Au Pair in America – Rhode Island

Halloween is celebrated on October 31st in the United States. It is a favorite family celebration – a time for traditions such as dressing in costumes, trick-or-treating around the neighborhood, and carving pumpkins. American children dress up in funny or scary costumes and go “trick or treating”. The neighbors are expected to respond by giving them small treats. Adults may also dress in costume for Halloween parties. The name “Halloween” comes from the Christian tradition. It is derived from “All Hallow’s Eve.” October 31st is the eve of All Hallows day, better known as All Saints Day. This is a day when the church celebrates and remembers the lives of the saints.

Most au pairs will be celebrating the American tradition of Halloween for the very first time this year. If you are looking for fun ways to celebrate with your children…here are some of the Halloween attractions that will be going on in the Rhode Island area:

Boo Bash: Providence Children’s Musuem; October 29, 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM http://www.childrenmuseum.org/
Children can play bewitching games galore, have hands-on fun with imaginative arts and “witch crafts,” explore an eerie environment, mix it up in the mad scientist’s laboratory and much more. Come in costume and have a blast at the biggest Halloween bash around!

Costume Parade: Meet at the Gazebo in Pawtucket Park, Narragansett Parkway, Warwick, October 29 at 1:15 p.m. Participants will trick or treat (wear a costume and bring a treat bag) through the village to the Village Playground in Edgewood for games, goodies and music until 4 p.m. Free. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Evening of Horror: Mystic Performance Workshop, 40 Washington Street, Providence. Haunted house with spooky sounds, children’s activities and family activities, including apple bobbing, face painting and horror move scream. Last entrance to the haunted house is 6:45 p.m. 4 – 7 p.m. $8; $5 ages 12 and younger.

Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular: Roger Williams Park, 1000 Elmwood Avenue, Providence. 401-785-3510. RogerWilliamsParkZoo.org
Thousands of pumpkins set in a magical display or artistry. Carved jack-o-lanterns depicting people, places and scenes from popular culture to old time favorites and everything in between. Nightly 6-10 p.m. Ends November 6. Call or visit website for pricing.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
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Creepy, Crawly Family Fun Weekend: October 29, 2011 to October 30, 2011. Take a look at the gross, creepy and crawly things that make Halloween special with spooky activities and Museum creature features! Free goodie bags for each visitor. Location: Roger Williams Park, 1000 Elmwood Avenue. Time: noon-4 p.m. Cost: Free with Museum admission of $2. Information: www.providenceri.com/museum/special-events

Sue Shanley, Program Director at the Kent County YMCA is asking for our help at her annual children’s Santa’s Workshop Christmas Party. The party is held every year for Kent County YMCA members. Our group of au pairs has volunteered in past years and it has always been lots of fun! Sue will give each volunteer a specific responsibility such as: Greeting guests as they arrive, breakfast with Santa, photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, cookie decorating, making “candy houses“, making gingerbread houses, Polar Express, Holiday arts and crafts, serving donuts and cocoa, story reading. If you would like to volunteer for this event, please let me know as soon as possible so that I can confirm your participation with the Kent County YMCA. (BarbaraFetta@gmail.com or 401-949-2427). The event is being held Saturday, December 10, 2011 from 10:00 a.m. to 12 noon, but volunteers should plan to arrive by 9:00 a.m.

Our October cluster meeting was held at Knight Farm Apple Orchard and Ice Cream Shoppe in North Scituate, Rhode Island. We welcomed Adriana (Italy) to her first meeting, and said goodbye to Laura, Natalia, Chrissy, and Gabriela. We acknowledged four October birthdays….Paulina, Angie, Azra, and Beverly, and we welcomed several guests to our meeting. Bruna and Beverly told us about their recent skydiving adventure – which sounded very exciting! The activity of picking apples may not have been nearly as exciting as their skydiving adventure, but everyone seemed to enjoy it. Our afternoon started out with some rain, but luckily the rain stopped in time for everyone to head out to the orchard and return with a bountiful harvest of apples!<!

