After the decorations are put away; the celebrations are over; the New Year has begun; and the post-holiday winter blues are starting to hit you and your host family … what can you do to get through the long cold winter months (happily)?

1. Get outside every day with the kids, bundle up and play outside.  Go to the park, take a walk, ride bikes; we have been having an unusually warm winter, so enjoy it!  If it snows, build a snowman, go sledding, have fun outside!
2. Stay on routine with the kids; get up on time, have breakfast, get to the bus stop on time.  Make sure homework is done and everyone gets to their activities on time.  Bedtime routines are important, make s
   

   

   ure everyone gets enough sleep and that includes YOU!

3. Register for your classes, and get ready to start learning something new!
4. Call a friend and meet for coffee and conversation if you feel housebound.
5. Set up a play date with another au pair and her host children (similar ages) and enjoy a day together!
6. Join a gym with another au pair!
7. Use the library in your town.  Sign the kids up for free programs (talk to host parents about the programs!)  Join the English conversation group, improve your English and meet people!
8. Prepare a Global Awareness presentation for one of your host kids’ classes, ask me for help!
9. Volunteer at a local hospital, school, animal shelter, food bank if you have extra time on your hands and need to do something!  Doing for others is always an answer for the blues!!

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November 6 – Daylight Savings Time Ends-In most parts of the country you’ll get an extra hour of sleep - set your clock back one hour.

November 8 – Election Day for local elections in Westport

November 11 – Veteran’s Day
A day to honor American veterans of all wars, Veterans Day is a federal holiday.

November 24 Thanksgiving – Thanksgiving dates back to the first European settlers in North America. After hardship, illness and hard work the Pilgrims celebrated a successful harvest that they shared with their Native American friends. This national holiday is a day to feast and give thanks.

November 25- Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving and is the beginning of the traditional Christmas shopping season. Black Friday is not an official holiday, but many employees have the day off, which increases the number of potential shoppers. Merchants and the media use the term Black Friday to refer to the beginning of the period in which retailers are in the black i.e., turning a profit for the year.  Sales are everywhere–set your alarm and hit the stores before the sun comes up to get an authentic experience this unique day!

HALLOWEEN FUN AND SAFETY!

When walking in neighborhoods, children should

• Use flashlights, stay on sidewalks, and avoid crossing yards.
• Cross streets at the corner, use crosswalks (where they exist), and do not cross between parked cars.
• Stop at all corners and stay together in a group before crossing.
• Wear clothing that is bright, reflective, and flame retardant.
• Consider using face paint instead of masks. (Masks can obstruct a child’s vision.)
• Avoid wearing hats that will slide over their eyes.
• Avoid wearing long, baggy, or loose costumes or oversized shoes (to prevent tripping).
• Be reminded to look left, right, and left again before crossing the street.

Parents and adults should:

• Supervise the outing for children under age 12.
• Establish a curfew (a return time) for older children.
• Prepare homes for trick-or-treaters by clearing porches, lawns, and sidewalks and by placing jack-o-lanterns away from doorways and landings.
• Avoid giving choking hazards such as gum, peanuts, hard candies, or small toys as treats to young children.
• Inspect all candy for safety before children eat it.
• Parents and adults should ensure the safety of pedestrian trick-or-treaters
• Make sure children under age 10 are supervised as they cross the street.
• Drive slowly.
• Watch for children in the street and on medians.
• Exit driveways and alleyways carefully.
• Have children get out of cars on the curb side, not on the traffic side.

And a few tips about pumpkins:

• Carve pumpkins on stable, flat surfaces with good lighting.
• Have children draw a face on the outside of the pumpkin, then parents should do the cutting.
• Place lighted pumpkins away from curtains and other flammable objects, and do not leave lighted pumpkins unattended.

