Tag Archives: long island au pair

Trips for Au Pairs

DSCN0920Au Pairs have two weeks of paid vacation each year in America and a month of travel after they complete their au pair program.  The Suffolk County cluster of Au Pair in America gathered this past Sunday to see a presentation by Tommy McNamara, a tour guide with Trek America.

The au pairs learned about cross country trips, long and short trips, and how Trek America travels. With over 40 years’ experience showing groups of travelers the USA, Canada, Alaska and Central America, Trek America knows a thing or two about putting on a good show and today they are the leaders in small group tours across North America.  Check out this video from Trek America!

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Daylight Savings Time This Sunday, March 9

Spring ahead

Most of the United States begins Daylight Saving Time at 2:00 a.m. on the second Sunday in March and reverts to standard time on the first Sunday in November. In the U.S., each time zone switches at a different time.

Change your clocks before you go to bed on Saturday, March 8.  Put your clocks ahead ONE HOUR.  This will give us one hour more of daylight beginning on Sunday, March 9.

The Daylight Saving Time 2014 time change is fairly simple: Most anything computerized, from a cell phone to a laptop, jumps ahead on its own. Most other watches and clocks need to be reset manually.

Spring forward, Fall back!

March 8th is International Women’s Day!

international women's day March 8 International Women’s Day is Saturday, March 8th! This day helps to jump start the month of March, which has now been named National Women’s History Month in the United States. International Women’s Day is celebrated in 176 countries and allows women worldwide to connect, celebrate and honor women past, present, and future.

On this day women will “Celebrate, Commit, and Connect.” They’ll celebrate like never before ~ connect as only women do ~ and commit to improve in 3 areas of their lives:
1. Personal ~ improve their personal health and well being, and their businesses as employees, business owners, entrepreneurs.
2. Family ~ help their families be healthier and prepare for the future right now.
3. Country ~ let their voices be heard: to speak up, to make positive changes in their communities/countries.

Au Pair in America is an organization fully committed to enriching the lives and minds of young women and this day is highly regarded within the organization.

Young women from all over the globe, ages 18 -26, come to America to live with an American family and learn about American culture. The Au Pair in America cultural exchange program provides a platform to really the change lives of the young women that participate. Fanny Carvajal-Delgado, one of our former au pairs from Costa Rica, has said “Working as an au pair with Au Pair in America is a life changing experience. It has changed my life, the way I value my family and friends, the way I see the world and the way I think about myself, in a positive way.  I will never be the same person ! When I finished the program I was more mature, Independent and responsible.”

In recognition of International Women’s Day, below are some ways you can celebrate this day as well as National Women’s History month in your lcoal community:

  • Register to vote
  • Attend an event promoting women’s health, equality or safety
  • Thank a woman who has been a positive influence in your life
  • Support a program that provides business training for women in developing countries
  • Make a donation that provides education for girls

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To find for an International Women’s Day event in your area, go to www.internationalwomensday.com!

February 17th is Random Acts of Kindness Day

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So, perform a few random acts of kindness- hold the door for a stranger, let someone go ahead of you in line at the grocery store, pay the road toll for the car behind you, give a compliment… the ideas are endless.

See if you can “pay it forward” and make February 17th a great day!

Au Pairs Enjoy Islanders Ice Hockey Game

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1534296_10152212488893792_1132362944_nLast Saturday the Long Island Au Pair in America Clusters enjoyed the Islanders ice hockey game at Nassau Coliseum.  Every month the au pairs are offered either a cultural activity or childcare-safety meeting with their Community Counselor.  The Islanders lost, but the au pairs enjoyed the experience of watching an American professional sports team play.  The fans are fun to be around, and the au pairs got into the excitement of the crowd!

Boston Globe Article on Au Pair in America

Helping au pairs feel right at home in US

By Cindy Atoji Keene

|  Globe Correspondent January 26, 2014

As a counselor, Melinda Brooks helps au pairs from around the world adapt to life in America.