Our September cluster meeting was held a Starbucks on Angell Street in Providence. This meeting gave us an opportunity to talk about education opportunities, and for those who have completed their education to share their experiences with new arrivals. Welcome to our August and September arrivals: Jana, Adriana, and Ludivine. Farewell and good luck to our departing au pairs, Laura and Manja!

Our August cluster meeting took place at Providence’s only outdoor movie theater, “Movies on the Block”. We brought blankets, lawn chairs, popcorn and snacks, and watched “Dog Day Afternoon”, starring a very young Al Pacino…It was a great way to spend a summer evening! “Movies on the Block” features a move every Thursday beginning early in June and running through late September, movies are screened outside at dusk on the corner of Westminster St. and Union St. It is free, and open to the public.

Daniela is celebrating her 21st birthday today, August 10; and she is also ending her term as an au pair on August 15. Happy Birthday, Daniela, and best wishes to you as you end your au pair year and return home to Austria!

Happy Birthday to Kerry – our brand new arrival who celebrates her 20th birthday on July 26 and to Fanny, who will celebrate her 21st birthday on July 31st!

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!

Summer time is now here. For most children, this means more outdoor activities (swimming, camping, bike riding, etc…) and with the 4th of July celebration, fireworks. This means being extra vigilant to keep your child safe and healthy. Here are some tips to keep your child safe and happy this summer:

Surviving Summer Boredom with your Kids

Sometimes, especially with younger children, cries of boredom are really calls for companionship and attention—their friends may be away on vacation and without the structure of school they may find it difficult to keep occupied during long summer days. Prolonged intervals where the kids have nothing to do can be stressful . When bored, children often become whiny, cranky and demanding.

Here are a few easy tips to help child care providers combat summer boredom and help kids develop the internal resources that are important for developing creative, resource and time management skills:

1. Put a weekly calendar together so as not to overwhelm yourself with planning entertainment for an entire summer, just take it one week at a time—day trips, arts and craft activities, play-dates, reading time, nature hikes, picnics, bike rides, a trip to the movie theatre etc. This way kids will have something to look forward to during down time. A calendar also helps with getting kids prepared for what comes next.
2. Ask: “If you could do anything, what would you like to do?” Try and encourage your children to generate their own ideas for activities—they are more apt to have fun when they thought it up on their own! Reinforcing that children use their imaginations will also help them develop a sense of resourcefulness and get them in the habit of making their own choices about how they will spend their time.
3. Keep an “art box” handy full of supplies: scissors, fabric, felt, glue, paints and brushes, stickers, paper, markers, canvass, needle and thread, beads, yarn, picture magazines etc. Rummaging through a box of art supplies can ignite the imagination and occupy children for long periods of time. They could even begin an entrepreneurial enterprise and sell their wares at the end of the summer.
4. Inspire them to play with water. Water is very calming and soothing for children and they can while away many hours playing and keeping cool. Get them to wash the car, hose off the deck, or run through a sprinkler. Spend time together at the beach or pool*.

*Water Safety

1. Never leave a child unobserved around water. Your eyes must be on the child at all times.
2. Maintain constant supervision. Watch children around any water environment (pool, stream lake, tub, toilet, bucket of water), no matter what skills your child has acquired and no matter how shallow the water is.
3. Swim at beach near lifeguard. Do not take your eyes off child even when lifeguard is present. It is your responsibility to watch the kids!
4. Keep a phone nearby so that you can call 911 in an emergency.
5. Learn Red Cross CPR
6. No running in pool area!  Decks surfaces are slippery and accidents happen quickly.
7. No diving in shallow water. Head and neck injuries result from diving in areas too shallow.
8. Always keep basic lifesaving equipment by the pool and know how to use it. Pole, rope and personal flotation devices are recommended.
9. Don’t rely on substitutes. The use of flotation devices and inflatable toys cannot replace adult supervision.
10. Keep toys away from the pool when the pool is not in use. Toys can attract young children into the pool.
11. Keep doors and gates locked leading to the pool!

June Birthdays…. Happy Birthday Wishes to Ben, Natalia and Gabriel

aสุขสันต์วันเกิด

Feliz aniversario

¡feliz cumpleaños!