Our March cluster meeting was at Laser Craze in Woburn where we met two other clusters. We first met for some refreshments and mingling. We also had our quarterly childcare discussion during which we talked about discipline. Au pairs had lots of fun playing laser tag against each other.
This month we had a Valentine’s meeting at my house. We had a great turnout for a weekday night. We enjoyed Valentine’s treats and au pairs had a great time connecting with each other.
During this meeting, we welcomed new au pairs Chura and Sarah. We also discussed taxes which can feel daunting to au pairs.
For more photos of our meeting, go to Valentine’s 2016
This month, our au pair cluster joined 4 other clusters for snowtubing at Nashoba Valley. The temperatures were not too frigid and au pairs were able to stay outside for much of the two hours we were there.
We also held a sit-down meeting during a break, where we enjoyed hot chocolate and snacks. We also introduced new au pair Annabella and said good-bye to Lara who went home to Germany. As always, our meeting gave my au pairs a chance to make more connections and discuss au pair related topics.
f
This December, our au pair cluster joined four other clusters to celebrate the holiday season. Over 100 au pairs enjoyed the festivities.
We enjoyed traditional American holiday food as well as international dishes that the au pairs supplied. Santa came to visit and spread a lot of joy. Au pairs brought gifts end participated in a fun yankee swap game.
For more photos, go to au pair holiday party
On a beautiful Saturday in September, host families from my cluster and three other clusters met for our annual host family picnic at Honeypot Hill Orchard in Stow, MA. Counselors provided apple cider, water, and apple cider donuts. Children had a chance to decorate cookies and participate in craft activities.
This meeting satisfies the State Department requirement to offer an annual host family workshop. Families had a chance to connect with each other and look at handouts related to being a host family, provided by counselors. This event also provided a cultural experience for our au pairs.
For more photos, go to host family picnic 2015
Our cluster meeting in September was a barbecue at my house. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate and we had the meeting inside. Still, we had a good time. The turnout was great now that everybody is done traveling and the summer au pairs have arrived. We welcomed Pim, Paula, Basia, Lara, Naemi and Fernanda to our cluster. It was nice to see the new au pairs starting to make connections.
At this meeting we also discussed childcare issues such as how to approach difficult behaviors. For more photos please visit September 2015
Our cluster meeting in August was an outing to McGolf in Dedham. It was a small meeting as many au pairs are vacationing in the summer, either by themselves or with their host families.
We welcomed Karina and Natalie from Germany to our cluster and said
good-bye to Kongfang.
After our round of minigolf, we enjoyed some ice cream and chatted a bit more.
For more photos of our meeting, go to minigolf.
On a beautiful evening in July, we met in Davis Square, Somerville and enjoyed ice cream together. We welcomed Aline and Beatrice and said good-bye to Miriam and Debora. Summer is always a time of lots of good-byes and hellos, and it is important to acknowledge those milestones.
On a nice sunny Saturday In June, we met at the South Bridge in Concord. 4 au pairs canoed to the North Bridge and met me and other au pairs for a picnic.
We said good-bye to Justine who will leave us in August and to Chiara who is extending with another family in July.
Meeting at this historic site is another way to offer culturally meaningful experiences to my au pairs who come from all over the world.
For more photos of our meeting, go to canoeing 2015.
In May, we gathered at my apartment for a breakfast meeting. Those au pairs that have little children were welcome to bring them along, so we had a few little guests that got everybody’s attention.
This month we said good-bye to Agata and Djamila who are finished with their year in June. We had a lively discussion about different au pair matters. We also had our quarterly childcare/safety meeting and talked about summer safety.
For more photos, go to May Breakfast
