Monthly Archives: September 2011

Celebrating Rosh Hashanah

September 28-Rosh Hashanah – Happy New Year to all our host families, au pairs and friends.  Rosh Hashanah starts at sundown and is a solemn celebration of the beginning of the Jewish year.  Synagogue services are held on Rosh Hashanah. During the services, the shofar, a ram’s horn, is sounded.  During Rosh Hashanah special dishes are prepared. Many of the dishes contain honey which symbolizes the desire for a sweet year. The round-shaped bread served represents the fullness of the year.  If you would like some more information about this holiday please visit http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/rosh-hashana.

Baby Safety Month

photo by craftycars

photo by craftycars

There are many safety tips on the Au Pair in America website http://aupairinamerica.com/.  In honor of Baby Safety Month, here are some more specific baby tips: 

  • Check condition and sturdiness of toys. Discard any with sharp edges or are broken or falling apart.
  • Check children’s clothing for loose buttons and strings.
  • Is baby’s pacifier still in good condition? If not, toss it. Never use strings to attach the pacifier to baby’s clothes or crib.
  • Where do you set baby’s carrier when she’s in it? Not on the counter, or any high surface. Babies can wiggle and tip themselves over.
  • Walkers can be dangerous (especially old ones that don’t meet today’s safety standards), they allow baby to move very quickly and reach things they normally can’t. Never use around stairs.
  • Stroller check. If your stroller is collapsible, be sure latches are secure before putting baby in. Always check that your child’s arms are out of the way when reversing handle directions so they won’t get pinched. Be sure to use that safety strap. Don’t hang overloaded or heavy bags on the handle of the stroller; this may cause it to tip over.
  • Can you name the 12 most common choking foods for kids under five? Popcorn, hot dogs, chunks of meat, raisins, ice cubes, chunky peanut butter, nuts of any kind, hard candy, grapes, raw carrots, potato chips and corn chips. Don’t leave toddlers alone while eating; if they begin to choke you need to be nearby to assist.
  • Get a piggy bank: this is a great place to put coins so they don’t end up on the floor, in the couch cushions and then baby’s mouth.
  • Never leave your child unattended in the bathtub. If the phone rings, let the machine get it.

Remembering 9/11

Twin Towers by pingnews.com

Twin Towers by pingnews.com

September 11th

Take a moment to day to remember victims of the 2001 September 11 attacks, often referred to as 9/11 (pronounced nine-eleven) On this day, hijackers intentionally crashed two airplanes in to the World Trade Center in New York City causing them to collapse. Hijackers crashed a third airliner into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C. The fourth plane crashed into a field in rural Pennsylvania, after some of its passengers and flight crew attempted to retake control of the plane.

 

 

Football season kicks off this month

Photo by Kevygee

Photo by Kevygee

American Football Simplified:

A football field is 100 yards long. There is a Goal Post at each end of the field, in the End Zone, one for each team.  A Football Game is made up of 60 minutes of play time. The 60 minutes is divided into four Quarters of 15 minutes each. At the end of two Quarters, there is a break called Half Time. On the Scoreboard you can see the minutes and seconds running out. The team with the most points at the end of four Quarters wins.  Each team has an Offense and a Defense. If the Offense has the ball and tries to score by getting it across the Goal Line – the line where the playing field and the End Zone meet. The Defense tries to stop them. The Offense gets four tries to move the ball 10 yards toward their own goal post. These are called Downs. If they make the 10 yards or more, they get another four tries to move the ball another 10 yards. If they don’t move the ball 10 yards in four tries, the ball goes to the other team, or the team “loses the ball.”  The Super Bowl is the final game of the Football season when two teams play each other for the championship. The game takes place in late January or early February. For some people the TV commercials are the best part of the Super Bowl.  For the full rules of American Football visit:  http://aupairinamerica.com/resources/life_in_the_us/football.asp