Category Archives: Au Pair Info

Photo Contest

We know there are great photographers out there!  Do you have a favorite shot of the year?  Please enter the APIA photo contest.  The deadline is November 5th.  Winners of each category will receive a $200 gift card and $25 for the runners up ~ the categories are:

  • Family portrait
  • Sharing Cultures
  • Helping Hands
  • Young Ones
  • Community service
  • The spirit of America
  • Best in Show

Be creative, show us what you’ve got.  Get details and everything you need to enter here:

http://www.aupairinamerica.com/pdf/photo_contest_entry_form.pdf

The winner could end up on the cover our 2015 brochure!

 

 

Halloween

Goblins and Ghosts stay safe!

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  1. Make sure to inspect the children’s Trick Or Treat candy to make sure everything is in a sealed wrapper and appears safe.
  2. Small children should not eat hard candy because of chocking.
  3. Children should be supervised when they go Trick-or-Treating.  Many parents will come home early from work on the day to go with their children.  Check with Host Parents about this.

Halloween Safety Tips for Drivers

Halloween is a wonderful holiday, but because of increased foot traffic and that Trick-or-Treaters are out at night, the potential for automobile related accidents with young pedestrians increases four times on this night according to a CDC (Center for Disease Control) study.

Streets are literally crawling with all sorts of witches, ghosts, goblins, vampires and all other sorts of costumed people. This makes for added responsibility for drivers to make sure that they drive safer than normal.

In many areas, people drive their kids into subdivisions and let them out to walk from house to house. Usually the parent follows behind in the car. This can cause traffic jams in small areas and much confusion as kids dart between cars on the streets going from house to house. A driver is already distracted because they are trying to keep an eye on their own kids and usually aren’t paying attention to much else.

Children and adults tend to be preoccupied and may not pay as much attention to safety as they should. They may not see your vehicle or just assume that you see them automatically. Stay on the defensive and you shouldn’t have a problem while driving on Halloween night

* Don’t use a cell phone or other electronic device while driving on Halloween night. You shouldn’t be doing this anyway, the rate of cell phone related auto accidents has jumped dramatically since the use of cell phones and texting has risen so high. Some states have already made laws concerning this and others are working on it.

Make sure your child carries a flashlight, glow stick or has reflective tape on their costume to make them more visible to cars. Left them know if they carry a flash light to never shine itin the eyes of a driver. This can cause blindness on the drivers part temporarily and they may not see  your child

Helpful Webinars for Au Pairs

Webinar Schedule (All times Eastern time zone)

October 15

8 pm               Nutrition. Good eating for you and your kids

9 pm               It’s Up to You. Making the most of your Au Pair year

10 pm             Activities to do with Preschoolers

October 29

11 am             Language Development: Birth and beyond

12 noon         Tantrums are no fun for anyone. Help, my kids are fighting again!

1 pm               American holidays: what they are, activities and getting through

the holiday blues

November  11

8 pm               Managing play with more than one child

9 pm               Repatriation

10 pm             Feeling Sad or Stressed: Tips for gaining balance in your life

November 26

11 am             Help! My kids are fighting again

12 noon         Activities for School Age Kids

1 pm               Homesickness. Making it through

December 5

8 pm               Activities to do with Preschoolers

December 6

9 pm               Successfully communicating with your host family

December 9

10 am             Homework: Finding the right strategy for your child

December 15

9 pm               Homesickness. Making it through

10 pm             Toilet Training 101

December 17

8 pm               Tantrums are no fun for anyone

Host Family Day at Gillette Stadium

Boston area community counselors held their annual host family day last weekend at Gillette stadium in Foxboro.  Host families and their au pairs were invited to a tailgating party before the soccer game.  We had a beautiful sunny day for it.

The annual host family day satisfies the State Department requirement for host families to attend an annual host family workshop.   It provides an opportunity for host families to connect to other families in the program and to discuss aspects of it.     For more photos please go to Host Family Day.

