Author Archives: Jennifer Harriss

Black History Month

February has been known as Black History Month in the US since 1976, when it was recognized nationally for the first time as part of the US Bicentennial. The contributions of African-Americans are often left out of history books, and this is one way to focus more attention on them.

Children can learn about Black History Month at their own level. Little kids might just want to color a picture of Harriet Tubman or Frederick Douglass, or listen to someone read The Sneeches by Dr. Seuss, while older ones would gain a lot by learning about Jackie Robinson or the Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s. There have been movies made about certain aspects that would be great for the right ages, including 42, the Jackie Robinson Story (it does have some swearing in it,) or The Help. Even Hairspray can be educational for older kids.

The great website Family Education, http://tinyurl.com/2s5eu4, has a page with all kinds of activities for families to do together to learn more about Black Americans and Black History Month.

Valentine's Day

Hey – Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! Are you ready?

In the United States, kids almost always celebrate some form of Valentine’s Day. At my school, we are calling it Friendship Day, but it will be otherwise the same as it was waaaaay back when I was in elementary school: kids will bring little cards for each other, and they will be exchanged at a party toward the end of the day when most serious learning is done. Generally, children are expected to bring something for everyone if they bring anything, so no one gets hurt feelings. Even in preschools, this ritual is carried out.

You may have seen the boxes of Valentine’s cards in Target or Cub recently. They are inexpensive and easy, and they are what almost everyone will give out. Some of the kids will tape a mini-candy bar to the envelope to add that special touch. But if you have time, or if you don’t need 32 cards by Friday, think about handmade valentines. They can be so much more meaningful. If you feel like doing something personal but not for dozens of kids, think about making something special for the teacher.

Our Pinterest Valentine’s Day page http://www.pinterest.com/aupairinamerica/valentine-s-day/ has a TON of ideas on how to make this a truly special day.

Some background about Valentine’s Day: Valentine was a 3rd century Roman saint who died on February 14th. That is all that we know for sure. There have been many legends built up supporting him as the saint of courtly love, but none of them appear to be in any way factual. Feb. 14th is a feast day for Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, and Eastern Orthodox religions. However, in the US Valentine’s Day has very little to do with religion. It is a day for giving flowers and chocolate, and going out to a fancy dinner with the one you love. Lots of people get engaged on this day. But for kids, it’s usually about giving and getting cards and maybe some candy.

Try to inject the spirit of love and kindness into everything you do, every day, but particularly on Valentine’s Day!

Winter Olympics

The Olympics are almost here! When they changed it so the Winter Olympics and Summer Olympics would be staggered, so there would be one every two years instead of both every four, I didn’t like it, but now I really do. And with so many Minnesotans participating in the Sochi Olympics, it’s going to more exciting than ever.

My au pairs always go to a Gopher Women’s Hockey game every year, so they should recognize some of the names.

My aupairs at a U of M hockey game

My aupairs at a U of M hockey game

If you are looking for ways to make the Olympics more meaningful for your kids, Activity Village has some cool ideas: http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/winter-olympics

One of the reasons people get au pairs is to introduce their kids to other cultures, and this is a ready-made way to expand on that. Do they ice skate in Brazil? Ski in South Africa? Play hockey in Thailand? Now is the time to find out. You can have an atlas or a globe handy so you can show kids where the different countries are. You can devise your own ‘games’ and have each kid pick a country to represent (the au pair should probably represent her own country to avoid conflict.) Or you could explore Russian culture and cuisine, in keeping with the host country.

Whatever you do, you won’t be able to escape the Olympics this month, so you may as well enjoy it!

Chinese New Year

Welcome the 4711, the Year of the Horse! Chinese New Year, also called the Spring Festival, is an important celebration in many Asian cultures. Family members often travel great distances to be together over the 2 weeks of the festival. There are many amazing traditions associated with Chinese New Year, and they can be a great way to introduce children to some of the culture of the Far East. This year it runs from January 31st to February 15th, but it is slightly different every year.

The APIA Pinterest page, http://www.pinterest.com/aupairinamerica/ has all kinds of crafts, games and recipes to try. You can also go to http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/chinesenewyear/ for other ideas. One thing that I remember from when I was little myself, was learning what the animal was when I was born. There is a 12 year cycle, each represented by an animal that supposedly embodies traits people have who are born under that sign, similar to the zodiac many Westerners are familiar with. I am a Dragon, as is my husband, and my children are Dog, Tiger, and Dragon, so you can imagine the ruckus around here most of the time! Often, au pairs aren’t familiar with this concept, and it is as much fun for them to learn about as to teach to the kids! The Enchanted Learning page I linked to above has a chart with all the animals laid out.

A quart of fried rice and some fortune cookies from the nearest Chinese take-out can be served out while people are making dragon puppets or paper lanterns, making an evening out of it for everyone.

Gung Hay Fat Choy (“May you become prosperous”) is the traditional greeting.

Have fun!

February

February is a great month for kids in Minnesota. It’s Chinese New Year, Black History Month, I Love to Read Month, and of course the month that has Valentine’s Day. It’s also when we have the Olympics!

Our Pinterest page http://www.pinterest.com/aupairinamerica/ has pages that have many activities around these holidays and events. They do a great job of finding activities that suit all ages and interests. You don’t need to be a member of Pinterest to check out the page, so go for it!

When you’re sitting around, staring out the window at all that snow, try to find something for the kids that will engage them in learning about something new.

I will publish individual blogs about each of the February things as they come up, so keep reading!

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.