Tag Archives: Au Pair in America

It’s getting hot outside: Safety advise for taking care of children during our heatwave

boy swimming in pool with goggles on

Longer days, lighter nights, and more um, worrying.  Yup, it’s summer.  And before your kids race out the door, you’re doing all you can to protect them from sun, bugs…head injuries.  There’s something about this season that makes kids run faster and play harder.  And like everything else parents carefully do to protect their kids – cooking healthy kid food, buckling them into car seats (or shouting out seat belt reminders), summer takes preparation, too.  Here’s how you and your aupair can help keep kids safe this season – without feeling like Summer Cop, monitoring the fun right out of their vacation.

Meeting at the Vapiano restaurant in Boston downtown

Yesterday we met with many of our cluster at a local downtown restaurant Vapiano for an Italian night together. We had many whose aupair year will come to an end soon in the summer and everybody who has finished all the credits for the education requirement got a certificate to take home. Our Educare aupairs needed to get 12 credits at a college or university and the standart and extraordinaire program requires 6 credits during the first year as an aupair in the US.

Theresa, Anita, Katja, Isabell and Kristina. All from Germany received their certificate last night

Theresa, Anita, Katja, Isabell and Kristina. All from Germany received their certificate last night

Monike from Brazil also received her certificate for fullfilling the requirements of the aupair education program

Monike from Brazil also received her certificate for fullfilling the requirements of the aupair education program

Judith G from Germany received today her price for winning the third place in the snowman contest which was a while ago

Judith G from Germany received today her price for winning the third place in the snowman contest.

Enjoying to share information and experiences is part of our clustermeetings

Enjoying to share information and experiences is part of our cluster meetings

For all pictures please go to : Aupair Italian night at the Vapiano restaurant

Memorial Day on Monday, May 27

At the Boston Common

At the Boston Common

What do people do?

It is traditional to fly the flag of the United States at half mast from dawn until noon. Many people visit cemeteries and memorials, particularly to honor those who have died in military service. Many volunteers place an American flag on each grave in national cemeteries. Memorial Day is combined with Jefferson Davis’ Birthday in Mississippi.

Memorial Day has become less of an occasion of remembrance. Many people choose to hold picnics, sports events and family gatherings on this weekend. This day is traditionally seen as the start of the summer season for cultural events. For the fashion conscious, it is seen as acceptable to wear white clothing, particularly shoes from Memorial Day until Labor Day. However, fewer and fewer people follow this rule and many wear white clothing throughout the year.

Public life

Memorial Day is a federal holiday. All non-essential Government offices are closed, as are schools, businesses and other organizations. Most public transit systems do not run on their regular schedule. Many people see Memorial Day weekend as an opportunity to go on a short vacation or visit family or friends. This can cause some congestion on highways and at airports.

Background

Memorial Day started as an event to honor Union soldiers, who had died during the American Civil War. It was inspired by the way people in the Southern states honored their dead. After World War I, it was extended to include all men and women, who died in any war or military action.

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Events for Memorial Day in Boston this weekend: Memorial Day 2013

Crafts ideas with kids for Memorial day: Kids art and crafts

Mother’s Day is on Sunday, May 12

Sunday, May 12th is Mother’s Day!  I want to take this opportunity to thank all the Host Moms for all they do for their Au Pairs.  I hope the day is extra special and that you each have time to enjoy the day with your families!

“Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother.” Zora Neale Hurston

MOTHER’S DAY AROUND THE WORLD
A special day in the honor of mothers, Mothers Day is celebrated in several countries around the world though on different dates. In a large number of countries including US, Mothers Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in the month of May, but in many other countries Mothers Day is celebrated in an entirely different time of the year. But what ever may be the date of Mother’s Day around the world, the spirit is the same everywhere. Everywhere in the world mothers are respected for their extreme devotion towards their kids. And on Mother’s Day children pay their humblest tribute to their mothers and thank them for giving them birth and providing them with the best of care and upbringing.

Great idea’s on what to do wit kids for Mother’s Day you can find here:

http://pinterest.com/aupairinamerica/mother-s-day/

Easy to make Mother's Day card.

Mom

40 ways to celebrate mom

Walk for Hunger

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The Walk for Hunger which we offer to all cluster of the greater Boston area was a great event this year. Many of our aupairs went through the whole course of 20 miles started in Boston, then walked through Brookline, Newton, Cambridge and back to Boston. The weather was perfect despite some early morning chill.

