Yearly Archives: 2015

Happy Labor Day

September 3, 2015 – 7:31 pm

The Workman’s Holiday ~ Dedicated in honor of the worker, Labor Day is also known as the “workingman’s holiday”. The holiday is dedicated to all workers in the United States in respect and appreciation for the work they do in or outside of the home, union or non-union, big companies and small companies and au pairs too. As long as you work somewhere at something, this holiday is for you! It is a day to celebrate your contribution to American working life and the work you do.

Was it McGuire or Maguire? Either Peter McGuire or Matthew Maguire is the Creator of Labor Day. Peter J. McGuire, was an active labor organizer. He was also general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a co-founder of the American Federation of Labor. He was believed to be the first to suggest a day be dedicated to American workers and their accomplishments. Matthew Maguire however, was secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York in 1882 and many believed that he proposed the holiday in 1882.

The First Labor Day ~ The first Labor Day was celebrated in New York City on September 5, 1882 and was started by the Central Labor Union in New York City. In 1884, it was moved to the first Monday in September where it is celebrated today. Labor Day quickly became popular and one state after another voted it as a holiday. On June 28, 1894, the U.S. congress voted it a national holiday.

So What do Americans eat on Labor Day? Picnics and barbecues are popular ways to celebrate Labor Day. Old standards are hamburgers, corn dogs, coleslaw, potato salad corn on the cob, baked beans and sliced tomatoes. Finish up with sliced watermelon, apple or blueberry pie and freshly churned ice cream. Sound good? Want to try a recipe?

http://www.whats4eats.com/salads/potato-salad-recipe

http://www.whats4eats.com/salads/sweet-coleslaw-recipe

http://www.whats4eats.com/desserts/blueberry-pie-recipe

What can you do with the kids on Labor Day? Schools are usually closed on labor day so the children are home for the day. Generally Americans love long weekends and it is an extra special time for families to be together. Join in and be part of the family activities. Enjoy your first Labor Day Weekend in the United States. If you recently arrived this is a great weekend to bond with the kids and get to know them. Go for a bike ride, play in the back yard, go to the park or enjoy the beach and the pool before the fall weather arrives. For indoor quiet activities try these:

Click here for Labor Day coloring pages: http://www.apples4theteacher.com/coloring-pages/labor-day/

Click here for Labor Day short stories for children: http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/labor-day/short-stories/

Au Pairs and their children enjoy reading books at The JNP Project

August 13, 2015 – 3:00 pm

In the month of July au pairs from Au Pair in America and their children met in downtown Annapolis at The JNP Project for a private story time. Jane & Jake and all the undersea characters from Awesome were introduced to the children and they had a blast, and DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE! The JNP Project™ [Jane Not Plain] is a movement nurturing character, courage, and confidence (healthy inner awesome self-esteem) in all boys and girls (5-12+), while helping them discover and make choices from their inner awesome! We had so much fun reading, coloring, dancing, singing and exploring the first adventure that we plan on meeting here once a month for coffee and reading time. The great thing was that the children remembered the story from the previous month and couldn’t wait to move onto the next book! The JNP Project offers many on-line activities for childcare providers to engage with the children under their charge. For more information on this great day visit http://thejnpproject.com/kids-summer-reading-fun-with-jane-and-jake-in-awesome/.

Au Pairs meet at the GoKarts in Crofton

July 15, 2015 – 2:34 pm

Go Kart racing has been a popular pastime for about 50 years in the U.S. and has been the first step for many drivers who eventually go on to professional racing in NASCAR, Formula 1 and the Indy Racing League. And there are some women’s names in the professional racing world too, such as Danica Patrick and Sarah Fisher. While we may not have been thinking about such high aspirations when we joined together for a couple of hours of fun this past Sunday at Crofton Go-Karts, we surely exhibited the adventurous spirit Au Pairing bring out in person!

Summer Safety

July 9, 2015 – 10:23 am

During the summer months we need to take some added precautions to keep children safe in the sun and by the water. Here are some good tips:
• Avoid long periods of sun exposure especially between 10am and 4pm
• Apply sunscreen of at least 15 SPF that protects against both UVA and UVB rays on both sunny and cloudy days. (Host family should approve and provide the type they prefer).
• Infants should be dressed in lightweight clothing covering as much skin as possible and brimmed hats to shade the face.
• Stay hydrated, drink water throughout the day.
• Intense activities and sports should be reduced whenever high heat and humidity reach critical levels.
• NEVER leave children or animals in a car unattended. Not even for a moment. Tragic results can occur.

• Actively supervise children in and around the water, giving them your undivided attention. Appoint a designated “water watcher,” taking turns with other adults. Be very clear who is in charge.
• When in the water there should be an adult at arm’s length from young children at all times.
• Children who cannot swim or who are not strong swimmers should wear water wings or life jackets when in the water.
• Swim in designated areas supervised by lifeguards.
• Always swim with a buddy; do not allow anyone to swim alone. Even at a public pool or a lifeguarded beach, use the buddy system!
• If you go boating, wear a life jacket!
• Secure your personal belongings. Be aware of your surroundings.
Insects, Ticks and Snakes
Summertime brings an onslaught of bugs- some of which can cause diseases like West Nile Virus, Lyme disease and Rocky Mount Spotted Fever. Stay up-to-date on your region and how to prevent these diseases spread by insects.

