich your life, you will move on to the next challenges in your life.  You have grown a lot and soon you will be happily living your new life. 

As your Community Counselor, I will miss you and hope you stay in touch.  Facebook and emails are wonderful ways to stay connected.  I look forward to seeing all the great things in your future.  Stay on Cindy Garruba’s Au Pairs Facebook page!

Welcome to the Newly Arrived Au Pairs

Please call and email the new au pairs when they arrive.  You will get emails from me with their phone number and email address when they arrive from Orientation to their host family.  Remember how much you wanted to make friends when you first arrived and please welcome everyone!

Tips for Staying Cool This Summer

•  Be aware of the heat. Pay attention to it and modify your activities appropriately.
•  Pay attention to your hydration status and be sure to drink plenty of fluids.
•  Try to stay in relatively cool areas, even when outside. Many public places, such as libraries, shopping malls and movie theatres, are air conditioned.
• Avoid hot, enclosed places, such as cars. Never leave children unattended in a car!
•  Use a fan, if available.
•  Stay on the lowest floor of your building.
• Eat well-balanced, light and regular meals.
• Wear loose-fitting, lightweight and light-colored clothing.
• Cover windows that receive a significant amount of sun with drapes or shades to help keep your house cool.
• Cool beverages are good for cooling down the body, while alcoholic drinks can impair the body’s ability to regulate its temperature.

Signs of Heat Overexposure

• Heavy sweating — though if heat stroke sets in, the body can no longer compensate and stops sweating.
• Pale skin.
• Muscle cramps.
• Feeling tired and weak.
• Altered mental status (confusion or disorientation).
• Headache.
• Becoming semi-conscious or passing out.
• Nausea or vomiting.

Steps to Take After Recognizing Heat-Induced Illness

• Call 911.
• Get the person out of the sun and into a cool area. An air-conditioned area is ideal, but moving someone into the shade will also help.
• Apply water to help the person cool off.
•  Apply ice to the neck or armpits, where large blood vessels are close to the surface.
• Remove any heavy clothing.
• Immerse the body in cool water, either at a swimming pool or in a bathtub.

Don’t forget the pets, keep them cool and hydrated too!

This weekend the Long Island Au Pairs from Au Pair in America enjoyed Mary Poppins on Broadway!

The Au Pairs loved the show!  “Mary Poppins was truly magical” said Bruna from Brazil.

The show was perfect for the au pairs who are here in the USA living with host families and providing up to 45 hours of weekly childcare.  They understand the challenges faced by Mary Poppins and would have loved some of her tricks.  Of course they spend their days entertaining their host children, driving them to activities, keeping the safe and happy.

In this picture are Ortal from Isreal and Liza from Colombia.

 This is Patricia from Brazil, an Au Pair spending a second year in America.  Au Pairs can extend their time up to 2 full years in the USA.

Our next cluster activity will take the Au Pairs to a Long Island Ducks Baseball game in August.  A chance to experience a truly American sport!

It is not too late to have an Au Pair in your home for September to provide childcare for your family and have a chance to teach your children about cultural exchange. 

Check out www.aupairinamerica.com

Dehydration: The little ones, especially, forget to drink or to tell you that they need to drink. If you find the children not looking well and/or getting cranky toward the afternoon, it might be because they’re tired, or it might be because they’re dehydrated. Remember: By the time a person feels thirsty, he’s already partly dehydrated, so drink to prevent thirst, not to quench it. Common symptoms of dehydration are crankiness, headaches, aches in the joints and weariness. And don’t allow your child to fill up on juice or soft drinks; these are dehydrators. Water or child-appropriate hydrating drinks are best.

 However, if you or your child has severe dehydration (dry mouth, sunken eyes, reluctant to drink, unable to pee or cry, high fever, lethargy), call for emergency help and have your child sip an electrolyte-replacement fluid (such as Pedialyte).

 Hot Cars: Don’t EVER leave children alone in the car — not even for a moment. Besides the danger of abduction, the temperature in a car can skyrocket in minutes. And, if you see an unattended young child in a vehicle, please call 911, the police or other emergency personnel. Your call could save the child’s life.

 Drowning: Always actively supervise children in and around water.  Infants and children can drown in bathtubs, swimming pools, ponds or almost any other water. Toddlers aren’t strong enough to lift themselves back out of a toilet, bucket, container or wading pool.

 Sun Protection: Children’s skin and eyes are more sensitive to ultraviolet rays. Babies should be protected from direct sun entirely. Toddlers, preschoolers and older children should be covered well in sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher) at least one half hour before going out in the sun. Sunscreen should be reapplied every hour or so, and it should be reapplied after the child has been in water. Don’t forget ears, hands, feet, lips and under the eyes. Also, make sure your child wears a hat and sunglasses when out in the sun for any length of time.

Here are some go to activities to do with your host kids this summer:

1. Go to the library once a week.  Sign up for story time, take out books, see if there are reading clubs for the kids.  Most local libraries offer reading contests, stickers, activities to keep the kids reading all summer. 
2. Set up a camp in the back yard with tents (homemade or the one the host family might have).  Have naptime in the tent, tell camp stories, explore the backyard!
3. Check out the town’s recreation programs, see if your kids can sign up for something they might want to try, tennis, swim lessons, dance class and more.
4. Go to the park and play!  Meet the other au pairs and host kids and enjoy, bring a picnic.
5. Volunteer at VBS (Vacation Bible School) and bring your host kids.  CHECK WITH YOUR HOST PARENTS FIRST!  Most of them are free, need volunteers and are only for a week!
6. Go to Home Depot or Lowe’s and see if they are having any free children’s clinics this summer!  You and your host kids can learn to make something like a bird feeder!
7. On a hot day, take a walk through the mall, bring lunch to eat at the tables in the food court and buy ice cream or Italian ice for the kids.
8. Have a movie at home day, pop a children’s movie in DVD player, make popcorn, and just enjoy.
9. Go to the beach, check out my safety tips for sunscreen & water safety. http://blogs.aupairinamerica.com/lie/2011/06/12/summer-water-safety-meeting-for-au-pairs/
10. Make lemonade and set a table up on the front lawn, have your host kids sell lemonade to their friends and neighbors and then use the money to go to the movies or buy a treat.