Aurelie and Marie from France with Amy-Louise from South Africa right before the start on the Walk

Aurelie and Marie from France with Amy-Louise from South Africa right before the start of the Walk

Jackie from South Africa with her friend in the spirit to walk

Jackie from South Africa with her friend in the spirit to walk

Together with some aupairs at the 5 mile mark: Christin, Franzi, Isa from Germany with Amy from South Africa

Together with some aupairs at the 5 mile mark: Christin, Franzi, Isa from Germany with Amy from South Africa

Walk around the Chestnut Hill reservoir

Walk around the Chestnut Hill reservoir

Amy from South Africa and me halfway through

Amy from South Africa and me halfway through

Tami, Lynn, Judith, Viktoria and Amy at the Snack point after 12 miles.

Tami, Lynn, Judith, Viktoria and Amy at the snack point after 12 miles.

Tami from Germany at the 12 miles mark

Tami from Germany at the 12 miles mark

Shuttle back to Boston

Shuttle back to Boston

Katja and Birgit from Germany arrived the finish line after 5 hours and 24 minutes

Katja and Birgit from Germany arrived at the finish line after 5 hours and 24 minutes

Caroline and Lovisa from Sweden at the finish line after 6 hours

Caroline and Lovisa from Sweden at the finish line after 6 hours

Many more aupairs finished the 20 miles and I am very proud of them as well as of so many who walked part of this course too.

To walk for a good cause and to have family and friends sponsoring them is an American tradition and new to many aupairs who come from so many different countries to experience the American way of live here in the US. With this walk our Aupairs raised more then we expected to help the hungry in Massachusetts.

Many more pix can be seen at : Walk for Hunger 2013

Boston Marathon

Check out the official web side for info on the Boston Marathon on April 15.

http://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/event-information.aspx

Here you can find more general info on the Boston Marathon:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Marathon

“Tortoise and Hare”, created by artist Nancy Schön and installed on May 19, 1993 by the Friends of Copley Square as a tribute to the runners who have participated in the Boston Marathon.

Who has not seen these creatures in downtown yet?

Coffee meeting for aupairs today

Today we met at Athan’s bakery in Brookline to talk about extension and aupair taxes. We had a great time to get to know a new aupair Aurelie from France who just arrived in Brookline yesterday. What a wonderful chance for her to find friends right away who live close to her.

Amy from South Africa, Aurelie from France and Dennisse from Mexico

Amy from South Africa, Aurelie from France and Dennisse from Mexico

We also could celebrate the third place of our snowman contest here today. Amy did a great job with her snowman with the Au Pair in America baseball cap. She got a ” I love Boston T-shirt” for her effort.

Amy with the picture of an excellent snowman build after the last snowstorm

Amy with the picture of an excellent snowman build after the last snowstorm

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Another aupair got her certificate of completion of her education part of the aupair program:

Caroline from Sweden got all her 6 credits which is the requirement to have during the one year as an aupair in the US.

Caroline from Sweden got all her 6 credits which is the requirement to have during the one year as an aupair in the US.

Left to right:Tamy from Germany, Dennisse from Mexico, Amy from South Africa, Aurelie from France and Caroline from Sweden.

Left to right:Tamy from Germany, Dennisse from Mexico, Amy from South Africa, Aurelie from France and Caroline from Sweden.

Happy Easter

Great idea for an Easter basket treat, with no candy!

Easter is upon us! Easter Week began this past weekend with Palm Sunday and culminates in weekend commemorations of Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday, and in some countries Easter Monday. Around the world, different cultures, countries, communities, and sects have their own traditions to celebrate the Easter holiday.

As Catholics and Protestants gather in churches across the globe to commemorate the resurrection of Christ, people everywhere are celebrating in their own ways by eating chocolate bunnies, going on Easter egg hunts and flying kites.

Fun things to do with kids:

http://pinterest.com/aupairinamerica/hop-into-easter/

These look fun ;) Googly Eye Easter Eggs!

Handling Expenses

Miscellaneous Expenses

There are different ways to handle the little day to day expenses that come up.  Things like when an au pair takes the kids out for ice cream or picks up a gallon of milk.  Some families keep a cookie jar fund, a little cash that they set aside weekly or monthly for this kind of expenses.  Here are some suggestions for avoiding problems with expenses.8226519319_b5c169a2bb

Host Families

  • It’s important to be clear about how long this money should last and what types of expenses are approved.
  • Let the au pair know whether or not you expect receipts.

    • Au Pairs

  • Only spend the money on approved expenses.
  • If it is something you are not sure about, ask first.
  • Put your receipts in the cookie jar in place of the money to avoid any confusion.

    • Gas and Fare Cards

    Host families are responsible for the au pair’s transportation costs:

  • to and from classes and cluster meetings
  • driving the kids

    • It is a good idea to figure out how much gas an au pair will use for these trips and either put gas in the car or give a gas allowance.   If your au pair is riding to classes or cluster meetings with another au pair, you should offer to share the cost of gas.

    Au pairs are responsible for their own transportation at all other times.  You should replace the amount of gas used for personal use.