School Starts Now – Be Safe at the Bus Stop

1. Be on time to the bus stop so that you and your host kids get there safely
2. Walk and hold hands to the stop
3. Stand on the sidewalk or the the grass, not in the street
4. Wait until the bus comes to a complete stop before the children walk to the door
5. Let the bus driver open the door, do not push it, wait
6. Remind the children to sit on the bus and not stand, if there are seat belts, tell them to put them on.
7. Let the bus leave before you do, just in case there is a problem
8. Be at the afternoon return bus stop in plenty of time, before it comes
9. The driver is not allowed to let small children off the bus unless someone greets them, so if you are not there the children will be taken back to school.  BE THERE.
10. The bus driver will not leave until you are safely on your side of the street, so if you need to cross the street, do it in front of the bus!!

Over 300 Au Pairs, their Families and Friends attended the Phillies game last night at Citizen’s Bank Park.

“The usher wondered why so many of the girls he was speaking to had different accents,” remarked Susan Kalan, Local Community Counselor for Au Pair in America.

Au pairs from around the world enjoyed typical ballpark fare; lots of hot dogs, peanuts and popcorn were consumed.  The weather was picture perfect!

Decked out in Phillies Red or American Red, White & Blue, the girls cheered for the home team and had a great time, even though the Phillies lost.

AU PAIRS, HOST FAMILIES AND FRIENDS ENJOY AN EVENING OF BASEBALL

With Memorial Day just passed and Fourth of July coming up next month, I wanted to remind everyone about program rules on holidays and vacations.

Holidays

• Host families are NOT REQUIRED to give au pairs any specific holidays.
• Each host family will make different arrangements on holidays, some au pairs will be off and others will be required to work.
• Au pairs should NOT make plans for holidays without checking with your host family FIRST.

Vacation

• Au pair earns 2 weeks of paid vacation during the course of her year.
• The host family can pick a week and the au pair can pick a week, if an agreement is not reached.
• All vacation should be preplanned (at least 4 weeks in advance.)
• All au pair’s friends and/or family visits/vacations should be pre-approved prior to purchasing a ticket.
• If an au pair travels with their host family, it should be discussed UP FRONT whether this is the au pair’s vacation or if she is working.
• If an au pair travels with the host family to work, the host family is required to pay for her transportation, lodging and meals.

Important: An au pair MUST have her DS2019 signed PRIOR to her departure from the US. More info. about this can be found on the right side of this page under “Travel Links for Au Pairs.”

Au Pairs from Au Pair in America joined their Local Community Counselor, Susan Kalan for a volunteer activity at Cradles to Crayons in Conshocken, PA on Tuesday night.  “We didn’t realize how much fun it would be,” commented Oksana from Ukraine and Szabina from Hungary.

“It felt like we were shopping,” Susan Kalan says – We were given a list of items for a particular age group and sex.  We gathered the items from bins of gently-used or new clothing and accessories that had been donated.  We made sure every item was in good condition – taking care to coordinate colors; keeping in mind how much this small bag of essential items will mean to a child in need.

Michael Smith, Executive Director of C2C; explained to us that the bags went to children who were living in homeless shelters or who are victims of domestic violence; and living in shelters.  The bag of donated items from C2C represents the only personal items they would have for a while.

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Winter Driving Tips
You are likely to find ice and snow on the roads in many parts of the country. There are some basic rules to remember to stay safe in the car in difficult driving conditions:

• Start early and take your time.
• Accelerate slowly, especially on hills
• Drive slowly to avoid having to stop while going up a hill, as it will be hard to start again.
• Don’t make any sudden turns or stops.
• Be sure that the mirrors and windows are always free of snow and ice.
• If you skid, try to steer in the direction the car is sliding to regain control.
• The changes in temperature sometimes cause potholes in the streets. If you don’t see the pothole in time to steer around it, apply the brakes before hitting the pothole and release them just before you reach the pothole. If you keep the brake on as you hit the pothole, it will do more damage to the tire.
• Try to keep your gas tank at least half full.
• If your wheels spin on ice, switch to low gear, even on automatics.
• Leave extra space between you and the car in front of you.
• Remember that bridges and exit ramps are icier than roads.
• Ask what kind of brakes your car has and how to use them in case of a skid.