Yearly Archives: 2013

New Year's Eve

New Year’s Eve is celebrated in most parts of the world with parties and noise-makers, and Minnesota is no different. Remember that if you are under 21, it is illegal to drink alcohol at all in the US, and if you are driving, don’t drink. There are enough nuts out there on New Year’s Eve to make it dangerous for even sober people to get home. Take it easy and have fun, but responsibly.

This year in particular you need to be aware of the weather. It will be well below zero fahrenheit when it’s time to go out, so don’t forget a hat, mittens, scarf…. and beware of something called black ice, which is when the exhaust of cars freezes into an almost invisible sheet of ice on the roads.

Have a fun and safe New Year’s Eve and a terrific 2014!

Winter solstice

A fun way to introduce kids to the idea of diverse holidays is to teach them about the solstice. The days have been getting shorter and shorter, and we all should celebrate having a little more sunshine soon.

There is a great website for kids and crafts, www.craftycrow.net, that has a bunch of great ideas for solstice crafts for all ages. Even the littlest kids can make a finger-painted sun, and bigger kids can make some spectacular snowflakes.

Even if you are just looking for something to do when it’s too cold out to go sledding, these are fun ways to enjoy the season indoors. Have fun crafting!

Au pairs and Minnesota winters

Almost all the families I interview express concerns about how au pairs will adapt to our lovely winters. I can honestly say that not one of the hundreds of au pairs I have worked with has left Minnesota because of the winter. In fact, I would say that the highest percentage of au pairs who choose to extend with their same family in my cluster is girls from warm places like Brazil and Thailand.

However, if your au pair will be sleeping in the basement, you might want to look at space heaters. The modern ones are extremely safe, and as long as you are very clear about safety with it (don’t drape your towel over it to dry it, for example) it might make your au pair feel more appreciated.

It is important to make our environment very clear when you are interviewing candidates. Just like everything else, early communication can really prevent issues later on. You don’t need to scare her – don’t mention the snow emergency we had last May, for example – but she should know that it will be cold and snowy for half the year.

Winter driving can also be a big challenge for anyone – even people who have grown up here can forget how to slow down early enough after it snows. The Minnesota Safety Council has a course entitled “Alive at 25” that au pairs can take to brush up on their skills. They also have fact sheets about winter driving that talk to specific issues they might need to know. The links are at the right.

We can all get through this together. We do it every year!

Why get an au pair?

Why do families choose to use the services of an au pair? There are lots of reasons.

First of all, au pairs provide experienced, loving, live-in childcare. Every au pair has hours and hours of experience caring for children. Families can look at their applications and see exactly what ages and what kind of care and match that experience with their needs.

Second, au pairs bring cultural awareness and diversity to American families. Many families enjoy learning about different cultures and traditions. It is also common for people to want their children to be comfortable with people of different backgrounds, particularly in today’s international business world.

Third, au pairs can be much more economical than traditional childcare, particularly for families with multiple children. Au pairs currently cost about $350 per week, plus room and board. This includes the au pair’s stipend and educational allowance, her flight to and from the US, and the agency fees for things like insurance. This is per family, NOT per child.

Au pairs coming through Au Pair in America are carefully vetted, go through a state-of-the-art orientation upon their arrival in the US, and have ongoing, local support in the person of a local Community Counselor. The CC also provides ongoing support to the host families from their initial contact with the agency, through the selection process, and during the year. Our counselors have an average of about 12 years experience and are very familiar with the visa requirements, the educational opportunities in the area, and how to deal with possible issues, such as homesickness. The agency provides health insurance and liability insurance, and 24 hour emergency support.

Having live-in childcare is definitely not the right option for every family, but if your family is considering it, look into having an au pair. It could be the answer you’re looking for!

Au pairs and holiday homesickness

Au pairs are college-aged people who are spending a year in the U.S. learning about our traditions and sharing their own. (Along with childcare and classes!) So is it any wonder that many of them develop a small touch of homesickness around the holidays? So talk about holiday traditions and expectations. She may have some fun ideas about things to add to your family’s celebrations. Putting little gifts in children’s shoes on St. Nicolas Eve can bring a rush of fond memories of all the things happening back home. It gives her a connection to the things she’s used to, and it give your kids a connection to a new way to commemorate a holiday.

Thanksgiving craft ideas!

Thanksgiving is an American holiday (as well as other countries) where we, naturally, give thanks for our family, friends, etc. It is always on the fourth Thursday in November. It originally celebrated a good harvest, which explains why it is in the end of fall. Now it also signifies the beginning of the ‘holiday season’, which includes Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s, and probably a whole bunch I can’t think of.

