Tag Archives: children

DRIVING WITH KIDS IN THE CAR

Driving with kids in the car can be particularly distracting especially if there is crying, whining, or some other issue that warrants attention. It is hard to ignore children who want attention, but when you are driving you need to remain focused on DRIVING!

  1. Be prepared. Before you put the kids in the car, make sure you have items that they may need easily on hand or within reach. For babies, plan to feed them before you depart– eating in the car may not be the best practice due to your limited ability to react to choking or spills. For older kids, put snacks, drinks and toys within easy reach. In all cases, make sure that any heavier items such as video games or larger books have a place to be stored (such as in the seatback pockets) so that they won’t become potential projectiles in the event of a crash.
  2. Make them wait. As unpleasant as it can be, tell the kids that you cannot help because you are driving and that they will need to wait until you can pull over or until you get to your destination. You may have to listen to a tantrum, but at least the child is restrained in a seat and cannot hurt anyone.
  3. Keep your eyes forward. Resist the urge to reach back or take your eyes off the road even when you’re stopped. It only takes a second for an accident to occur.
  4. Pull over. If you cannot deal with screaming and need to tend to your child immediately, pull over to a safe spot. It’s safer to get off the highway and go into a gas station, than move to the side of the road where you could face other hazards such as the possibility of getting struck by another vehicle.
  5. Use your mirrors. If your children are in rear-facing car seats, attach a mirror to the head restraint to be able to monitor them. It’s comforting to know you can still monitor the kids if there is something wrong without turning around.
  6. Set the ground rules. Educate children on car safety. Tell them that drivers need to pay attention to the road, so that everyone is safe. If they know you can’t and won’t react, then they won’t expect it.
  7. Distract the children. Try to distract whining children by engaging them in a song or game outside of the car. Have children’s music available to play. Pointing out school buses, fire trucks, and traffic lights always seems to work and soon they forget what was bothering them in the first place.
  8. Stay off the phone. For the safety of yourself and your children (and others on the road), do not use the cell phone to talk or text. You’re carrying precious cargo and your job is to transport them safely. IT IS AGAINST THE LAW TO USE THE CELL PHONE WHILE YOU ARE DRIVING! If you need to make a call, pull over to a safe place.

New Canaan Au Pairs Decorate Face Masks

When Staying Put in New Canaan asked for help decorating face masks to be included in food baskets being delivered as part of it’s Celebration of Generations virtual luncheon, Au Pair in America au pairs in New Canaan volunteered to decorate 60 of the white cotton masks. An international group from Brazil, the Czech Republic, Peru, New Zealand, Germany, Colombia, Latvia, South Africa and Poland enjoyed doing something good for the community that has welcomed them so warmly.

MINIMIZING MORNING MADNESS

It’s important to have effective morning routines so children get off to school without stress. Older children can help plan their routines.

Here are some specific ideas for minimizing morning madness on school days:

  • Prepare the night before. Make lunch, pack backpacks, and set out clothes.
  • Set up a launching pad—a place near the door for children’s backpacks, coats, shoes, hats and gloves so no time is wasted looking for these items.
  • Wake up at least half an hour before the kids. Shower, get dressed, have your coffee/breakfast, and be ready!
  • Have a reliable wake up system for the kids. An alarm clock or clock radio is good.
  • Stagger wake up times for the kids. Pre-teen and teenagers usually need more time to shower and groom.
  • Younger kids should bathe the night before to reduce bathroom congestion.
  • Have kids choose what they are wearing the night before. Limit choices and make sure everything is neat and clean.
  • Don’t rush the children! Make sure there is enough time to wash, dress, eat breakfast, comb hair and brush teeth. Start earlier if you need to.
  • Avoid turning on the TV. Kids can waste a lot of time watching TV or playing. These activities should be permitted only if they are completely ready for school.
  • Don’t skip breakfast! Hungry kids can’t concentrate in school.
  • Remind kids to use the bathroom just before leaving for school. Lots of kids don’t like to use the school bathroom.
  • Wish the kids a great day. Give them each a hug!

July 4th

Independence Day, or July 4th, commemorates the day the American colonies declared independence from Great Britain in 1776. It is a day of celebration, relaxation and hopefully safe times with family and friends.  Often, this day is focused on BBQs and fireworks. To learn more about the historical context, read on.

