Author Archives: Carol Steinman

Challenged to Get Children to do Chores?

Ask your host parents how much time they think it should take your host kids to complete a certain task 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 toy room as possible before the timer beeps
  • playtime before doing homework or chores

Having a hard time getting your host child to improve his behavior?

Childcare focus– Charts  – Stickers or stars are put on a piece of paper to show behavioral improvements. This is called a behavior chart. It works well with chronic problems –such as completing chores and homework or for starting routines. Once a goal of quantity of stickers has been achieved, a reward is given. The reward should not be food or toys; it should be more time doing a favorite activity, such as going to the park.  You should only focus on improving one behavior using the chart method at a time. It takes a lot of work and consistency to maintain an effective chart, so if you don’t know enough about charting, research it before you start.

Au Pair Tips


Driving– May is National Good Car Care Month
Take this opportunity to clean out the inside of the car and if it’s a nice day the school-age children might enjoy helping to wash the outside!

Healthy eating– May is also National Salad month. Try Blue Cheese and Pear, Tropical or Greek at your next meal. For the children,
Slice up the following fruits to make a salad. Top with plain yogurt. YUM!

1 banana

1 apple

1 peeled orange or tangerine

Berries, grapes or melon

Enjoy!

Hints for success – Many of you have been here for several months, don’t let yourself get into a routine of not doing your best. Take initiative – don’t wait to be asked, anticipate children’s needs, and offer to help when you are sharing “family time.”

Coffee at Compo Beach

Westport au pairs spent the morning having coffee at Compo Beach and getting a chance to catch up with their fellow au pairs at our May cluster meeting.  It was a beautiful day, the sun  was bright but it was a windy, chilly May morning!  IMG_1102IMG_1104IMG_1107

May Calendar

May 1 – `May Day is a holiday similar to Labor Day in the US. May Day is a spring festival celebrating the renewal of nature. May Day was especially popular in England during medieval times, with children dancing around the Maypole.

May 5 – Cinco de mayo – Cinco de mayo commemorates the May 5, 1862 Battle of Puebla (Batalla de Puebla) in which Mexican troops defeated Napoleon’s French forces. Cinco de mayo is celebrated more in the United States than in Mexico

May 7 – Teacher Appreciation Day – Today is a day to honor teachers – if your child is in school he or she might want to make a card for the teacher. Preschool age children 3-5 love playing school. Let the child be the teacher and read you a story or give you homework. You might want to invite some dolls or stuffed animals into the classroom as well.

May 8- Mother’s Day – Today is a day to celebrate and pamper Mom. Help the children make cards or gifts or plan a special meal or other surprise for Mom.

May 23-June 16 – Art About Town in Westport – Shop Main Street, which becomes one continuous art gallery to enjoy.  Art About Town begins with a festive Opening Night Celebration on Thursday May 23rd from 5:30-8:30 p.m. That night Main Street will be traffic-free and filled with music, street performers, art demonstrations and refreshments.  Art will remain on display through Sunday June 16th.

May 27- Memorial Day Memorial Day started in 1868 after the Civil War ended. Dead soldiers from both the north and the south were honored as a way to try to heal the nation. Now all past soldiers are honored. It is also a day that is considered to be the start of the summer season. Many people celebrate with a cook-out or even a trip to the beach. Many towns have a Memorial Day parade – this would be fun to watch, or even to march in

Fun Things to Do during the April vacation

April 12- Scrabble
Alfred Butts who was born on this day in 1899 invented Scrabble, the game that uses letter tiles to spell words. As soon as children learn to read and spell they can play an easy version of Scrabble.  For very beginning readers you can create your own simple game by making letter tiles from index cards for each letter that is used in the words the child knows. Be sure to make extra vowels (a, e, i, o, u) as they appear most frequently. Uses these letter cards together and you can help strengthen the children’s reading and spelling skills while having fun.

April 14 -National Library Week-April 14-20 – Visit the Westport Library, a fabulous place for your children to play, read, and learn.  Take your host children to story time, nursery rhyme time, chess club, movie afternoon or any of the other wonderful programs they offer for free.

April 27- Arbor Day -Arbor Day is annual observance dedicated to the planting and conservation of trees. On Arbor Day, many people plant trees and bushes in their communities.  Have your host children decorate a flowerpot,  plant some seeds in it, tend them and watch them grow.

Acting
Most children love to be the center of attention, so being on stage is natural for them. Choose 4 or five things that don’t go together and put them in a bag. Work with the children to make up a story to act out, using the things in the bag. It can be very funny!

Take time this week to visit the Bruce Museum in Greenwich.  Or go on a hike through Earthplace, Westport’s own Nature Center.  Arrange to meet some au pairs and other host children at the Compo Beach playground.

Childcare focus

Cleaning Up Made Easy
Is it hard to get cooperation at clean-up time?
Turn clean-up time into a game. Try throwing a die, if it lands on one, the person who threw the die must clean-up one thing, if the die lands on four then he or she must pick up four things, and so on. Everyone plays (even the au pair)!

Au Pairs Give Back to Their Community

Au Pair in America au pairs learned to make lavender sachets for cancer patients throughout the cancer support community, including Norma Pfriem Breast Care Center and the CT Challenge Center in Southport on Wednesday night April 3, 2013 at a little square in Fairfield. Owner of the unusual children’s boutique and creator of the Pink Pom Pom Project, Alexandra Wallace-Currie taught them how to create the pleasing fragrant bags that help patients undergoing chemotherapy treatments to relax.
The Pink Pom Pom Project was started by Alex two years ago when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Creating crafts for herself and others became her solace and passion. Alex has helped many similar patients by hosting crafting events and parties at her retail store to teach others to make sachets, frames, belts, hair accessories, knitted blankets and hats to donate to the sick. a little square, located at 1981 Post Road in Fairfield, sells unique children’s clothing, accessories and toys and a percentage of the profits goes to those battling illness.
The Westport and Fairfield au pairs had a wonderful time creating colorful sachets and funky picture frames to give to the Bridgeport Hospital patients, as well as gifts to their own host families.
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April Calendar

April 1- April Fools Day – Today is generally observed by tricking someone. Think of a silly and harmless trick to play. Work with the children to write a silly story to read to the parents. Try serving breakfast foods for dinner or some other harmless way to trick the children.

April is Community Service Month!  Join us Wednesday April 3rd as we make a craft for cancer patients.

April 15 – If you earned more than $3800 in 2012 you will need to file taxes by this date.