It is never too early to start reading to children.  Children of all ages enjoy having stories read to them.  Reading, cuddling up on a couch or reading before a child takes a nap or goes to sleep at night, is comforting for the child.  This special time together builds a bond, take the time to read to the children in your life.

• Read slowly, this gives children time to think about what you are reading.
• Change your voice for different characters, or read in a softer voice from some characters, louder for others.   A sing song voice is fun for young children.
• Share a picture book with a child and have them tell you a story from the pictures!
• Read every day!
• Children have favorites, so don’t worry if they want the same story every day, but add a few others so they can develop new favorites.
• Talk about the story, ask the children what was their favorite part.  Let them share the story back to you or their parents!
• Do arts and crafts about the story.  Have them draw you a picture about the story.
• If the children are old enough to read themselves, have them read you a story.  Alternate, you read, they read.  This will encourage them to read more!
• Have fun, read stories about subjects you and the children enjoy!
• Turn off the TV and computer and read!

Ghouls and goblins will take over the night. But even scary creatures need to be safe and celebrate Halloween right. Halloween’s greatest hazards aren’t vampires and villains, but falls, costume mishaps and automobile collisions. The Red Cross wantsyour family to have a safe Halloween so we’re providing these tips,

the Lucky 13:

1. Map out the route that you plan to roam, so adults are assured you will find your way home!
2. From the bravest of superheroes to the noblest of knights, everyone should remember to bring their flashlights!
3. If you visit a house where a stranger resides, accept treats at the door and, please, don’t go inside.
4. When you get ready to put on your disguise, use face paint instead of masks, which will cover your eyes.
5. Always remember, before you embark, to wear light-colored clothing  to be seen in the dark! (And remember to use reflective tape, even on bikes, and brooms and the edges of your cape!)
6. Whether you walk, slither or sneak, do it on the sidewalks and not in the street.
7. As you roam through the neighborhood collecting your treats, please look both ways before crossing the street! (And speaking of streets, the corners are the place for trick or treaters to cross no matter their pace.)
8. Wigs, capes and costumes are flammable attire, so avoid open flames to prevent a fire!
9. Use a glow stick instead of a candle so your jack-o-lantern isn’t a  safety gamble!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
10. You may fly on a broom or a space ship from Mars, but please be on the lookout for drivers in cars! (Between parked cars is no  to hide, be sure that you’re seen whether you’re a clown or a bride.)
11. Monsters and zombies should stay off the lawn, and only visit homes with their porch lights turned on!
12. You may be dressed as a werewolf, a cat or a frog, but be cautious around strange animals, especially dogs.
13. For additional information on how you and your family can be prepared for emergencies on Halloween or on any day of the year, please visit www.RedCross.org

The Suffolk County cluster of Au Pair in America meeting in September was filled with au pairs and with important information.  Cindy Garruba, Senior Community Counselor advised all host families to make sure their au pair attended this important meeting.

All summer long Au Pairs were arriving in Suffolk County.  Some of them came to families whose former au pair had completed her time as an au pair and was heading home to her own country.  Some were coming to new host families!  Along with au pairs who have been in the country several months, the new au pairs gathered at Cindy Garruba’s home.  They had lessons on safe driving led by Cindy, always a high priority for all au pairs.  Cindy also taught the au pairs about managing the needs of their host children going back to school; things like handling the stressful morning on school days, safe trips to the bus stop, communicating with school through the back pack, and advice from teachers.

Along with the valuable lessons learned, the au pairs also had a chance to talk about themselves.  They each told the group their name, their country, when they arrived in the USA, where their host family lives in Suffolk County, how many and the ages of their host children.  The group includes au pairs from Europe, Asia and South America.  Everyone made new friends!

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.

March 8 Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras, French for “Fat Tuesday” marks the end of Carnival and the beginning of the Christian fasting of Lent.  The biggest Mardi Gras celebration in the US is in New Orleans, Louisiana.  Rio de Janeiro in Brazil also has a huge celebration.  Find a Brazilian au pair in your cluster and ask her to tell you all about it.

Make Mardi Gras Pasta Necklaces

Coloring pasta is easy to do and gives kids something bright and beautiful to work with. Once the pasta is colored and dried, necklaces can be made by stringing on yarn.

Supplies for Colored Pasta:

• Dried Pasta – any pasta works, but for stringing you will need tubed pasta. I used macaroni, penne, and wheels.
• Food coloring
• Rubbing alcohol
• Plastic baggies
• Paper towels
• String or Yarn

Place your dried pasta in a zip plastic baggie. Pour in 3-4 drops of your food coloring. Pour in 1 Tablespoon of Rubbing Alcohol. Now seal the bag and shake it all together. Make sure each piece of dried pasta gets coated.

Pour your colored pasta out on paper towel lined trays. Food coloring can stain, so be careful. You’ll want it completely dry before you start to work with it again, as you don’t want any color to drip. I put mine out in the sun to dry faster.

Get out your string or yarn and cut the length of a necklace for your child. Then tie a knot at one end, big enough that the pasta will stay there. I like to tie pasta in my knotted end so the others won’t fall off. I also like to put a little tape around the top of the string so it won’t fray as you string. 

