Thanksgiving is a holiday all Americans celebrate and the Au Pairs enjoy the holiday with their host families.  The Suffolk County Cluster of Au Pair in America took the time to express what they are grateful for this Thanksgiving.

Host families said:

This year I am grateful for my au pair because she always greets our family with a smile in the morning and loves my boys very much! We are so happy to have her as a part of our family!

Our au pair adds to our family’s understanding of other cultures and loves our son as we do.

Our au pair is wonderful because she really seriously strives to do her utmost best and right by the children.

I am grateful to my au pair because she is patience with our family and does so much to help us when life is stressful.  She is very appreciated! 

This year I am grateful to my au pair because….She is a wonderful person and is working with our children very nicely, the children enjoy her living with us…If you ask the children why they are grateful, they replied SHE’S…… AWESOME, AMAZING AND GREAT!!!! WE LOVE HER!!

 I’m thankful for our au pair because she took good care of my son when he was sick. She also is reliable and flexible with our crazy schedules!

We are grateful to our au pair for all the work that she has done teaching our kids to love learning and also be very smart. It is a pleasure to be around her because of her positive outlook and superior intelligence. She is always willing to learn new things and additionally has taught us a lot about her country.

This year I am grateful for our au pair because she gives me peace of mind. I know that when I am not at home, that she will be there making sound decisions and that my children are in good hands. I am blessed.  

This year, we are grateful to our au pair because she is making the most of her time in the USA by getting out and experiencing as much as she can with our family and on her own.

I am grateful to my au pair because she is so caring and helpful. It is because of her I can go to work each day without worrying.

This year, we are grateful to our au pair because our au pair is a very positive, strong, and caring person.  She is patient and determined to learn how to meet our children’s needs.    We are enjoying this beginning time of getting to know one another and sharing our cultures with one another. 

Au Pairs said I am thankful for:

To my host family making me feel like a part of the family.  Thanks for helping my homework JESL.  I’m glad that we always enjoy food together and you like my food.  Thanks for understanding me

That I come here, come to my new, great host family, they are a wonderful family and I think I will spend here very good year.  And I am thankful for my family that they support me in everything.

A lot of things this year! First, I am thankful for finally having a very, very nice family!  Second, I am thankful for being able to make so many wonderful experiences and therefore the chance to enjoy life. (especially during the weekends).  Third, I am thankful for you, Cindy!  Simply because I know whenever I need help or have a problem, you will be there. J And I really mean it, from experice when I say this is priceless for me!

Have this great experience out of my country, also to know that awesome American culture and finally I am thankful to have nice people around me.

Being an au pair for my host family.  I appreciate what they’ve done for me.  They’re nice, caring and treating me like a member of the family.  I am more than happy to be here with them forever! J

To find a wonderful new family in rematch.  I am very happy with my girls, sometimes it is hard, but if they say I love you, than I am grateful.  I am thankful for my parents at home because them helped me the very hard beginning. I love them so much!

Getting the chance to stay at a great host family and be part of their family.  I’m also thankful for the things that I’ll learn this year.

The support and love from my family at home.  They are always proud of me.  And I’m thankful that I have the chance to live one year in a wonderful and loving family here in America.

A host family that takes good care me, thank you for a wonderful birthday dinner.  I am very happy to be a part of your family even if it is not long time but it is a very great time.  Thank you for a nice room and to try to take out many places.  Thank you for the nice trip next week.  Your children are very good and also make me happy even if sometimes they do no listen to me.  They are a good boy and girl and I will miss them very much.

Having a wonderful family at home in Germany and that I found a great host family in the United States.  I am also thankful for my health and my friends and the opportunity to get to know so many new people here.

The great time I’m having in the US, for the amazing host family that I match and the memories of these 2 years that will be forever in my mind and heart.

The three beautiful and loving children I get the pleasure of spending time with.  My most amazing host mom, or more like the older sister I never had.  My hilarious host Dad for teaching me to relax and not take life too seriously.  All of the animals, the 8 chickens, Penny and our newest member Coco.  And all the animal visitiors J (Duke).  How blessed I fell this Thanksgiving with my supportive friends and family J

My great host family.  They share their family, culture and even emotions with me, which makes me feel like part of the family.  I’m glad to be here one year and now nine more months.  And I enjoy and love the time with the little girls, especially getting good-night kisses!

