This January, we joined other Boston area clusters for some night time snowtubing at Nashoba Valley. Au pairs had a good time on the slopes as well as in the lodge. Counselors provided hot chocolate and snacks.
We said good-bye to Alita and Aurore who are finished with their au pair year. We welcomed new au pair Vanessa to our group.
For more photos, go to snowtubing 2015
In December, we joined another local au pair cluster and celebrated the holiday season at ArtLounge in Arlington.
Au Pairs had a chance to mingle, listen to holiday music and enjoy refreshments. They also participated in a fun Yankee Swap.
Half way through the evening, an artist came in to lead those who chose to paint through the steps of creating their own painting. It was interesting to observe how each au pair put her personal touch to the painting.
For more photos of our celebration, go to Holiday Party.
For our November cluster meeting, make-up artist Barbora, one of our au pairs, offered to do other au pairs’ makeup. It was nice to see her at work and see faces transformed by her art.
At this meeting, I provided a handout about child safety and we discussed the different ways of keeping the children safe.
We also welcomed Vanessa, who arrived from Germany that month.
For more photos, go to November 2014
In October, we got together at my house for some pumpkin carving and Halloween treats. It is a nice cultural experience as Halloween is not celebrated in all countries. Some au pairs had fun fun dressing up. We had a chance to welcome Soraya to our cluster and say good-bye to Bee and Asia who are going home in November.
For more photos go to October 2014
Once or twice a year, Au Pair in America counselors offer a host family workshop that gives host families the chance to connect and discuss aspects of the host family – au pair relationship. This is in compliance with State Department regulations to hold an event like this once a year.
This year, I joined 3 other counselors we met our host families on a beautiful day at Honeypot Hill Orchards in Stow, MA for an apple picking picnic. Many au pairs attended as well. We enjoyed conversations, apple cider donuts and apple cider. Host children participated in cookie decorating and fall craft activities.
For more photos go to host family day 2014
What a fun event our annual canoeing and picnic was again this June! For our cluster meeting, we met up with 2 other clusters at the South Bridge boat house. From there, au pairs canoed to the North Bridge, where counselors had prepared a picnic with fruit, brownies and lemonade. It was a beautiful day, perfect for our event.
Summer is a big time for good-byes. We said good-bye to Julia, Junika, Jenni, Khim and Lucie. We wish you all the best for your future! We welcomed Veronika into our cluster.
For more photos please visit Concord 2014
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 to share with your au pairs and host families.
As well as the host parents’ numbers, au pairs should have the phone number of the community counselor and the Au Pair in America 800 number saved to their phones. This way if you need assistance you can quickly and easily dial the number. Please make sure you know what to do if there is an emergency situation while you 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.
Enjoy the summer and be safe!
In May, we congregated at my house for breakfast. It was a beautiful day and we could sit outside in the backyard. Some au pairs even brought their children along. These meetings at my house are always a great opportunity for au pairs to sit together, bond, and talk about their lives as au pairs.
The meeting provided a wonderful opportunity for me to check in with each of them to see how they are doing. We also took care of some end of the year business by discussing their last meetings and providing me with proof of their education.
We said good-bye to Yann Ling who will leave us soon to go back to Malaysia. We also said good-bye to Kathrin who moved to Connecticut.
For more photos please visit May Breakfast
This month we joined other Boston area au pair clusters for a visit to the Prudential Center Skywalk. 50 floors above Boston, we had a bird’s eye view of Boston’s Hancock Tower, Fenway Park, the Boston Common and Public Garden, the Esplanade and Hatch Shell, the Charles River, MIT, Harvard University, and countless other Boston landmarks. Au pairs also had the chance to use interactive exhibits which provided them with a real flavor of the city’s distinctive culture and neighborhoods. Multimedia players were provided detailing the city’s historic past and current sites.
Afterwards, we walked to Panera Bread and enjoyed food and conversation. We welcomed Erika from Italy to our cluster and said good-bye to Nhung and Aneta.
For more photos, please visit Prudential Skywalk.
In March, we met at Together in Motion for a yoga class taught by me. 11 au pairs participated and we had a good class.
Afterwards, we gathered for some food and discussions. Taxes were still a big topic as tax day is April 15, and we discussed that in detail. We also had our quarterly childcare/safety meeting and discussed host family expectations with regard to electronics use and engaging children in activities.
Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures!