Abraham Lincoln: https://www.nps.gov/liho/learn/historyculture/declaration.htm

Now, my countrymen, if you have been taught doctrines conflicting with the great landmarks of the Declaration of Independence; if you have listened to suggestions which would take away from its grandeur, and mutilate the fair symmetry of its proportions; if you have been inclined to believe that all men are not created equal in those inalienable rights enumerated by our chart of liberty, let me entreat you to come back. Return to the fountain whose waters spring close by the blood of the Revolution. Think nothing of me – take no thought for the political fate of any man whomsoever – but come back to the truths that are in the Declaration of Independence. You may do anything with me you choose, if you will but heed these sacred principles. You may not only defeat me for the Senate, but you may take me and put me to death. While pretending no indifference to earthly honors, I do claim to be actuated in this contest by something higher than an anxiety for office. I charge you to drop every paltry and insignificant thought for any man’s success. It is nothing; I am nothing; Judge Douglas is nothing. But do not destroy that immortal emblem of Humanity – the Declaration of American Independence.

Frederick Douglass –Frederick Douglass was a fiery orator and his speeches were often published in various abolitionist (anti-slavery) newspapers. His well-known speech presented in Rochester, New York, on July 5, 1852, is often studied in literature classes today. Douglass moved to Rochester in 1847, when he became the publisher of The North Star, an abolitionist weekly. There were approximately 500 attendees who heard him speak, each paying twelve and a half cents.

 The links below include transcripts of the speech, a live version read by James Earl Jones and a virtual free class on it being offered over the next few days.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0baE_CtU08

https://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/what-to-the-slave-is-the-fourth-of-july/

https://stbarts.org/event/1829422-2020-07-01-frederick-douglass-fourth-of-july-oration/

President Harry S. Truman , July 4 1951:

The principles of the Declaration of Independence are the right principles. They are sound enough to guide us through this crisis as they have guided us through other crises of the past. Freedom can overcome tyranny in the 20th century as surely as it overcame the tyrants of the 18th century. There is a text inscribed on the Liberty Bell, the bell that rang out a hundred and seventy-five years ago to announce the signing of the Declaration of Independence. When the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly ordered that bell for the statehouse in Philadelphia, they directed that it should bear certain words, “well-shaped in large letters.” You remember what those words were: “Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.” We should write these words again today. We should write them in everything we do in this country—”well-shaped in large letters”—by every deed and act, so that the whole world can read them.

Emma Lazarus, “The New Colossus” (1883) – Written to raise funds for the base of the Statue of Liberty, this famous poem is engraved on it for all to see. The lines “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” speak volumes to the nation of immigrants. Emma Lazarus was an American author of poetry, prose, and translations, as well as an activist for Jewish causes. She wrote the sonnet “The New Colossus” in 1883. Its lines appear inscribed on a bronze plaque, installed in 1903, on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. https://poets.org/poem/new-colossus?gclid=CjwKCAjwi_b3BRAGEiwAemPNU5p8KNMlkalKwZA7Dl3rY8BZMLinfQVoU6N1Tv_6_mV62I7P7IAaVhoCIbYQAvD_BwE

Claude McKay, “America” (1921) – A love sonnet written by a leader of the Harlem Rennaissance, “America” portrays the poet’s adoration for the country while, at the same time, confronting the troubles he has seen in his community. https://shenandoahliterary.org/blog/2014/03/america-by-claude-mckay-1921/

With freedom comes responsibility.                                                                                                        Eleanor Roosevelt

