Tag Archives: Southern Maryland au pair

Camp Au Pair – Let’s Go Outside!

Summer is winding down, but we still have two more weeks!! Let’s get our creative hats on! This week we have a variety of creative outdoor activities!

Make homemade mud playdough for creative play! Learn some new handclapping songs!  How about a nature scavenger hunt?  Check out this amazing list of 100 things to do this summer for more amazing ideas!

Photo credit: Chalk art – Walter {Flickr}

Au Pair in America at the US Capitol!

On March, 9th, over 600 Au Pair in America au pairs gathered on the steps of the US Capitol for a photograph, followed by tours of the amazing US Capitol building!

This building is the most widely recognized symbol of democratic government in the world. It has housed Congress since 1800. The Capitol is where Congress meets to write the laws of our nation and where Presidents are inaugurated and deliver their State of the Union messages.

Wonderful opportunity to literally walk in the footsteps of history! We had wonderful tours and time to capture photos!

“I was impressed by the architecture of the capitol.” – German au pair

“It was just amazing to see hundreds of years of history and to learn so much in just one tour. I’m so grateful to have gotten the opportunity to experience something as remarkable, the US Capitol.” -Jamaican au pair

“The height of one of the rooms (dome) was very impressive!” – German au pair

“The paintings and sculptures were very beautiful!” – German au pair

Snow Days & Winter Fun

 

As we prepare to for winter weather, a few reminders and some fun snow day ideas!  

*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

Photo by Cynthia Chan

Traveling Outside of the US During the Au Pair Year!

Oh, the places you’ll go!!! Your au pair year is full of experiences! Some even chose to travel abroad during this time! Before you travel outside the U.S. during your year, you must send your DS2019 and a travel request form to the Connecticut office for a travel validation signature. Once the form has been signed one time, it does not need to be sent in again. One signature is valid for the entire year.

**Plan to send this at least three weeks before your trip departure.***

If you plan to travel outside the U.S., it is very important to check with the consulate of the country you are planning to visit at least one month before your trip to find out whether you need a visitor’s visa or a transit visa for any stop-overs. Regulations change frequently, so it is important to check for current visa requirements. If you are an extension au pair planning to travel outside of the US, please see the travel visa section for more information.

For a list of countries whose citizens require a visa to visit Canada, click here. If you need a visa to visit Canada, you can find the form and further information here.  You may need to apply for an eTA – Electronic Travel Authorization.

Please note: the Canadian consulate no longer accepts in-person applications for a temporary resident (visitor’s) visa. All visa applications for Canada must be mailed and can take more than 30 days to process. Plan your trip accordingly.

All visitors to Mexico must have a tourist card that can be obtained at the border. You can find details about this card here. As long as you hold a valid U.S. visa (J-1) in your passport, you will not need any additional visas to travel to Mexico. Au pairs in their second year who want to travel to Mexico may need to obtain a tourist visa in advance from a Mexican consulate in the United States. You should have at least six months of validity left on your passport in order to apply for a visitor’s visa to Mexico.

Check here for the consulate closest to you. Contact them as far in advance as possible to find out if you need a visa and how long it will take to get one.

Extension Au Pairs: In your extension year, travel outside the U.S. is restricted. Please contact me before making any plans to travel outside the U.S. in your extension year.

Have a great trip!

Photo – 7th Groove {flickr}

Celebrating a host child’s birthday!

Solymar, an au pair from Panama, recently created a memorable birthday for one of her host children, a little girl turning 6!

Solymar created a wonderful balloon display in the little girls room so when she woke up in the morning she would be greeted with a magical sight! This is just one example of the love and care our au pairs have for their host kids!

Saying goodbye….

Beautiful girl, you can do hard things.

Today I did what I have done many times before – I said goodbye to yet another extraordinary young woman. She had finished her time here as an au pair and she was heading home. Home to familiar faces and lots of new experiences. We sat having coffee for one last time, reflecting on her experiences in the US and discussed the new opportunities she would be embarking on. Some exciting, some a bit scary, one thing was clear…she was forever changed during her time here in the US. She had traveled, studied, grown in her independence, made a bunch of amazing friends from all over the world and learned a lot about herself in the process. She has made a close connection with two host families, a life long kind of connection.  She made a connection with me.

Tonight as I watched an amazing sunset, I reflected on what my role is in this process for the au pair.  Many have said I am like a second mom to them, others consider me a friend, some have more of a distant, casual relationship. I am good with any one of these.  I have the privilege of helping them in a small portion of their journey. I can support and encourage and educate them. I can provide them with opportunities to explore the US and it’s customs, foods, cultures. We can share idioms and find common ground. I personally love to watch these amazing young women transform literally before my eyes. They do not leave the same. They all grow and change and experience.

I’ve sat with young women who are suffering from homesickness, worry for a loved one, or are missing a special family event. I’ve shared Christmas with an au pair, I’ve tried an amazing collection of foods from other countries. I’ve watched them experience their first Halloween, their first snow (some of them), I have helped plan education and travel, offered countless hugs, sat with sick ones, held them as they cry in sadness. I have redirected, cheered, and encouraged them. I have a saying with the au pairs, Beautiful girl, you can do hard things!

I have grown and changed too. With each new au pair comes a new experience, new adventures, new cultures to learn about. I am forever changed…

Saying goodbye isn’t really goodbye. I am connected still to many of them, though we are thousands of miles apart. We have email, social media, skype, etc. I see posts and catch glimpses of their lives. For many, I am still cheering, still encouraging, still connected.

To the young woman who left today….

Beautiful girl, you can do hard things….I know today is full of conflicting emotions. You are a bit sad to leave, maybe wishing for more time, more opportunities. Excited to go home and be with your family, snuggle that new nephew, move into a flat with your best friend and follow your dreams.

Thank you for letting me be a part of your life experience. It is an honor.

You will never be completely home again…..

“You will never be completely home again, because part of you will always be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for loving and knowing people in more than one place!” –  Former Southern Maryland au pair

Recently, one of my previous au pairs returned to Southern Maryland to visit her  host family.  As part of a whirlwind, fun and exciting visit, they had a family portrait done on the beach. The host family, the current au pair and their previous au pair – all one big, unique family.

Blancastella

This relationship (and others they have formed with au pairs over the years) idealizes the true spirit of the Au Pair in America program – cultural exchange. The cultural exchange of joining two families for a common goal. With each placement, we have the opportunity to share all that is great about America, and in turn, learn what is great about their country.

Childcare is the obvious reason that a family chooses this type of relationship, but the bigger picture of cultural exchange for them and their children is, and should be, right up there too. The most successful matches between a host family and an au pair are the ones where both sides embrace the whole spirit of the program. Where the host family believes in learning not just about the au pair’s culture but about her and her family, where they welcome her and treat her as a part of their extended family, where they encourage the au pair to have the American experience, where they offer support and guidance, but also opportunity. That is the host family who is going to have the best experience.

The au pair who arrives full of excitement and plans for an amazing experience, who is open to sharing her culture, language, foods, customs. The au pair who is diligent in her childcare duties, who eagerly becomes a part of the family and the community, looking for ways to be engaged and helpful not just at home, but in the community as well,  embracing the opportunities she can have in 52 weeks… that is the au pair who is going to succeed and have the best experience.

52 weeks to change the life of a child, a parent, an au pair. 52 weeks to make a real connection between countries and cultures. 52 weeks can become a lifelong relationship. The choice is yours. How will you spend your 52 weeks?

 

Photo: Blancastella