Tag Archives: Southern Maryland au pairs

American Experiences – Goldpetal Farms Sunflower Maze

Several members of the Southern Maryland clusters had a lovely evening at Goldpetal Farms in Chaptico, MD! We braved the heat to find our way through the sunflower maze and enjoy the amazing floral display!

Big Kids Need Interaction Too!

Just because a child is old enough to occupy themselves, doesn’t mean that they should be expected to do so the majority of the time.  Host families have a certain expectation of activity and involvement for their children. Get the kids engaged and active. You can be more fun than the TV or a video game.

 

Problem:
But, my kids don’t want to do anything but watch TV or play video games.

Solution:
Instead of saying,  “Would you like to (fill in the blank with any activity)?  The answer will often be, “No.”

Try this, “Now we are going to (fill in the blank with any activity.) or “Would you rather do  _____ or ______?”  Make sure both the choices are good options.
Your chances of co-operation are greatly increased. Even kids who are reluctant to try new things will usually get in the spirit of things and have fun, if you pick a good activity.

Problem:
I don’t know what to do with school age kids.

Solution:
Look for ideas online. Google “activities school age kids” or “activities tweens”. Below is a list of some ideas to get you started.

  • Cooking
  • Making things (check craft stores like Michael’s for kits and models that are age appropriate)
  • Going fun places (pottery painting, jewelry making, farms, museums, mini-golf, go-karts)
  • Sports (soccer, tennis, swimming, bicycling, roller skating, ice skating)
  • Let them teach you to do something they enjoy. Kids this age love being the expert.
  • Get outdoors and visit local parks.  You can even make a project of reviewing all the local parks (what kind of equipment they have, is there shade, water fountain?)  They can write this up and keep, so they remember which ones they want to go to again and which ones to skip in the future.
  • Let them help you search and plan some activities.
  • Check on the APIA Pinterest page and here on our cluster blog for ideas.
  • If you have a GPS, try taking them geocaching. Here is a website with all the details.

Note: Always get permission from your host parents before taking the kids places.

Photo: Killian77

Camp Au Pair – Nature Exploration

Now for some fun in nature!!! Get out and explore a bit, collect some treasures along the way! Most of these activities are easily created using items likely already around the house, but you may need to plan ahead a bit to have supplies on hand! Check with your host family about getting supplies to use!

How about leaf bowls using air dry clay? Leaf painting mandala?  Create a birdfeeder or make a suncatcher?

How about creating a twig raft? Creating Nature Journals? Maybe a pocket sized nature collection?

So many great ideas! Check them out on the Au Pair in America Pinterest boards here!

Check out your library (or Amazon) for great books about the outdoors! Backpack Explorer: On the Nature Trail.  How about, My First Book About Backyard Nature: Ecology for Kids!

Check out the cool videos at Bob’s Pennsylvania Wildlife Camera 

Consider joining in the Free Forest School outings near you! Free Forest School ignites children’s innate capacity to learn through unstructured play in nature, fostering healthy development & nurturing the next generation of creative thinkers, collaborative leaders & environmental stewards.

Photo by Cynthia Chan

 

Education Requirement Explained!

Au pairs are required to complete 6 credits or 8 CEUs or 72 or more hours. I will work with your au pair to ensure that she earns the appropriate amount.

You may take credit or non-credit classes from an accredited college.  If you want to take a class at a school not listed here on my blog, please check with me first to make sure it is accredited. Otherwise, it would not count toward your education requirement. Currently, you must meet a residency requirement of 90 days before you can request in county tuition. (***This is subject to change at any time***)

Your host family will pay an education allowance to assist you in completing your education requirement. They will also ensure your transportation to class (access to a car and gas expense will be covered). The education allowance is up to $500.

There are ways to get your credits for close to  your education allowance, but it will not give you a lot of choices. Normally au pairs will contribute some of their own money ($200+) towards their education. I can help you plan out your year of classes to make it fun, interesting and educational!  CollegeDegrees360

 

 

The APIA Advantage UCLA Course is the only State Dept. approved class with an online component. No other online classes are accepted.

  • NOTE – Au pairs are allowed to take one weekend course for up to half their education requirement per contract year.  The Department of State views our program as a cultural exchange experience and an au pair going to a campus over the length of a semester alongside her American Peers facilitates this while promoting the spirit of the program.  

Photo Credit: CollegeDegrees360 {flickr}

Camp Au Pair – Global Awareness/Multicultural Experiences

Wrapping up Camp Au Pair for Summer 2018, let’s focus on global awareness and share some cultural experiences!

Let’s create mini books from multiple countries!  Culture through cooking! Around the world in 12 dishes! Check out this photo collection of how children play around the world.

Create a bilingual literacy game! Listen to samples of various languages! Learn about volunteering in your host kids school or scouting group!

Learn about Christmas in Australia! Have some Diwali fun with playdough! Look at the library for books on different cultures! Use the internet to help you share language with your host kids!

Check out these tips and activities for raising global citizens! Check this out to see what people around the world eat for breakfast! How about using apps to develop foreign language skills?

Photo by {Rona Proudfoot}

Beating Homesickness!

Almost everyone experiences homesickness, and even culture shock, when they come to a completely new environment. Everything is different: the language, the food, and the people. You don’t have to go through it alone! You are surrounded by other au pairs who have walked through it before you or are walking through it right now!