Au Pair in America Explorer for January

Johanna K from Germany in Marianne Grandin’s  New Canaan, CT cluster

Johanna’s community counselor Marianne Grandin nominated Johanna for the Au Pair in America Explorer recognition.  Marianne let us know that “Johanna is making the most of her au pair year. She is taking a weekend class in Washington DC with several other au pairs. She has traveled to Boston, Upstate NY, Maine, New Hampshire, Philadelphia, Rhode Island, and Toronto (so far!). Johanna did a very interesting Global Awareness presentation in the classroom of one of her host children, sharing her holiday traditions. She attends cluster meetings regularly.”
Here’s the Facebook post from the school, about her Global Awareness presentation:
“What a very special way to start our day learning about the German tradition of St. Nicholas We learned about St. Nicholas’s kindness and giving of gifts to other that may be in need. Each of us drew pictures of our wishes for the new year and then got our boots!  Johanna taught us about leaving clean boots by the door with cookies and carrots for St. Nicholas and his white horse! We added our wishes to the boots and we put them all together so they can be easily found tonight. We’re hoping that St. Nicholas will come by to take our wishes and leave us a surprise!! HUGE THANKS to JOHANNA for sharing and teaching us so much today. Our classroom was happily filled with wonderful talks of kindness, St. Nicholas and Germany for the rest of the day! We’re so excited to come to school tomorrow to see our boots!! THANK YOU JOHANNA!!

What is an Au Pair in America Explorer?

These are au pairs who embrace all aspects of the au pair program (volunteering, attending monthly cluster activities, attending webinars, discovering new places) and for those going above and beyond, sharing their culture through Global Awareness. For complete details: https://www.aupairinamerica.com/pdf/apia-explorer.pdf

Valentines Day Fun With Your Kids

February 4, 2020 – 9:00 am

Valentine’s Day (February 14) is a time of love, friendship, giving, and caring. Americans use Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to tell friends and family how much they care.  Children usually exchange cards at school.

Are you looking for Valentine’s Day activity, recipe and craft ideas? Look no further…  Au Pair in America has a Pinterest pinboard devoted to Valentine’s Day.

APIA Valentine’s Day Pinboard

Photo: Clever Cupcakes (Flickr)

STAYING HEALTHY THIS WINTER

Sore throat and runny nose are usually the first signs of a cold, followed by coughing and sneezing. Most people recover in about 7-10 days. You can help reduce your risk of getting a cold: wash your hands often, avoid close contact with sick people, and don’t touch your face with unwashed hands.

Common colds are the main reason that children miss school and adults miss work. Each year in the United States, there are millions of cases of the common cold. Adults have an average of 2-3 colds per year, and children have even more.

Most people get colds in the winter and spring, but it is possible to get a cold any time of the year. Symptoms usually include:

  • sore throat
  • runny nose
  • coughing
  • sneezing
  • headaches
  • body aches

Most people recover within about 7-10 days. However, people with weakened immune systems, asthma, or respiratory conditions may develop serious illness, such as bronchitis or pneumonia.

Boy washing hands
Help reduce your risk of getting a cold by washing hands often with soap and water.

How to Protect Yourself

Viruses that cause colds can spread from infected people to others through the air and close personal contact. You can also get infected through contact with stool (poop) or respiratory secretions from an infected person. This can happen when you shake hands with someone who has a cold, or touch a surface, like a doorknob, that has respiratory viruses on it, then touch your eyes, mouth, or nose.

You can help reduce your risk of getting a cold:

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water. Wash them for 20 seconds, and help young children do the same. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Viruses that cause colds can live on your hands, and regular handwashing can help protect you from getting sick.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. Viruses that cause colds can enter your body this way and make you sick.
  • Stay away from people who are sick. Sick people can spread viruses that cause the common cold through close contact with others.

Girl sneezing into shirt sleeve
Practice good cough and sneeze etiquette: always cough and sneeze into a tissue or your upper shirt sleeve, completely covering your mouth and nose.

How to Protect Others

If you have a cold, you should follow these tips to help prevent spreading it to other people:

  • Stay at home while you are sick and keep children out of school or daycare while they are sick.
  • Avoid close contact with others, such as hugging, kissing, or shaking hands.
  • Move away from people before coughing or sneezing.
  • Cough and sneeze into a tissue then throw it away, or cough and sneeze into your upper shirt sleeve, completely covering your mouth and nose.
  • Wash your hands after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose.
  • Disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects, such as toys and doorknobs.

There is no vaccine to protect you against the common cold.

How to Feel Better

There is no cure for a cold. To feel better, you should get lots of rest and drink plenty of fluids. Over-the-counter medicines may help ease symptoms but will not make your cold go away any faster. Always read the label and use medications as directed. Talk to your doctor before giving your child nonprescription cold medicines, since some medicines contain ingredients that are not recommended for children. Learn more about symptom relief of upper respiratory infections, including colds.

