Yearly Archives: 2010

November Hints for Success!

Use the upcoming American Holiday, Thanksgiving (Thursday, November 25th) to truly experience cultural exchange.  Now, is the time to share traditions from your home country. 

It is a wonderful, and one of the few, truly American holidays.  One fun thing to do is to go to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in NYC.  You can go to the Parade or you can go the night before to see the balloons…both are events NOT TO BE MISSED!!!

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Thursday Nov. 25th, 9:00 a.m. – noon: This is a fun parade, but you will have to get there early.  Another fun thing to do is to watch them inflate the big balloons the night before.  Here’s the information taken from the parade website. http://www.macys.com/campaign/parade/index.jsp?bhcp=1 

Parade Route:  The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® begins at 77th Street and Central Park West.  It proceeds to Columbus Circle and turns onto Broadway.  The Parade marches down Broadway and turns west on 34th Street, just past Macy’s Herald Square.  The parade finishes at 7th Avenue.

Viewing Locations:  From Central Park West: the west side of the street from 70th Street to Columbus Circle and on the east side of the street from 70th to 65th Street.  Columbus Circle: the west side of the street.  Broadway: Broadway between 58th and 38th Streets.  34th Street: the south side of the street between Broadway and 7th Avenue.  There is no public viewing or press access on Broadway from 34th to 38th Street.  To ensure a good viewing location, get there early.  People arrive as early as 6:30AM.

 

Balloon Blow-Up

Balloon Blow-Up on Wednesday evening, Nov. 24th starts around 3:00 p.m.  It takes place on 77th and 81st Streets between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue.  Many people prefer going to the balloon inflating over the parade.  It is a lot of fun and definitely worth going to!!!

October News

Upcoming Holidays:  Monday, October 11th  is Columbus Day and Sunday, October 31st is Halloween.

Childcare Focus:  October is Young Adolescent Month. so, if you are caring for a child over 11, make an effort  to be extra patient.  Remember to set a good example, children are looking up to you!

Your Health:  It is a good time to get flu shots.  Save some money by avoiding the Emergency Room because for au pairs arriving after 2009 there is an additional deductible of $250 for visits to the Emergency Room.

September is Baby Safety Month.  Our clusters are offering FREE Infant/Child CPR classes, please let us know if you want to sign up!  This is a good time to check the following at your host family’s home:

  • Check condition and sturdiness of toys. Discard any with sharp edges or are broken or falling apart.
  • Check children’s clothing for loose buttons and strings.
  • Is baby’s pacifier still in good condition? If not, toss it. Never use strings to attach the pacifier to baby’s clothes or crib.
  • Where do you set baby’s carrier when she’s in it? Not on the counter, or any high surface. Babies can wiggle and tip themselves over.
  • Walkers can be dangerous (especially old ones that don’t meet today’s safety standards), they allow baby to move very quickly and reach things they normally can’t. Never use around stairs.
  • Stroller check. If your stroller is collapsible, be sure latches are secure before putting baby in. Always check that your child’s arms are out of the way when reversing handle directions so they won’t get pinched. Be sure to use that safety strap. Don’t hang overloaded or heavy bags on the handle of the stroller; this may cause it to tip over.
  • Can you name the 12 most common choking foods for kids under five? Popcorn, hot dogs, chunks of meat, raisins, ice cubes, chunky peanut butter, nuts of any kind, hard candy, grapes, raw carrots, potato chips and corn chips. Don’t leave toddlers alone while eating; if they begin to choke you need to be nearby to assist.
  • Get a piggy bank: this is a great place to put coins so they don’t end up on the floor, in the couch cushions and then baby’s mouth.
  • Never leave your child unattended in the bathtub. If the phone rings, let the machine get it.

September is Better Breakfast Month!

With the start of school, it is easy to rush out the door and forget to eat a HEALTHY and nutritious breakfast. Remember that children (and you) need a balanced diet including milk, meat, vegetables, fruit and grain. Breakfast can include 3 of these groups. Here are a few sample menus:

*Fruit, yogurt and toast
*Cereal, milk and juice
*Eggs, bacon and juice
*Pancakes, milk and fruit

Hopefully, this tip can help make you a great au pair!

ChildCare Tip….Using a Timer

Childcare focus– Use a Timer

Ask your host parents how much time they think it should take your host kids to complete a certain tasks that you and your host kids struggle with.  Then set the timer and have a race against the clock to get things done before the timer beeps.  There is no reward, just a high five and a challenge to do it faster the next day.   This makes it fun and exciting!  Once the behavior has changed and the struggle is over, you will not need the timer as the expectation has been set and met.

 

Use a timer for things like

  • getting dressed
  • room cleaning–set the timer for five or ten minutes and challenge your host kids to clean as much of the toys room as possible before the timer beeps
  • playtime before doing homework or chores