Monthly Archives: August 2016

State Fair Time!

I love the fair! I go (almost) every year. I go on the rafting ride, eat at least one ear of corn, go on the giant slide, get some honey lemonade, pick up a bunch of swag in the Education Building, pet a few animals, listen to live music — I know I’m forgetting something. Oh, yeah, Sweet Martha! Mini-donuts! Rides! Corn dogs!

If you haven’t been to our State Fair, you’re in for a treat. We have the biggest (in terms of daily attendance) and best fairs in the country. Minnesota has such a proud agricultural tradition that we in the metro might take for granted, but when you see 4H kids sleeping with their lambs, then crying when the lamb is sold, you understand how important this lifestyle is to all of us.

But it’s not all educational. Every kind of food you can imagine is sold at the fair.  They have live music on three different stages all the time. There is a parade every single day at 2. The art exhibit has some amazing stuff, and the home ec quilts blow my mind.

I hope every au pair gets a chance to experience the Great Minnesota Get-Together. It runs from August 25th to September 5th. Park and ride at area malls and wear comfortable shoes.

See you at the Fair!!

Back to School (cue ominous music)

August means back to school for many of us! Shopping, organizing, waiting to see what friends are in your class — it’s all a lot of kids can think about as August marches on. My kids always wanted to get their school supplies the day they hit Target so they could rearrange their backpacks over and over.

But it can be stressful for kids, too. They don’t want to waste any summer, and of course they’ve already wasted a lot of it. They don’t know if their new teacher will like them, if they’ll make any friends, what if it’s too hard…

The change in schedule can also throw everyone off. Even though families try to keep routines in place over break, let’s face it, my kids were always up later in the evening and getting up later in the morning. They recommend that you make kids get up at school time for a week or so before school starts so they aren’t too groggy to learn in class. Good luck with that….

It is a good idea to discuss all the changes with the family before they happen. This especially includes your au pair, who may not be familiar with your before-school routines, packing lunches, etc. Everyone should sit down and talk about what will be different and what will be the same in September. Particularly if the au pair’s schedule will be changing – give it to her in writing so she definitely understands!

I hope everyone has a fantastic year in school!

APIA ongoing au pair training

Au Pair in America is committed to providing the best possible childcare to your family. Au pairs get ongoing training in childcare and related topics throughout their year, both at their monthly cluster meetings and in online webinars.

Webinars are scheduled roughly every week throughout the year. Recent topics have included things like:

  • Toilet Training 101
  • Activities to develop speech and language in young children
  • Managing play with more than one child

Recent cluster meeting child care focuses have included:

  • Severe weather safety
  • Swimming safety
  • Getting ready for back to school

Au Pair in America has a scholarship for any au pair who wishes to get certified in Infant and Child First Aid and CPR. This is in addition to a thorough training in first aid and CPR at our Orientation program, which is the gold standard in the industry.