Antibiotics will not help you recover from a cold caused by a respiratory virus. They do not work against viruses, and they may make it harder for your body to fight future bacterial infections if you take them unnecessarily. Learn more about when antibiotics work.

When to See a Doctor

You should call your doctor if you or your child has one or more of these conditions:

  • symptoms that last more than 10 days
  • symptoms that are severe or unusual
  • if your child is younger than 3 months of age and has a fever or is lethargic

You should also call your doctor right away if you are at high risk for serious flu complications and get flu symptoms such as fever, chills, and muscle or body aches. People at high risk for flu complications include young children (younger than 5 years old), adults 65 years and older, pregnant women, and people with certain medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, and heart disease.

Your doctor can determine if you or your child has a cold or the flu and can recommend treatment to help with symptoms.

Causes of the Common Cold

Many different respiratory viruses can cause the common cold, but rhinoviruses are the most common. Rhinoviruses can also trigger asthma attacks and have been linked to sinus and ear infections. Other viruses that can cause colds include respiratory syncytial virus, human parainfluenza viruses, adenovirus, human coronaviruses, and human metapneumovirus.

Know the Difference between Common Cold and Flu

The flu, which is caused by influenza viruses, also spreads and causes illness around the same time as the common cold. Because these two illnesses have similar symptoms, it can be difficult (or even impossible) to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone. In general, flu symptoms are worse than the common cold and can include fever or feeling feverish/chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches and fatigue (tiredness). Flu can also have very serious complications. CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccination as the first and best way to prevent the flu. If you get the flu, antiviral drugs may be a treatment option.

More Information

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

MINIMIZING MORNING MADNESS

It’s important to have effective morning routines so children get off to school without stress. Older children can help plan their routines.

Here are some specific ideas for minimizing morning madness on school days:

  • Prepare the night before. Make lunch, pack backpacks, and set out clothes.
  • Set up a launching pad—a place near the door for children’s backpacks, coats, shoes, hats and gloves so no time is wasted looking for these items.
  • Wake up at least half an hour before the kids. Shower, get dressed, have your coffee/breakfast, and be ready!
  • Have a reliable wake up system for the kids. An alarm clock or clock radio is good.
  • Stagger wake up times for the kids. Pre-teen and teenagers usually need more time to shower and groom.
  • Younger kids should bathe the night before to reduce bathroom congestion.
  • Have kids choose what they are wearing the night before. Limit choices and make sure everything is neat and clean.
  • Don’t rush the children! Make sure there is enough time to wash, dress, eat breakfast, comb hair and brush teeth. Start earlier if you need to.
  • Avoid turning on the TV. Kids can waste a lot of time watching TV or playing. These activities should be permitted only if they are completely ready for school.
  • Don’t skip breakfast! Hungry kids can’t concentrate in school.
  • Remind kids to use the bathroom just before leaving for school. Lots of kids don’t like to use the school bathroom.
  • Wish the kids a great day. Give them each a hug!

SUMMER SAFETY INFORMATION

Summer is coming, so it is an important time to talk about the specific safety issues of the season:

SUNSCREEN 

  • Apply early and repeat. For kids six months and older (as well as adults), sunscreens with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or greater reduce the intensity of UVRs that cause sunburns. Apply liberally 15 to 30 minutes before sun exposure, so it can absorb into the skin and decrease the likelihood that it will be washed off. Reapply every two hours and after kids swim, sweat or dry off with a towel. .
  • Cover up. Dress kids in protective clothing and hats. Clothing can be an excellent barrier of ultraviolet rays. Many light-weight sun-protective styles cover the neck, elbows and knees.
  • Keep infants out of the sun. Keep babies younger than six months out of direct sunlight, dressed in cool, comfortable clothing and wearing hats with brims. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says sunscreen may be used on infants younger than six months on small areas of skin if adequate clothing and shade are not available. Ask your host family if they want you to use sunscreen on an infant.
  • Plan early morning play. Avoid over exposure to sun by avoiding peak-sun hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) as much as possible. Make sure you all can get a break from the sun when needed.
  • Beware of shade. Shade does provide relief from the heat, but it offers a false sense of security about UVR protection. You can still sunburn in shade, because light is scattered and reflected. A fair-skinned person sitting under a tree can burn in less than an hour.
  • Check the weather. Look for the ultra-violet (UV) index (on a site like Weather.com) when planning outdoor activities; it predicts the intensity of UV light based on the sun’s position, cloud movements, altitude, ozone data and other factors. Higher UV index numbers predict more intense UV light.

