Monthly Archives: January 2016

Winter Fun and School Closures

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As we prepare to endure a couple more snow days this week, a few reminders!

*If you have school aged kids who will be home due to school closures, this will change your au pairs work hours. Host parents and au pairs should work together to adjust the schedule as needed to stay within the regulations from the Dept. of State.

*Remember, no more than 10 hours per day and no more than 45 hours per work week. Host parents should be cognizant of this and if you are home too, look at having the au pair start late or end early. You can also choose a middle of the day break, but remember, a meaningful break is three hours minimum. The key here is to be flexible and prepared! Always have a back up plan!

*Remember that days on end in the house due to the weather and now more days can be draining. Be empathetic and offer encouragement and ideas. When the roads are safe in your area, suggest she get out for a couple of hours while off duty. This will offer her a chance to have a break and recharge. As parents, we all know the need for that.

*Check out our Pinterest boards for some great ideas on beating the winter blues! Do you want to build a snowman (inside where it’s warm)? Check out the Olaf activity. How about “painting” snow? We can show you how! Make sure you bundle up when heading outside. Don’t forget hot chocolate or tea when you come back in! For some fun ideas, check out the –

APIA Pinterest Board – Winter Fun!

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – Monday, Jan. 18th

Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. was the most important voice of the American civil rights movement, which worked for equal rights for all. He was famous for using nonviolent resistance to overcome injustice. He also did all he could to make people realize that “all men are created equal.” Because of his great work, in 1964 King received the Nobel Peace Prize — the youngest person ever to receive this high honor. King was also a Baptist minister. He was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, when he was just 39 years old. His birthday is now observed as a national holiday on the third Monday in January. Congressman John Conyers first introduced legislation for a commemorative holiday four days after King was assassinated in 1968. Petitions endorsing the holiday containing six million names were submitted to Congress. Public pressure for the holiday mounted during the 1982 and 1983 civil rights marches in Washington. Congress passed the holiday legislation in 1983, which was then signed into law by President Ronald Reagan.

MLK, Jr.“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”  – Martin Luther King

Here are some links with more information about the history of this holiday including a biography of Dr. King, a quiz for kids and a junior crossword.

 

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/mlkbiospot.html

 

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/mlkjrday1.html

 

To read the full I Have a dream Speech go to:

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm

52 Weeks – An Au Pair Adventure Plan

52 weeks…   365 days…   8760 hours…   525,600 minutes…

A year in the US, full of new and interesting experiences, this is what every au pair dreams of. Live with an American family, learn American culture and customs, experience American life, be a big sister to the host kids, improve their English. So many things you want to see and do, only 52 weeks to accomplish it!

It’s important to make your lists of adventures you want to have, from the simple to the amazing! Everyone has wishes and desires – make your lists so you don’t miss out on experiences! Our cluster meeting yesterday was a great time to talk with my au pairs about the things they want to see and do while they are in the US. In many cases, they have already checked off items from their lists.

A deck of cards has 52 cards,  the same number of weeks an au pair has in the US. I shuffled my deck of cards and dealt each au pair a few cards. As they went around the tables sharing what their cards said, it was fun to see the excitement of a coveted card like Travel to California or Carve a Pumpkin. Hearing these young women relate stories of experiences they had already had to the newer arrivals, offering tips and encouragement, to hear the plans for trips to Florida this spring, so wonderful!

We laughed and even cringed a bit while several au pairs discussed trying rootbeer floats, or shared their excitement at seeing a football or baseball game! We agreed that trips to Chicago or Las Vegas or Hollywood would all be awesome. Dressing up for Halloween was another must do experience! The ideas just kept flowing. I am excited to see where their journeys take them!

Cynthia Chan - 52 Weeks, An Au Pair's Year of Adventure

Winter fun and activities – calendar and ideas!

Each month, Au Pair in America provides a calendar full of helpful information and fun activities for everyone in the family. Here you can find all kinds of ideas for activities, discussions, and historic information! You might also want to check out these ideas from the Au Pair in America Pinterest boards!

Jan 2016 calendar

Do you want to build a snowman?

Snowman slam

Things to do with a bag of craft sticks!

Make a birdfeeder

Make a virtual snowflake

Make a winter boredom buster cup!