Father’s Day is coming up on Sunday, June 18. If you are looking for gifts you can help your host children make, check out the Au Pair in America pinboard: Father’s Day Ideas
And don’t forget to wish your own father a Happy Father’s Day!
Photo: Pai Shih (Flickr)
Mother’s Day in the U.S. is Sunday, May 14.
Mother’s Day recognizes mothers, motherhood and maternal bonds in general, as well as the positive contributions that they make to society. It was established by Anna Jarvis, with the first official Mother’s Day was celebrated at St. Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, on May 10, 1908.
You will find great ideas for projects you can make with your host children here on the Au Pair in America Mother’s Day pinboard.
Photo: Mrs. Flinger (Flickr)
“Game plan” means a strategy for how you are going to accomplish something. In the case of keeping kids from getting bored and/or into trouble, the best way to prevent it is to keep them busy with safe, fun activities. When there are days home from school, letting kids sit around watching TV or play video games is not the best use of their time. Providing fun alternatives will make it much easier to pull them away from the screen.
You need to make a plan of what you will do with them each day and prepare for that. Planning is very important. You don’t want to tell them you are going some place fun, only to arrive there and see they are not open that day or you needed to bring something and you don’t have it.
If your plan includes a craft or cooking project, make sure you have:
If your plan includes an outing to someplace fun, figure out:
Use some of these online resources to find activities and recipes:
Have a wonderful Spring Break!
Photos: Willow Gardeners & Carissa Rogers
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 and craft ideas?
Look no further… Au Pair in America has a Pinterest pinboard devoted to Valentine’s Day:
Photo: Clever Cupcakes (Flickr)
Swords, knives, and other costume accessories should be short, soft, and flexible.
Avoid trick-or-treating alone. Walk in groups or with a trusted adult.
Fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags to help drivers see you.
Examine all treats for choking hazards and tampering before eating them. Limit the amount of treats you eat.
Hold a flashlight while trick-or-treating to help you see and others see you. WALK and don’t run from house to house.
Always test make-up in a small area first. Remove it before bedtime to prevent possible skin and eye irritation.
Look both ways before crossing the street. Use crosswalks wherever possible.
Lower your risk for serious eye injury by not wearing decorative contact lenses.
Only walk on sidewalks whenever possible, or on the far edge of the road facing traffic to stay safe.
Wear well-fitting masks, costumes, and shoes to avoid blocked vision, trips, and falls.
Eat only factory-wrapped treats. Avoid eating homemade treats made by strangers.
Enter homes only if you’re with a trusted adult. Only visit well-lit houses. Never accept rides from strangers.
Never walk near lit candles or luminaries. Be sure to wear flame-resistant costumes.
Dedicated to ages 10-15 this serves as a reminder of the insecurity of young adolescents. Help the young adolescents you care for to recognize their abilities. Help to make home a safe and comfortable place where it is okay to learn from mistakes. Help them to learn about the adult values of hard work, family and discipline.
Even though kids this age are typically pretty independent and may seem like they don’t need or want much interaction from an au pair, this is not completely true. They still enjoy when you take an interest in their activities. Find ways to connect with them through shared interests or let them introduce you to things they care about.
HERE are some tips on getting tweens and teens to be physically active.
Photo: Marlon Dias
Looking for fun things to do with your kids?
Check out Au Pair in America’s Halloween Fun & Fall Holidays pinboards on Pinterest.
Photo: Angela Severn (Flickr)
From the Newseum website:
The Newseum offers everything from the Berlin Wall and Pulitzer Prize-winning photos to interactive games. This summer, there’s one more great reason to visit — kids get in free! July 1 through Labor Day, the Newseum waives admission for youth visitors age 18 and younger. Up to four kids visit for free with each paid adult or senior admission, or Press Pass membership.
Whether you have just a few hours or want to spend all day, you’ll find something for everyone in the Newseum’s 15 theaters and 15 galleries. Time running short? Remember to save your admission ticket and come back the next day for free!
Adults (19 to 64)
$22.95 plus tax
Seniors (65+)
$18.95 plus tax
Youth (7 to 18)
Free
Children (6 and younger)
Free
When the weather is nice, we spend more time outdoors with the children. Playing in the back yard, at the playground or walking on nature trails are great ways to get fresh air and exercise.
What are ticks? – Ticks are small mites that attach themselves to skin and suck blood. Click HERE to see examples of ticks.
Where are ticks commonly found? – Ticks are normally found in areas with trees, bushes or tall grass. This includes back yards, parks, nature areas and most places you would be spending time with the children outdoors in the nice weather.
What needs to be done? – When you return home from areas where ticks might live, carefully check the children (their skin and scalp) for ticks.
Most ticks do not carry diseases, and most tick bites do not cause serious health problems. But it is important to remove a tick as soon as you find it. Removing the tick completely may help you avoid diseases such as Lyme Disease that the tick may pass on during feeding, or a skin infection where it bit you.
Click HERE for Instructions on Removing a tick from WebMD.com.
When the kids are out of school for the summer, one place to cool off is at the movie theater. Below are three theaters in different parts of our cluster area that are offering $1 kid’s movies each week of the summer. Regal Summer Movie Express
Tips to maximize your movie enjoyment:
After the movie, do activities related to the movie:
June 21- Aug 17, Doors open at 9:30 am, Movie starts at 10 am
Each week, both movies play on both days.
BOWIE STADIUM 14 – 15200 Major Lansdale Blvd, Bowie, MD
MAJESTIC STADIUM 20 & IMAX – 900 Ellsworth Drive, Silver Spring MD