Boston area counselors with marketing director Blair Weinberg

Boston area counselors with marketing director Blair Weinberg

Save 30% on a trip!

On behalf of Intrepid (formerly known as Suntrek) I just want to remind you all that until January 31, 2013 they are offering an additional 10% savings on North America tours for Au Pairs! This will bring the total savings to 30% off the original trip price!

How can Au Pairs get this special 30% discount?

Follow the simple instructions below:

  1. Call the toll free number to speak with a sales consultant – 1 (800) 970-7299
  2. Give the consultant the name of the tour and desired departure date
  3. Au Pair must state 1. Organization Name and 2. Counselor’s name in order to book
  4. To take advantage of limited time 10% off Promotion, quote promo code:  9427 (valid from November 1, 2012 – January 31, 2013)
  5. Au Pair must pay a $250 deposit to hold spot and confirm trip.  Full payment is due 60 days prior to departure.

An Important Holiday Message

As we approach the holiday season, I wanted to take this opportunity to remind you of the laws regarding alcohol consumption in the United States.  At this time of year you may be invited to holiday parties and events where alcohol is served.

It is illegal for anyone under 21 to drink alcohol.  Even if you are over 21 please be mindful if you are with other au pairs who are under 21 and the risk they take if they break the law.  Using fake id’s is also illegal.  Of course, drinking and driving is extremely dangerous and puts lives at risk.  You should never drink and drive and getting arrested for drinking and driving has very serious consequences in this country.   Also, be a good friend and don’t let your friends drink and drive.  You have invested a lot to be here to enjoy your experience in the United States and I want all of you to be successful.  Be safe and don’t take unnecessary risks.

Always put safety first and enjoy the holidays!

The Holiday Season

It’s November which brings us into the holiday season.

We’re starting with Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 22  which 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.  Check out the recipe below for a nice Thanksgiving dessert.

I hope you can use the Holiday Season to truly experience cultural exchange.  Try to learn and participate as much as possible and also offer to share traditions from your home country.

As the Holiday Season gets into full swing, there is a lot of potential to overeat and gain weight.  Three tips experts agree on are 1. do not skip meals, 2. select small portions, and 3. stop eating when you are full.

Cranberry Apple Pie

Ingredients

PIE

  • 1 refrigerated pie pastry
  • 2 cups apples, peeled, cored, and quartered
  • 2 cups fresh cranberries (thawed if frozen)
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons flour

CRUMB TOPPING

  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

Instructions

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a 9-inch standard (not deep-dish) pie pan with the pastry, fluting the edge.

Thinly slice the apples crosswise and combine them in a large bowl with the cranberries. Add the sugar, lemon juice, and flour, mixing well. Transfer the filling to the pie shell, smoothing the top of the fruit. Bake for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and cinnamon for the topping. Add the butter, rubbing it into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

After 30 minutes, remove the pie from the oven and reduce the temperature to 375 degrees. Spread the topping over the pie and bake it for another 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is golden and the fruit thickens and bubbles around the edges. Allow the pie to cool for 2 hours before serving. Serves 8.

September National Prepardness Month

Au Pair in America cares about safety and has a partnership with the Red Cross. We want to help keep our families safe and prepared all year. The American Red Cross has named September as National Preparedness Month. The purpose of National Preparedness Month is to stress the importance of creating a family disaster plan in order to be prepared in case of an emergency or national disaster. Families should be prepared for all types of emergencies, this includes a fire, winter storm, tornado, hurricane, etc. Developing a national disaster  plan is extremely important for every family to have. Every household should have the following covered:

  • Where to meet if a disaster happens (be prepared to lose cell service)
  • An emergency kit prepared for the home and car

Your emergency kit should include:

  • Identification for all family members (Social Security card, passport, license, etc.)
  • First aid kit
  • Water
  • Food
  • Flashlight
  • Batteries
  • Local Maps
  • Manual can opener
  • Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
  • Cell phone with chargers for car and basic outlet
  • Dust mask

To find more detailed information provided by FEMA click here!