JOANNE RATHE/GLOBE STAFF

As a counselor, Melinda Brooks helps au pairs from around the world adapt to life in America.

The first few weeks can be difficult for au pairs who have never been to the United States. But thanks to Melinda Brooks and other Au Pair in America counselors, the newly arrived guest workers often quickly feel at home with host families

“For many families, the live-in component is the best part of having an au pair — it’s truly a global experience and everyone involved learns about new cultures and customs,” said Brooks, who heads up a New England team of Au Pair in America community counselors.

Au pairs go through a four-day orientation, including safety and child development training. What’s one of the unusual aspects of the training?

It’s the little things, like not knowing how to fold a stroller or operate a microwave, that can be very bewildering. For example, a typical American family has a lot more stuff, not just toys, but infant equipment, like strollers, bouncy seats, and more. So we have all this equipment in a big room to introduce them to the gear.

Which countries do most of the au pairs come from?

We have about 500 host families in New England and recruit from over 50 countries. The families in our area tend to gravitate toward Germany, France, UK, South Africa, Thailand, Brazil, and Sweden.

What stereotypes do au pairs have about Americans?

Americans only eat junk food. All Americans are workaholics. All Americans are overweight. Of course, they quickly realize these are oversimplified images and often far from the truth.

If an au pair will do a lot of driving, are there assumptions you can make about their driving based on their home countries?

Typically Western Europeans tend to be good drivers, because they’re behind the wheel a lot. But in places like Peru, Bolivia, China, Slovenia, Croatia, most people don’t drive frequently. Massachusetts requires them to take driving lessons and get their licenses here.

What’s a typical conflict between au pair and host family?

Often it’s personality or lifestyle issues. They might want the kids out every day to kick the soccer ball, but the au pair might be sleeping in or staying up late. That’s where I come in, to help explain expectations and work through misunderstandings.

What’s your “happily ever after” au pair story?

I have a family in Lexington. The kids are older, so they just said good-bye to their last au pair. When their youngest son made his bar mitzvah recently, 12 au pairs came back to the States to be there. They flew in from all over the world — Germany, Lithuania, South Africa. It’s a testament to cultural harmony that we don’t often see today.

Cindy Atoji Keene can be reached atcindy@cindyatoji.com.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2014/01/26/peace-love-understanding-and-child-care/RJSI55wXk83Im1UJ3CRAXJ/story.html

Beat the Post Holiday & Winter Blues Tips for Au Pairs

5_ways_to_overcome_the_winter_bluesAfter the decorations are put away, the celebrations are over, the New Year has begun: and the post holiday winter blues are starting to hit you and your host family.  What can you do to get through the long cold winter months happily?

  1. Get outside every day with the kids, bundle up and play outside.  Go to the park, take a walk, ride bikes; we have been having an unusually warm winter, so enjoy it!  If it snows, build a snowman, go sledding, have fun outside!
  2. Stay on routine with the kids; get up on time, have breakfast, get to the bus stop on time.  Make sure homework is done and everyone gets to their activities on time.  Bedtime routines are important, make sure everyone gets enough sleep and that includes YOU!
  3. Register for your classes, and get ready to start learning something new!
  4. Call a friend and meet for coffee and conversation if you feel housebound.
  5. Set up a play date with another au pair and her host children (similar ages) and enjoy a day together!
  6. Join a gym with another au pair!
  7. Use the library in your town.  Sign the kids up for free programs (talk to host parents about the programs!)  Join the English conversation group, improve your English and meet people!
  8. Prepare a Global Awareness presentation for one of your host kids’ classes, ask me for help!
  9. Volunteer at a local hospital, school, animal shelter, food bank if you have extra time on your hands and need to do something!  Doing for others is always an answer for the blues!!
  10. Come to our next cluster meetings.  There is a Mandatory meeting on February 9th!!

Things to Do While the Kids Are Off From School

From the Three Village Patch Online Paper

Fun ideas for how to entertain the kids during the holiday break.

