This month, our Boston area au pairs had the chance to join a group tour at Fenway Park. Under bright blue skies and perfect temperatures, 64 au pairs, host parents and children headed off with a knowledgeable and loud guide. They were entertained and educated about the history of the ballpark as well as that of the Red Sox (originally known as the Red Stockings!)
We enjoyed the view from the Blue Hills of the Boston skyline at our April cluster meeting. We started at the Trailside museum in Milton. This is a great place where aupairs can take kids to visit the museum with live animals who are in our forest and to enjoy the nature outdoors as well.
A 20 min hike over a rocky walkway leads to the outlook with picnic tables. Many families come here from the greater Boston area to enjoy hiking on easy and more challanging trails.
Boston skyline from the top of the Blue Hills
From left to right: Me, Jen from France, Christina from Germany, Camille and Charlotte from France
Christina from Germany
To view more pics please go to Blue Hills 2012.
Celebrating Easter
Easter is one of the most awaited Christian festivals. It is celebrated throughout the world by the followers of Christian community. It is considered to be very auspicious as it is believed that this was the day when Christ resurrected after crucifixion. This day is of immense religious as well as social significance amongst the Christian community.
Church services and festive celebrations blend together during the Easter weekend. On Easter Sunday in New York and other cities, large Easter parades are held. Easter in USA is also very much commercialized. Easter symbols like bunnies, Easter tree, Easter Eggs and Easter lamb are found in different forms during the Easter festivities throughout the market. The popular trend of Easter symbols such as the Easter bunny and egg tree were introduced to the American folklore by the German settlers who arrived in the Pennsylvania Dutch country during the 1700s. Gradually American people took to crafts such as egg and Easter tree decoration. Easter in US is also a time to enjoy special Easter foods such as baked ham, potatoes and vegetables. Several special recipes are made at each home. Easter parties are also organized where traditional Easter delicacies are served and people enjoy wonderful get together along with Easter games and music.
For children’s Easter games and activities go to: http://www.thekidzpage.com/easter_games/index.html
Observing Passover
Passover is an eight day celebration observed each year by the Jewish religion. It commemorates the freedom of Jewish slaves from Egypt during the reign of Pharaoh Ramses II. Families celebrate Passover by having a seder. With special foods, songs, and customs, the Seder is the focal point of the Passover celebration. Seder means order, and the Passover story is read in order from a book called a haggadah.
Fearing that Jews were becoming too strong, a Pharaoh decreed that all male Jewish babies were to be killed. Jocheved and Amran, a Jewish couple, wanted to save their infant son – so they put him in a basket that floated him down the river. The infant was rescued by the Pharaoh’s daughter and she raised him as her own son. She named the baby Moses, which means “take from the water.”
When Moses grew up, he empathized with the Jewish slaves and tried to get the Pharaoh to free them. The Pharaoh refused – so there were 10 plagues sent down to Egypt: Blood, Frogs, Lice, Beasts, Cattle Disease, Boils, Hail, Locusts, Darkness, and Slaying of the Firstborn. The name Passover comes from the Plague of Slaying the Firstborn. The Angel of Death passed over the homes of the Jews who had put lambs blood on their doors.
After the 10th plague, Pharaoh agreed to let the Jewish slaves go. They gathered up their belongings quickly, and didn’t have time for their bread to rise, so they had to bake it and take it the way it was. This is why the Jewish people eat matzah during Passover. As the Jews were fleeing, Pharaoh changed his mind, and sent his army after the people to bring them back. Moses parted the Red Sea for the Jews to cross, and as soon as they were safely to the other side, the waters closed on the soldiers, drowning them all. The Jewish people were free.
For children’s activities go to: http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/passover/
This month, we met another Boston area cluster for a visit to the Prudential Center Skywalk. Au pairs enjoyed the view from the 50th floor despite the fact that it was cloudy. Au pairs also learned a lot about Boston by using the audio tour device and reading up on Boston facts.
Afterwards, we walked over to Vapiano restaurant in the theater district. Counselors distributed a handout about spring activities, including child safety reminders. Each quarter, counselors hold a childcare/safety meeting with au pairs in an effort to ensure good quality childcare for their host families.