Have your child string on pasta, all sizes and shapes. You can introduce patterns or do counting with your child.  Once they’ve hit the end of their string, tie the two sides together for a necklace around your child’s neck.

Make Mardi Gras Paper Plate Masks 

Supplies for Masks:

• Paper plates
• Color construction paperPlastic baggies
• Markers and/or crayons
• Glue
• Stickers
• Glitter
• Craft feathers
• Hole punch
• String

Cut a paper plate in half (you can make two masks per plate this way).

Cut eye holes in the half plate.

Shape the mask by cutting around the edges–scallops, points, curves or whatever suits you. Be sure to cut a curved groove between and beneath the two eye holes for the nose.

Place a line of white glue around the eye holes and along the edges of the mask. If you want, you can also create swirls or other patterns with glue on the mask.

Sprinkle glitter on top of the glue while it is still wet. Allow the glue to dry.

Decorate the mask as you see fit once the glue is dry. Use markers to color the white paper plate; glue feathers, beads or cut-out construction paper shapes to the mask; or add anything else that might make the mask colorful and festive.

Punch one small hole on each side of the mask and tie a string into the holes.

This was in the Sunday Parade Section of the newspaper.  What a great idea!

We may not want to pay taxes: those of us born in the USA, or those who live in the USA for a short time.  But if you earn money in the USA, then you owe your fair share.  At the Suffolk County Au Pair in America February Cluster Meeting the information on how and when to pay taxes was reviewed by Senior Community Counselor, Cindy Garruba.  “I am not an accountant, but I need to give the information to all of you,” Cindy stated.  “It is important to review the information available on www.aupairinamerica.com and file appropriately.” 

A link to the information is available under the Link “Life in the USA” on this blog.

 The meeting included egg rolls and fortune cookies to celebrate the Chinese New Year.  Cindy discussed why we celebrate President’s Day in the USA and that the host children would be off of school for a week in February.   Several au pairs mentioned they were tired of the long winter, and Cindy gave them a handout with some activities to do with the children on winter days. 

It was Super Bowl Sunday and Cindy explained how most Americans wil watch the Super Bowl, making it the most viewed show of the year.  Many people watch with friends and family, even if just for the commercials and half time.  Everyone received a Valentine goodie bag, too!

ABC’s of Winter Fun

A is for Art – try drawing, painting or gluing
B is for Baking – bake a dessert together for dinner
C is for Clay – Use non-hardening clay or play dough to shape and mold
D is for Dance – put on a lively tape
E is for Exercise – be sure to get some everyday
F is for Friends – invite some over
G is for Greenhouse – find a local greenhouse to visit to enjoy the sights and smells
H is for House – make a playhouse from a large appliance box
I is for Ice skating – take the children to a local rink
J is for Jigsaw puzzle – be sure to pick one that isn’t too difficult
K is for Kitchen science – try a safe experiment

L is for Library – borrow some new books
M is for Movie – make one with a video camera, or watch one
N is for Necklace – make one out of cereal or macaroni
O is for Origami – learn to make simple paper creations
P is for Puppets – socks make easy and fun puppets – put on a show!
Q is for Quiet Time – everyone needs some of this
R is for Reading aloud – choose a good book and a comfortable place to sit
S is for Seeds and Suet – put out food for the birds and watch them eat
T is for Tent – make one from old blankets and chairs
U is for Unplugged – do a day with no TV
V is for Variety – try something new everyday
W is for Walk – take one in any weather (be sure to dress appropriately)
X is for Xylophone – make your own with glasses, water and a metal spoon
Y is for Year – make a calendar or scrapbook to remember the year
Z is for Zoo – play zoo, pretend to be animals in the zoo, what noises do they make?

APIA Suffolk Au Pairs meeting in September was standing room only!!  Cindy Garruba, Senior Community Counselor, led the au pairs discussion of getting the children they care for back into routine for the school year.  The discussion including communication between the school and home through the backpack.  The backpack is the way notices, homework, classwork, and anything the student needs goes to and from school.  Also discussed was minimizing morning madness on school days.  We also discussed the healthy way to sneeze and cough to avoid spreading germs, not in the hand, but in the sleeve!!

After the discussion, we discussed lots of upcoming fall activities including the Annual NYC Scavenger Hunt for NY APIA Au Pairs.  Dessert, conversation, and a chance to meet the newest au pairs were a highlight of this fun and informative meeting.

With shorter days and colder weather, you and the children are probably spending more time inside the house. Please be sure that the house is “childproof” with these simple tips:

• Children are curious; many small children put everything into their mouths. Be sure no small objects are within the child’s reach.
• Plastic bags, long cords and very soft pillows can be dangerous to children.
• If a toy gets broken and has sharp edges, keep it away from children!
• Be sure that laundry soap and other cleaners are out of reach of the children.
• Don’t leave any medicines in reach of children, not even vitamins.
• Keep scissors and knives out of reach.
• Store the toys that belong to older children out of reach of babies and toddlers.
• Many cosmetic items and toiletries, such as mouthwash, perfume, nail polish, and hair spray, are poisonous. Keep them out of children’s reach.