Jolanta's Au Pair in America Blog

Martin Luther King Day is a federal holiday held on the third Monday of January. It celebrates the life and achievements of Martin Luther King Jr., an influential American civil rights leader. He was a leader in the movement to end racial segregation in the United States. His most famous address was the “I Have A Dream” speech. He was an advocate of non-violent protest and became the youngest man to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He was assassinated in 1968.  Shortly after he died, a campaign was started for his birthday to become a holiday to honor him. Following support from the musician Stevie Wonder with his single “Happy Birthday” and a petition with six million signatures, the bill became law in 1983. Martin Luther King Day was first observed in 1986, although it was not observed in all states until the year 2000.

Martin Luther King Day is seen as a day to promote equal rights for all Americans, regardless of their background. Some educational establishments mark the day by teaching their pupils or students about the work of Martin Luther King and the struggle against racial segregation and racism. In recent years, federal legislation has encouraged Americans to give some of their time on this day as volunteers in citizen action groups.

Here are some fun activities to do with children on this holiday:

http://www.primarygames.com/holidays/mlk/games.htm

Much LOVE and happiness may be found in the New Orleans Museum of Art’s wonderful Sculpture Garden…

…but sometimes most fun can be had while sitting on the grass in a circle of friends.

To get a taste of New Orleans’ food au pairs visited New Orleans Hamburger and Seafood on St. Charles Avenue.

The restaurant advertises their “new inspired menu with signature creations like the Charbroiled Oysters, Seafood Gumbo and the Shrimpzilla® Poboy” but hamburgers ruled the day. Free frozen yogurt was a very welcome finish to a yummy lunch which was followed by a long walk under the oaks.

Dear host families,

Many of our new au pairs have joined the cluster recently. They’ve absorbed much information during the four days of orientation in Stamford and equally much upon arrival at your home.
To help them perform their duties in the most efficient manner, it may be helpful to review instructions more than once, especially those related to school, such as:

• preparing healthy breakfast and lunch
• cleaning and storing lunchboxes
• taking care of children’s uniforms
• dealing with homework
• storing artwork & school projects
• keeping schedules updated, etc.

For au pairs who drive children to and from school it is very important to know:

• school rules for dropping off & picking up children
• how to line up in a car queue
• to observe 20mph speed limit in school zones
• how to approach yellow school bus (no passing when the bus shows stop sign)
• NEVER to leave a child alone in a car when picking up a sibling
• ALWAYS to hold a young child’s hand in the parking lot
• making sure children are securely buckled
• how to deal with children bickering in the car (have books, toys on hand?)
• how to make sure children disembark safely

Hope everybody has a happy and safe new school year,

Jolanta

Au pairs took a tour of Manchac swamp with Cajun Pride Swamp Tours in the heat of August when alligators are very active.  They saw scores of them follow the boat, but it was the huge garfish that splashed everybody while jumping ferociously in pursuit of bait. Raccoons watched the spectacle from the shore, careful not to come within predator’s reach.

As usual, baby gator was everybody’s favorite.

Svenja and Jacqueline did a wonderful job at Step into School at the Louisiana Children’s Museum on August 4, 2012. They also had a lot of fun making school cones with the kids.

Here’s Svenja’s note about the event:

The fair was a really great event and we had a great spot, right in the middle, in front of the food corner. Everyone passes that spot eventually so right from the beginning Jacqueline and I were pretty busy. Most of the people thought the school cones would be used as hats! So it was fun to explain to everyone our German tradition, the kids loved it! Of course everyone wants a school cone filled with treats!

I am always surprised how few people know about the Au Pair in America Program down here. We talked to a lot of moms, and a few dads, who were really interested in the program though and I hope that some of them really look into it!
Thankfully Tracey, from the LCM, had prepared some extra paper and everything, because we had a loooot of cones to make! Tracey was very helpful and left us with no questions unanswered.