View from the top.
For more photos of our meeting, go to Skywalk 2012. and Prudential center skywalk.
Below is a link to a blog from yesterday’s Wall Street Journal online. The blogger/reporter, John J. Edwards III has written about he and his wife’s switch from a babysitter….to Au Pair in America!
http://blogs.wsj.com/juggle/2012/02/02/switching-to-an-au-pair/?mod=WSJBlog
This month we held our monthly cluster meeting at my house after we needed to cancel out snow tubing event in Nashoba Valley due to rain. We will have the snow tubing at another time.
Mikaela from Sweden, Christina from Germany, Alexandra from Germany, Anna from Brazil and Jennifer from France
We used the meeting to talk about driving with kids in the car, driving in winter conditions, car seats for kids.
It is a government requirement to have one meeting about Child Development/Safety Meeting every three month.
Julia from Germany and Anna from Brazil
We also welcomed 5 new aupairs in our cluster who just arrived last weekend in our Boston area at their hostfamilies:
Laura form the UK
Jessica from South Africa
Leonie from Germany
Laura from Germany
Janet from Switzerland
For all pictures of the meeting please go to January 2012 clustermeeting.
Linda from Germany, Hannah from South Africa, Vanessa and Anita from Germany
Heike’s au pair group
Boston area community counselorsOn Sunday, we celebrated the holidays with other Boston area au pair clusters at the Scout House in Concord. Over 150 au pairs participated in the au pair holiday gala.
Counselors supplied holiday music, decorations, main dishes like ham, turkey, lasagna, as well as a holiday punch. Each au pair was asked to bring food to share from her country.
Au pairs also participated in a gift swap game during which they were asked questions like “Who has visited the Grand Canyon,” or “Who has an American boyfriend?” As you can imagine, there was a lot of laughter involved.
Gift Exchange GameAs a conclusion to a fun evening, au pairs also split up into country groups to sing traditional holiday songs from their country.
To see some more pictures please go to Holiday party 2011 , cluster group picture and Tina’s pix.
School breaks during holidays; ask your host family how your schedule will change during the break to make sure you and they are ready. Talk to your host family about how they celebrate the holidays. Share some holiday traditions from your country with your host family. Ask your host family which activities they really want you to join in; dinner with relatives, holiday gatherings, baking, decorating, and religious services. Discuss your plans for the holidays; parties or events you wish time off for well in advance, so your host family can plan. Be careful, accidents happen when children are very excited. Know when to calm them down, so you can avoid accidents before they happen. Try to keep the kids on as much of a regular schedule as possible. Kids will get over tired and cranky if there are too many activities in one day or several days in a row. Try to help limit the activities to a few a day or week. Give kids downtime with quiet activities, like reading a holiday story or watching a holiday DVD. Make sure you and the kids get plenty of sleep. Remember to prepare some gifts for your host family, especially for the kids. I recommend books, crafts, or games. You can read the books, do the crafts, play the games with them. Take some time for yourself; to shop, to spend with friends, to call home. Remember it is a stressful time, even if it is fun and exciting. You are far from home and you may feel a bit homesick. Don’t make promises to the kids that you can’t keep. Don’t promise to go to an event and then cancel because you would rather be out with your friends. Go to your host children’s school holiday activities, the class party, the winter concert, etc. Offer to talk to their class about how you celebrate holidays in your country. Do a craft with the class. Earn a Global Awareness letter or certificate. Ask me for help. Participate in family holiday traditions whenever possible. Be available to help the parents watch the kids while they decorate the house, prepare holiday foods, or attend holiday parties. Come to our International Holiday Party!! See you on Dec 4 🙂
30 aupairs, who participated in our cluster meeting
We went to the laser quest for our November cluster meeting and had a lot of fun there. To see more pictures go to Laser tag Nov 2011
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.
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.
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The month of October brings exciting activities to the city of Salem, Massachusetts. There are many activities relating to the city’s history and penchant for things macabre, including walking tours, haunted houses, trolley rides, spooky performances, exhibits, harbor cruiss and more. Visit their website for all the details: http://www.hauntedhappenings.org/