• Do a tick check after being outdoors.
• Learn how to identify the poisonous snakes in your area.
• If traveling in unfamiliar areas, be aware of where local emergency medical care can be found.
Prepare a summer first-aid kit for bug bites and more.
• Benadryl is probably the most important over-the-counter medication to have in your first aid kit to treat insect bites, hives, and other allergic reactions. Include dosing instructions for each child.
• Hydorcortisone ointment can help the itches that come from bites.
• Use bug spray containing DEET or picaridin (ask your Host Parents what they want you to use)
• Simple antibiotic ointment or spray
• Bandages of varying sizes
• Chemical ice packs
• Scissors
• Hand wipes
Emergency contact info
• As well as the host parent’s numbers, au pairs should have the phone number of the Community Counselor and the Au Pair in America 800 number saved to their phones.
• Additionally, add the non-emergency numbers for the local police departments (anywhere the au pair routinely travels). This way if they need assistance they can quickly and easily dial the number.
• If your area is served by a Code Red Weather Alert type program please consider adding that as well.
• Remind your au pairs to call immediately if there is any issue with a child in their care. Host families should make sure that au pairs know what to do if there is an emergency situation while they are in charge of the children. This is a good time of year to review any family rules that apply to summer activities especially by the pool and while at the beach.

June 25, 2015 – 7:17 pm

Many thanks to Dona Ruderrow Sturn of the JNP Project located in Annapolis. She graciously hosted our au pairs this past week for coffee and introduced us to her amazing children’s adventure book series geared to empower our children to build character, courage and confidence. Her children’s books can be found in 17 countries worldwide (http://thejnpproject.com/where-in-the-world-is-jnp/) and a number of states in the USA. What a great honor it was to be able to spend time with this amazing author, illustrator and creator of these fantastic books geared towards children ages 5 to 12+! We look forward to the next time when we will begin to read, do activities with our children related to the story and delve into the adventure ahead! Please visit the JNP Project website to learn more about our wonderful time together! http://thejnpproject.com/2015-june-22-jnp-hosts-au-pair-in…/

Au Pairs share their culture at our Cultural Fair at EcoAdventures

June 24, 2015 – 8:38 pm

Once a year our three clusters, Annapolis, Baltimore and Columbia, come together for our annual host family event, which is one of the State Department’s requirements for participation in the program. While total attendance is still a goal we hope to reach each year, we were very pleased to see all the happy families enjoying this year’s Cultural Fair for host families and au pairs. The venue was EcoAdventures (http://www.ecoadventures.org/) in Millersville, a hands on educational facility that captured everyone’s’ interest. The children were able to touch the animals, with appropriate precautions taken, while they learned about the animals in the Rain Forest room. The adults enjoyed that also! Au Pairs from around the world were stationed at tables with fun information about their countries and children were able to get a passport that they could take to the different tables and get stickers from the different countries. The icing on the cake was the food they brought from their native cuisine, which filled two table tops. Food is always a great way to share culture.
We hope to see even more host families next year!

Memorial Day Holiday

May 22, 2015 – 12:01 am

Memorial Day was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states then others followed. It is now celebrated nationwide each year on the last Monday in May. On Memorial Day weekend people visit cemeteries to honor those who have died in military service, placing flowers and American flags on graves and in parks. This holiday weekend is also known for family gatherings, trips to the beach and participation in parades. For many Americans memorial Day also marks the beginning of summer. Families enjoy picnics or barbecues and open the swimming pool for the summer season. Typical Memorial Day food includes hamburgers, fried chicken, potato salad, baked beans, grilled meats and all sorts of pies.

Children can be a part of Memorial Day too. Here are some links to children’s activities:

Fifty-two Au Pairs Enjoy an America favorite ~ An Oriole Baseball Game in Baltimore

May 20, 2015 – 8:40 pm

On May 16, 2015, au pairs from the Baltimore, Columbia and Annapolis clusters came together to see the Orioles play baseball at Oriole Park at Camden Yards Stadium in downtown Baltimore. In total 52 au pairs came out to enjoy the day and to experience one of America’s favorite forms of entertainment! So many countries from around the globe were represented we lost track. While the sun was shining and the weather was very hot the Orioles pulled off a win against the Los Angeles Angels!

Piney Orchard Street Festival May 16th 11AM to 6PM

May 15, 2015 – 2:07 pm

Interested in learning more about hosting an au pair in your home. Come visit my table at the Piney Orchard Street Festival. I will be located in the parking lot of the Community Center (not on the main street because this festival has grown so much in recent years!) where there will be lots of kid friendly vendors. I will also have au pairs on hand to help answer any of your questions. Great family fun event with lots of live music, food and even pony rides!

Au Pairs enjoy the Eastern Market and the Cherry Blossoms in DC

April 15, 2015 – 6:14 pm

On Saturday, April 11, au pairs from our three clusters met together in the Eastern Market neighborhood of Washington, DC. We took a private walking tour with Free Tours By Foot http://www.freetoursbyfoot.com/washington-dc-tours/food-tours/eastern-marketbarracks-row-walking-tour/. Surrounded by the beauty of cherry blossom trees, we not only learned a bit of history about the area as we walked along Barracks Row and saw the original Naval Hospital and the Naval Commandant’s residence, but we delighted in stopping at three eateries along the way. First was The Sweet Lobby which was a winning contestant on the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars. Second stop was Spring Mill Bread Co. which sells amazing brownies in addition to bread, and lastly we stopped at District Doughnuts where we had preordered a variety of unusual flavored doughnuts. Not a crumb was left after we were through!

Eastern Market boasts an indoor food market, as well as an open air crafts and flea markets on the weekends. It’s conveniently located on the Metro (orange line). Just park your car for free at New Carrollton and take the train 7 stops and get off right in the middle of all the action.