Here are my Top 5 Tips for
Dealing with Homesickness

1. Make Friends – Don’t wait for other au pairs to reach out to you, reach out to them. There are other lots of new au pairs who are feeling the same way you are right now. Set a goal to reach out to someone each day. Some will respond and some will not. Don’t let that discourage you. No one will ever be mad at you for sending them a message to say hello or ask if they want to do something together. Make friends from various countries and you will also get a chance to practice your English skills together.

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2. Stay in touch with your home country, but not too much. Skyping or talking on the phone every day with your family and/or friends back home normally makes homesickness worse. Try emailing instead and reduce the Skype and phone calls to once a week, until you feel stronger. It’s much harder seeing the faces and hearing the voices of those you miss.

3. Get out of the house (or your room specifically) – Go to cluster meetings, have coffee or movies with other au pairs, join a gym, go to the library, go for a walk, visit the mall, get a manicure, visit a museum, go to get ice cream. If someone invites you out, say “yes.” Also, don’t be afraid to do the inviting. Find a gym to join. Volunteer and make a difference in your new community. If your host family invites you to do things with them, say “yes.” This will help you get to know each other and contribute to your overall happiness.

4. Realize that it definitely gets better – All au pairs experience homesickness and nearly all of them stay and have a successful year (some stay for two years, some even come back for a second au pair experience after being back home for two years) So, it must get better, right? Once you get past the initial homesickness, most au pairs report how quickly the year goes by. Make sure you tell your host family, counselor and au pair friends that you are homesick – we’ll help you!

5. Make Plans – Create your own Au Pair Bucket List (places you want to go, new foods to try, new things to experience during your year in the U.S.) and start doing them now. Pinterest is a great option to plan your adventures! Post on our cluster Facebook group to find others who may want to join you on your adventures.

Camp Au Pair – Kids in the Kitchen

Camp Au Pair is in the kitchen this week! Feeling creative? Try making these adorable palm tree snack plates!

For more creative cooking ideas, try these under the sea yogurt snacks! How about some American flag brownies? Make your own mason jar “lunchables”. Try your hand at making butter in a jar.

Try some theme foods! Outer space snacks are out of this world! Edible sailboats are fun too! Rainbow weather cloud graham crackers are guaranteed to make you smile! Speaking of graham crackers, try these awesome under the sea graham crackers!  Do you have older kids? Try using marshmallows to build structures!

Do you want to build a snowman snack? Want a healthier option? Try making salads in a jar! Everyone loves mac-n-cheese, try making it in a crockpot! Taco cupcakes are fun! How about PB&J sushi rolls? Banish snacktime boredom with these fun ideas! Create a Very Hungry Caterpillar plate! Turn hard boiled eggs into chicks! Try using M&M’s to get to know your host kids if you are a new arrival!

Who says you can’t play with your food! Have fun in the kitchen with your host kids!

Photo: Melissa {flickr}

 

 

 

 

 

Photo: Melissa {flickr}

Back to School!!

Kids in our cluster are returning to school. This means changes to the au pair schedule and possibly to the duties.  It is very important to communicate these changes to avoid problems.

I suggest you discuss the following (if applicable):

  • Au pair’s work schedule.
  • The children’s school and activity schedules.
  • Where the children get dropped off and picked up and who will be doing this.
  • What to do if a child is staying home sick, late to school, does not get off the bus (if they are supposed to).
  • How to tell if school has been canceled or delayed for bad weather.
  • Add the au pair to your list of people allowed to pick up the kids from school.
  • What to pack for lunch (don’t forget the cold packs). Note any allergies in the classroom to be aware of as well.
  • The routine after school (do they have free time before starting homework, what to give for snack, any chores, where do they put their backpacks & lunchboxes).
  • How to communicate about what’s going on at school.
  • Specific instructions for driving on and off school grounds, where to park, direction of travel. Do you get out or does staff open the doors, etc.

Here are some Printable Fill-in-the-Blank School Notes for parents. You may print these out and use them for times when the kids are absent, late, have early dismissal or you need to give permission for something.

If the au pair will be the one going through the children’s back pack and helping with homework, I suggest you designate an area for putting things that need to be read and/or signed by parents.

School Buses – Remember to discuss school bus safety and the rules about driving when school buses are near.  Stopping when the lights flash and the stop sign comes out unless the road is divided, etc.

For more safety info regarding school buses, visit the National Safety Council website. 

Consumer Reports  has additional info and check out this great visual on how to move in traffic with a school bus.

Reminder: It is illegal in the State of Maryland for a child under the age of 8 to be left alone in the home or car.  Please make sure that your drop off routine does not include leaving children under 8 at home or in the car while dropping off another child.  Even if a host parent gives permission to do this, it is not allowed, because it is against the law.

Photo by Jens Rost

Photo by Jens Rost

Cluster Fun – American Experiences Corn dogs and Rootbeer floats!

We stopped by Sonic drive in for an American experience! Rootbeer floats and corn dogs! We also played games and worked on our Sending Smiles community service project! A poll of the au pairs found that 5 of them found the corn dogs yummy while 2 found them to be strange! On of our au pairs, from Jamaica, said they were, “Mmmmm, mmmmm, good!” We had four positive votes for the rootbeer floats! This week the au pairs hailed from Peru, Germany, Namibia, Jamaica and Poland!

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!

How about some awesome chalk art ideas? Summer activities with ice to help us cool off! Make soap boats and then race them! Check out even more fun ice activities to try!

How about some I Spy free printables? Chalk ideas to keep your host kids active! Check out the squirt gun racing! Learn how to make sponge water balls!

Create an ice block treasure hunt for lasting, cool fun!  Make sidewalk chalk paint and help your little Picasso’s shine!

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}