POOL/BEACH RULES

Here are tips to prevent accidents around the water. Also read this article: http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/family/2013/06/rescuing_drowning_children_how_to_know_when_someone_is_in_trouble_in_the.html

  • EYES ON THE KIDS AT ALL TIMES:   Even if your kids are swimmers, they MUST be watched.   Anything can happen in the water – do not rely on lifeguards.   YOU are in charge!
  • Stay within arms reach of young children in the water.
  • Never allow young children near the water without an adult.
  • Inexperienced and non-swimmers should wear a life jacket in the water.
  • Stay off cell phones. Do NOT allow yourself to get distracted when your kids are around water.
  • Only swim when a lifeguard is on duty at a public pool or beach, and never swim alone.
  • Kiddie pools in backyards should be drained after use.
  • For houses that have swimming pools, BRING EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO THE POOL WHEN THE KIDS GO IN!! Don’t run back inside because you forgot a towel and leave the kids unattended!
  • Never prop the gate to a pool open!

 INSECTS

  • Check for allergic reactions. Some kids react to insect bites more than others. If your child gets bitten and seems to have an allergic reaction to the bite, ask your host parents if you should seek medical attention or give your child an oral antihistamine or other medication.
  • Beware of serious bug-borne illnesses. West Nile is a virus you may hear about when the heat strikes. If you hear of instances in our area, and your child has bites and flu-symptoms (including muscle-stiffness), talk to your host parents about seeing a doctor. It’s better to be safe.
  • Check for ticks. Ticks thrive in warm, moist, woodsy areas, so ideally kids should wear long clothing to cover their skin when walking in the woods or tall grass. Clothes are a culprit, too; ticks can come in on a t-shirt! If the clothes aren’t dirty enough to need washing, do it anyway. Placing clothes in the dryer on high heat for at least an hour will kill any ticks.
    Kids six and older can check themselves, with adult guidance, but they must check their entire body, not just forearms and legs:  under the arms, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, back of the knees, in and around the hair, between the legs, around the waist, etc. If a child develops any rash or fever after a tick bite, talk to your host parents about seeing the doctor.

DEHYDRATION
You may be surprised how much — and when — kids should drink liquids. To prevent dehydration, kids should drink 12 ounces of fluid 30 minutes before an activity begins and take mandatory fluid breaks (like many day camps require), with kids under 90 pounds drinking five ounces every 20 minutes during activities, and kids over 90 pounds drinking nine ounces every 20 minutes. Tip: A child’s gulp equals a half-ounce of fluid, so your child should drink about 10 gulps for every 20 minutes of play.  The Safe Kids Coalition urges parents and caregivers to watch for warning signs of dehydration, such as thirst, dry or sticky mouth, headache, muscle cramping, irritability, extreme fatigue, weakness, dizziness or decreased performance.

HELMET DURING BIKE RIDING, SKATE BOARDING, ETC.

Make a family rule: no helmet, no wheels.   ALWAY’S REMEMBER TO BUCKLE THE CHIN STRAP!!

NEVER LEAVE KIDS ALONE IN A CAR – EVER!!!!  
Never leave a child alone in a car, even for a minute.  Fatalities can occur at temperatures as low as the mid-50s because a vehicle heats up so quickly. Children are at a great risk for heat stroke because their bodies heat up three to five times faster than an adult’s does.  This rule always applies in all weather.

Summer Gear to keep in your vehicle/in your possession:

  • Cell phone
  • Water
  • Medications for chronic conditions, an epi-pen for a child with known allergies
  • Antibiotic cream for cuts and scrapes, bandaids
  • Crushable icepack for bruises
  • Sun protection
  • Hats and sunglasses
  • Insect repellent
  • Tweezers for ticks

Au Pairs Volunteer!

More than two dozen au pairs with Au Pair in America helped the Young Women’s League of New Canaan fill 10,000 plastic eggs with candy for the town Easter Egg Hunt! The au pairs, from around the world, enjoy experiencing American traditions during their time in the US. They are quite eager to volunteer in the community, meet new people, and have fun!