Most Americans that celebrate Thanksgiving have a roast turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, green beans with fried onions, pumpkin pie – my mouth is watering just thinking about it! It’s my favorite holiday, mainly because I’m a big foodie, but also because it seems to be the most easy-going holiday, where families spend most of the time hanging out with each other talking – and cooking, and watching football games. What more could you want?

Here are some links to websites with great ideas for crafts you can do with your kids with a Thanksgiving theme:

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/thanksgiving/
http://www.parenting.com/gallery/thanksgiving-crafts-ideas
http://www.buzzfeed.com/mikespohr/23-clever-crafts-to-keep-the-kids-busy-on-thanksgiving

Happy Turkey Day!

Holidays and cultural exchange

Holidays are exciting times for children! There are special foods, clothing, decorations, music, and gatherings. With an au pair, the excitement becomes even greater because they get to share the au pair’s traditions as well as their own. For example, Northern European traditions include celebrating St. Nicholas Day (Dec. 6th) when children put shoes outside their bedroom door in hopes of getting a small wrapped gift, or a special piece of candy. So having an au pair from Germany or Sweden can mean that this becomes part of your family tradition! Children in Israel celebrate Hanukkah with special crafts and songs that we may not be familiar with in the U.S., but I’m sure many of us would love to learn. Mexican children enact a Posada, seeking ‘room at an inn’ and get their gifts on Epiphany Day. So an au pair from Mexico could make a Three Kings Cake on January 6th, and this could become something your family keeps.

This is one of the many benefits that au pairs can bring to your family. Children exposed to different traditions grow up to be adults with a broader world view. And this is a pretty fun way to slip a little education into their lives!

For more information about Christmas around the world, visit http://www.whychristmas.com/cultures/
For more information about Hanukkah around the world, visit http://unitedwithisrael.org/jews-celebrate-hanukkah/

Back to school

School is coming for most children. In Minnesota, school generally starts the day after Labor Day, although Minneapolis, and a few other places, start the week before. With a few breaks, the school year will run until around the first week of June.

School-day mornings can be a hectic time, with kids running around trying to find homework and matching shoes, parents trying to get breakfast into them, and everyone running out the door to catch the school bus. It’s helpful to have a routine for school days, which might include picking out clothes the night before, having all homework in backpacks and by the door before bedtime, packing lunches for the week on Sunday night, or other things. This is one of the areas where an organized au pair can be a godsend for their host family! If you have ideas on how to make things go more smoothly, please share them!

During the fall here, the weather can change dramatically in a few hours. Kids will need warm coats, maybe even hats and mittens, in the morning, but in the afternoon they will be overheated unless they stash all that in their backpacks. Kids should have layers that make it easy to change from warm to cold weather – hoodies, T-shirts under button-down shirts, and ‘magic’ gloves that can be easily stuffed in pockets are some easy ways to help kids go with the flow.

Homework is another area where au pairs can make their family’s lives go better. Many families have the kids come home from school, give them a snack, and have them do their homework immediately before they can do anything fun.

Finally, there is no time in a child’s life when they don’t benefit from reading with an adult. Younger kids enjoy being read to, and older kids can take turns, or even just read to their adult. This experience can shape their whole lives, because it teaches them that reading is an important skill, and that they are important to other people. Plus it’s fun!

Au Pair Classes

As part of their visa requirements, au pairs are required to take classes at an accredited institution of higher learning, which generally would be a college or university. They can take any course they want, and it can be for credit or as part of a continuing education or extension program.

Au Pair in America is the only program that is authorized by the State Department to offer an online option through UCLA, APIA Advantage, which focuses on American culture, and also has a volunteerism component. Many au pairs have enjoyed this option, which comes around a few times a year.

Many au pairs want to take English classes, which can be found at most of the schools in the area. You can take English classes through community education, but these classes won’t count toward your requirement.

There is a list under links of some of the local colleges where au pairs have gone in the past. If you have questions about anything, please give Jennifer a call!

State Fair Time

The Great Minnesota Get-Together is coming up fast! Minnesota has the absolute greatest state fair of any state! (That may be subjective…) But we do have 12 days to celebrating everything that’s special about Minnesota, especially our agricultural roots. There is an entire section dedicated to farm machinery! There is also a Midway with rides and games, and an International Bazaar where you can buy jewelry and clothing from all over the world.

The Grandstand hosts major musical acts, as well as a talent show, and this year, the International Cat Video Festival.

The fair is an annual destination for people who like to eat, particularly if they like to eat greasy, deep-fried food and drink beer. Try the Tom Thumb donuts! And there’s the on-going controversy over whether Corn Dogs or Pronto Pups is the better battered, deep-fried hot dog on a stick.

This year the fair runs from 8/22 to 9/2. Go to http://www.mnstatefair.org/ for all the latest fair-related information.

See you at the fair!