This trip and all the amazing things and people that I have met.  Especially, I want to thank my good friend Tatiana for being with me during my stay here, for supporting me, teaching me about the subway lines, showing me NYC and showing me how to be independent and strong.  Thank you Tati for helping me to handle this project.  (Tatiana is another au pair in the cluster)

All that my host family provides me, for the opportunity of being here learning, teaching and enjoying every day.

Have a great host children, they are the best boys.  I am happy too for this year that I learn a lot about life and met people from other cultures and learn.  For my family at home.  I am just thankful for all the things that I have and people who are close to me.

Finally having the possibility to be an Au Pair in America.  I am also thankful for finding such a nice host family.  I’m happy that my family and friends support me.

All the nice and loving people I met here in America.  For the beautiful places I’ve seen here and the experiences I’ve made which helped me grow as and individual.

That I could be an Au Pair in America and that my family and friends from Germany support me and are there for me even though there is the “big ocean” between us.

Including me in the family and giving me the opportunity to live with them a whole year!

Sunday, November 13 the Suffolk Cluster of Au Pair in America began preparing for the upcoming holiday season in the USA. 

Senior Community Counselor, Cindy Garruba began the meeting by discussing what holidays are celebrated in the USA.  She explained why we celebrate Thanksgiving and how important the holiday is for all Americans.  She then continued the discussion with conversations on the holidays their families may be celebrating, Hanakkuh, Christmas and New Year’s.  There was a discussion on childcare during this happy, but very hectic season. 

The au pairs divided into small groups to discuss childcare challenges by age group.  Then they came together to discuss the best ways to deal with these challenges.  Cindy emphasized using each other as resources for how to deal with situations.   Holiday childcare can bring on tired, over excited behaviors and it is important to minimize stress during this season with their host children.

We also discussed being homesick at this time of year, best ways to deal with missing family and friends.  Cindy encouraged the au pairs to bring some of their holiday traditions into their host families celebrations.  Then the au pairs decorated ornaments to be hung on a Au Pair in America Holiday Tree in Stony Brook Village Promenade of Trees.  The meeting concluded with pumpkin pie and apple cider.  The au pairs enjoyed the Thanksgiving dessert and spending time with each other.

ODE TO CHELSEA

The new au pair had just arrived.
The following day, I went outside.
And on the backyard deck, I saw something was amiss.
All our crocs were lined up neatly…
    Who had done this?
The kids? No way! The hubby? Couldn’t be.
Oh My God!!! It must be Chelsea!
I confronted her about it.
She said she tidies all the time.
She asked if that was ok..(chuckle)
Oh honey, we’re gonna get along just fine!!!!
2 rules for the children. No sugar no tv.
And what did she say? “Works great for me!”
She is caring, sweet and truly kind.
That family in NYC missed out! This girl is a find!
So vivacious and full of life, the kids adore her!
So neat and clean, germs and dirt abhor her!
A modern day Mary Poppins, singing while she works.
Performing for the children, dance parties to Firework.
Every morning she greets us with her beautiful smile.
Going with the flow and always going that extra mile.
Ballet carpools, making lunch, Bodhi’s cloth diapers full of poop.
She goes above and beyond daily. Walking the puppy and closing the coop!
Every task she undertakes, she performs with care.
And if my clothes are in the dryer, she’ll even fold my underwear.
In this crazy fast paced world with our crazy schedules and busy life.
She is better than the best au pair…. She is like having my own wife!
Chelsea- for the beautiful spirit that you are and for all that you do.
November is also the month of gratitude- and I’m so grateful for you.

Love,
Kari

If you’re a fan of sleep you’re probably a fan of November 6, that’s the day when most of us get to set our clocks back one hour at 2:00am and revel in the end of daylight savings time 2011 which brings with it an extra hour of sleep.

Daylight savings time was originally enacted to cut down on energy consumption during World War I and World War II, it was believed that tacking an extra hour of daylight to the end of the day would lead to less overall electricity use at night and while the practice worked for a short period of time it eventually led to studies that both supported and debunked the theory all together, leaving many people to wonder why the practice is used at all in today’s modern age.

In the meantime daylight savings time leaves some people coming into work an hour before normal and kids arriving at school before the doors have even been unlocked.

So remember before you go to bed on November 6 to set your clocks back one hour if they don’t it automatically for you!