All in all we had a really fun day. We were tired, happy and covered in glitter!
Svenja

• Set limits for me. I know quite well that I ought not to have all I ask for.  I am only testing you
• Be firm with me. I prefer it. It lets me know where I stand
• Lead me rather than force me. If you force me, it teaches me that power is all that counts. I will
  respond more readily to being led.
• Be consistent. Inconsistency confuses me and makes me try harder to get away with everything I
  can.
• Make promises that you will be able to keep. That will encourage my trust in you
• Remember that I am being provocative when I say and do things just to upset you. If you fall for my
  provocations, I’ll try for more such victories.
• Keep calm when I say “I hate you.” I don’t mean it, I just want you to feel sorry for what you have
  done to me.
• Help me feel big rather than small. I will make up for feeling small by behaving like a “big shot.”
• Let me do the things that I can do for myself.  If you do them for me, it makes me feel like a baby,
  and I may continue to put you in my service.
• Correct me in private. I’ll take much more notice if you talk quietly with me in private rather than with
  other people present.
• Discuss any behavior when the conflict has subsided. In the heat of conflict for some reason my
  hearing is not very good and my cooperation is even worse. It is all right for you to take the action
  required, but let’s not talk about it until later.
• Talk with me rather than preach to me. You’d be surprised how well I know what’s right and wrong.
• Help me feel that my mistakes are not bad. I have to learn to make mistakes without feeling that I
  am no good.

On Saturday, July 7, 2012 au pairs participated in Baby and Child Expo organized by La Leche League of Jefferson. Grouped around the Au Pair in America display in the center court of Lakeview Mall in Metairie, au pairs were happy to chat with visiting families. They talked about Au Pair in America program, different options of care, program rules, cost, and the wonderful experience of sharing the culture of their respective countries with host families.

Summer can be a load of fun for au pairs and their host kids provided some thinking and planning is done ahead of time.  Bored children are not good companions, so au pairs need to BE PREPARED.
It’s not wise to try and wing it. A much better way is to have a list of possible activities ready for each week.
When deciding on an activity, au pairs need to offer their host kids options but not so many that the kids get confused or overly picky. With young children “either – or” is often the best way to go.
Once the decision is made, everybody can go for it & have FUN!

Put the music on!

And dance. Let the kids pick their own tunes and make their own moves. If host mom or dad decide to join as guest stars that’s all for the better.

Jump!

Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack jump over the candlestick, or a line, a branch, with a jumping rope, on one leg or two, to a tune, to count a hundred jumping jacks… the possibilities are endless.

Have a ball with the ball

Kicking, throwing, passing along, catching, rolling, chasing, bouncing, balancing on the top of the head or the tip of the foot… all the wonderful things you can do with a ball will amuse your host kids for hours on end.

Read aloud with the kids

If your kids are old enough to be able to read, find a book with a lot of dialogue and read it together dividing the roles.  Make sure to read like pros with voice modulations, shouts and whispers when appropriate, hushed silences and stern commands. Encourage your kids to get into it and improvise if they wish.

Yoga with kids

It’s okay if you can’t put your legs around your neck, just trying, together with your kids, will provide enough fun and laughter. Then you can switch to dog, cat, snake and crocodile poses and you’ll all feel like in a zoo.

Sticks and stones

Gathering and using sticks, stones, cones, seeds, shells and other natural objects to create sculptures and collages will provide hours of imaginative play.

Be crafty

Most children enjoy doing crafts and are proud of their creations. You can work with simple and inexpensive household items (yarn, old buttons, a piece of string) and with craft store materials. Make sure that the level of skill required to complete the project is appropriate for the age of your host kids.

Get under the table

The best ever idea for a rainy day is making a tent out of a blanket, a table and a couple of chairs. Sharing stories, writing notes, or playing games is so much fun under the cozy cover.

Dressing-up

Dressing up, putting on make-up and strutting around in the special getup is a perennial favorite of all children. Encouraging & helping older kids to create their own costumes will fire their imagination and produce amazing results

Cooking up a storm

Making a pudding, fixing Jell-O, peeling hard-boiled eggs, rolling out dough, decorating cupcakes will create a bit of mess in the kitchen, but the yummy results are so worth it! Just make sure the kids stay away from hot oven and sharp utensils.

Adventure Quest was abuzz with activity and au pairs enjoyed watching tikes scramble into bumper cars, but for themselves they chose a more sedate activity at their favorite establishment – Starbucks.