Brought to you by our series “100 Things to Do in Three Village,” here are some activities you can do and local places you can go while the kids are off from school – along with a few ideas for fun outside of Three Village, too.

#99 – Find a Good Book at Emma S. Clark Memorial Library. It’s got a huge children’s section, and beyond the books, the library has tons of movies to rent and programs to take part in.

#98 – Watch an Eagle Flap its Wings in Stony Brook. If you’ve never seen the mechanical eagle in the Stony Brook Village Center, now’s the time to go.

#91 – Walk the Labyrinth at Avalon Park. As long as the mild December weather holds up, check out this outdoor treasure.

#90 – Catch a Movie, Maybe Even for Free. There are plenty of children’s movies playing in the theaters right now, and the library often has free movie showings.

#89 – Visit the Long Island Museum of Art, History and Carriages. You don’t have to travel to New York City to find a cool museum – this one is a Smithsonian affiliate.

#74 – Visit an Historic Lighthouse. Read up on the history of the lighthouse before you go; the Village of Old Field has a good history on its website.

#68 – Learn the History of Hercules. Another fun outdoor activity to do as long as the weather stays mild.

#53 – Learn About the Setauket Spies. “Spies! How a Group of Long Island Patriots Helped George Washington Win the Revolution” at the Three Village Historical Society is all about the Culper Spy Ring of Setauket. Call ahead for hours.

#45 – Cheer on the Seawolves. Don’t even try to resist Wolfie’s charms. Check out the hoops action by visiting GoSeawolves.org for the teams’ schedules.

#32 – A ‘Revolution’ in Video Gaming. The Revolution video game center opened in September in Stony Brook. Great for kids and teens.

Outside of Three Village:

Visit the Long Island Aquarium in Riverhead. With seasonal exhibits and both indoor and outdoor fun, it’s a not-to-be-missed Long Island attraction.

Head to Museum Row in Garden City. Three very different museums all in a row – the Long Island Children’s Museum, the Cradle of Aviation Museum, and the Nassau County Firefighter’s Museum and Education Center.

Chuck E. Cheese’s on Jericho Turnpike in Commack is a staple of children’s entertainment.

Check out the Port Jefferson Patch events calendar for children’s events, including maritime-themed fun, in downtown Port Jefferson.

Au Pair Helps Others for Thanksgiving

2013-11-24_11.59.13 - CopyThe 5th annual Thanksgiving Basket Brigade,

By Jessica Klose, au pair with Au Pair in America.

“This basket of love and hope is for people in need.”

On Sunday, November 24, 2013 a group of helpers spent their Sunday evening in Stony Brook to prepare baskets for people in need. They prepared baskets for Thanksgiving.
A friend of me told me about the 5th annual Thanksgiving Basket Brigade and asked me if I want to help and spent some food, like some vegetables or stuffing. Something you need to have a Thanksgiving dinner. So we did. We went to the store with two more friends and bought food. On the Sunday morning we went to Stony Brook to help to prepare 40 baskets for 40 families. It wasn’t just us and her host family, their were a lot of more helpers. Some of them do it every year and it was nice to be a part of it this year. I was surprised to see how much food they got together. So we got to work. We started to fill the baskets with turkey, vegetables, pies, fruits, stuffing, mashed potatoes and more.
2013-11-24_11.55.17We wrapped them up and after 3 hours, I think, we were done with all 40 baskets.
Right after we prepared the baskets some of the helpers brought the basket to the families or to people who knew the families who could need the baskets.
I even had the chance to bring 3 baskets to a woman who knew families that need the support.

The 5th annual Thanksgiving Basket Brigade is entirely self funded and based on the support of friends, families and everyone who wants to help.2013-11-24_11.59.13

Meet Au Pair in America at Stony Brook Holiday Festival!

On Sunday, December 8th at 1:30 meet Cindy Garruba, Suffolk County Au Pair in America Community Counselor in Stony Brook Village at the Holiday Festival.  Visit with au pairs and host families, enjoy the festivities and learn about how Au Pair in America can serve your childcare needs!

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