Category Archives: Uncategorized

Father's Day!

Father’s Day is this coming Sunday. It is unfortunate that it falls after school gets out, because most schools help kids (at least little kids) come up with a nice gift for Mother’s Day but Father’s Day is pretty much left for the kids to do on their own.

Father’s Day is important, though, and children should give it as much attention as Mother’s Day. Dads are really important and we all should show our appreciation for all they do.

Depending on the dad and on the ages of the kids, Father’s Day gifts can range from a home-decorated coffee mug to spending the day at a baseball game.

To make a fun coffee mug, follow these simple instructions from Newsweek: Buy a cheap white coffee mug from Target or Walmart. Decorate it using Sharpie permanent markers, or have the kids go nuts themselves. Then put the mug in the oven and turn th heat to 450 degrees and set a times for 30 minutes. When the timer goes off, turn off the oven but leave the mug in until it’s completely cooled. As long as you hand wash the mug, the decorations will be permanent.

For more fun and low-cost ideas, go to http://tinyurl.com/lh2yxzn

Raising Children with Values

Having an au pair is one way families put their values into practice, teaching their children about the value of diversity and acceptance, about how to relate to different cultures in their futures, and about how the meaning of the word ‘family’ can include people who live far away.

There is an organization in the Twin Cities that also helps families raise children who are thoughtful about the world around them. Doing Good Together helps families find opportunites to work together to make the world a better place – everything from helping animals to advocating for social justice, and everything in between. They even give ideas for small random acts of kindness, such as leaving quarters at a vending machine for the next person to use, or writing a note to someone to let them know you care. It’s a wonderful resource for all families!

If you’re looking for something to do on a rainy day, go to http://www.bigheartedfamilies.org/ and pick a project to do. They give you all the information you need, including appropriate ages of children, so it makes it super easy for everyone!

Apply in April to save $600!

Apply between April 15 and 30 and save $250, plus no application fee, for a total savings of $600!

With no application fee, you can search through our database of excellent candidates and see who is available, without committing to anything. As soon as your application is received, you’ll be able to run different searches and compare au pairs. For example, you might search for candidates over 21 who like to cook, whose first language is Spanish. Or you could look for a French-speaker who has lived away from home before. Or a Thai who has driving experience and who likes to ski. The possibilities are endless!

See the details at http://www.aupairinamerica.com/fees/discounts.asp

St. Patrick’s Day is almost here! I’ve been told that more people claim to be Irish in St. Paul than in Ireland, although I don’t know if that’s true. But it’s still a fun way to learn a little bit about Ireland and get out into some (hopefully) springtime weather. Here’s a link to a page with craft ideas and recipes: http://spoonful.com/st-patricks-day

Many Americans wear green on March 17th, and at some schools the other kids will pinch you if you don't. There will be parades and parties, where people eat corned beef and cabbage and soda bread. In Chicago they dye the river green.

St. Patrick's Day celebrations are much more American than Irish, so don't expect too much green food if you ever do spend it on the Emerald Isle. Just sayin'….

Women's History Month

Here’s a personal story. As the mother of three daughters, it has always been important to me that they see themselves as able to do whatever they want with their lives. One way I have done that is by choosing women professionals when reasonable. So naturally, they went to a female pediatrician. One day when my youngest was about 4, we came out of the pediatrician and she said, “I thought we were going to see the doctor.”

To which I responded, “We just did. What do you mean?”

And she said, “We saw a nurse. Doctors are men.”

I blame TV. But anyway, the point is that even when we are aware of sexist perceptions, they still creep in. So Women’s History Month is a great way to keep showing our kids that men and women both contribute to society.

I have been poking around and finding a few women that might interest kids. Kid Lit, http://kidlitwhm.blogspot.com/ has a list of books by female authors that can lead to a fun afternoon at the library or snuggling on the couch. National Geographic Kids, http://tinyurl.com/4kdml66 has a page highlighting three important woman pioneers which will interest kids with more of a scientific bent. And She Knows, http://tinyurl.com/lyneb7f has a page with profile of many women in American History who are some of my personal heroes.

Au pairs can share famous women from the history of their own country. Did you know the Presidents of Brazil and Germany are both women?

Boys and girls both can gain from a better understanding of women’s historical contributions!

Clearing up myths about au pairs

There are a bunch of misconceptions about au pairs, so I thought I would try to put together one document that clears up the ones I personally hear most often.

First, having an au pair is not only for rich people. An au pair costs about $365 per family per week (plus room and board.) The average cost of care for an infant at a center in the Twin Cities metro area, according to mnchildcare.org, is $321, and $179 at an in-home daycare. This is per CHILD, not per family. So for one child, it’s slightly more expensive but significantly more flexible. For more than one child, it’s actually less expensive!

Second, au pairs do not come here to get married. While some of them do end up falling in love and marrying, the vast majority stay for the duration of their visa and then go back home. The State Department is constantly reviewing all au pair programs to ensure this is the case.

Third, au pairs are here to do childcare, to share their culture with Americans, to learn about our culture, to take classes, and to meet new people. They do not come here to party – it’s a lot easier and cheaper to do that at home!

Fourth, au pairs can drive. They all come with either an International Drivers License, or their home country’s license if they aren’t able to get an IDL where they live. So they all have passed at least one driving test. It is true that some of them have difficulty transitioning to our roads. We offer a course at our orientation that helps with that transition.

Fifth, au pairs are experienced, caring child care providers who love children. We exhaustively check childcare and personal references and provide transcripts to prospective host families. We give them personality tests and we are careful to only select candidates we feel will be successful with our host families.

If you have questions about au pairs, please let me know! I’m happy to answer anything!

Safety tips on driving the kids to school from the MN Safety Council

DRIVING YOUR CHILD TO SCHOOL

Motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of unintentional-injury death among children ages 14 and under. To help keep children safe, Safe Kids Minnesota offers these safety tips for driving to school or participating in car pools:

Always use child safety seats and/or safety belts correctly every time you ride. Remain belted until exiting the vehicle. Never carry more passengers than there are safety belts in the vehicle. In Minnesota a child who is both under age 8 and shorter than 4 feet 9 inches is required to be fastened in a child safety seat that meets federal safety standards. Under Minnesota law, a child cannot use a seat belt alone until they are age 8, or 4 feet 9 inches tall. It is recommended to keep a child in a booster based on their height rather than their age. Check the instruction book or label of the child safety seat to be sure it is the right seat for your child’s weight and height.

Don’t store loose or heavy objects in the passenger area of the car that could injure someone if you stop suddenly.

The driver should allow extra time in the schedule to avoid the pressure of driving too fast when late.

Drop off your children as close to school as possible so that they do not have to cross the street, and make sure they enter and leave the car on the curb side.

Arrange to pick up your child at a safe spot away from the congestion of cars around the school.

CHILDREN AND AIR BAGS

The back seat is the safest place for children of any age to ride.

Never place an infant (less than 1 year old) in a rearward-facing child safety seat in the front passenger seat of a vehicle with a front passenger air bag. The back of a rear-facing infant or convertible seat rests too close to the air bag cover. Because the air bag opens with a great deal of force, serious injuries or death could occur if the child seat is too close.

If it is absolutely necessary for a child age 12 or under to ride in the front seat of a car with a front passenger side air bag:
Secure the child in a restraint system that is correct for the size of the child: a front facing child safety seat, a booster seat or a lap/shoulder belt.
Move the front seat as far back from the dashboard as possible.
Following these important safety guidelines and reviewing them each year with your children can help keep the back-to-school season safe. Parents and caregivers can be the best teachers when it comes to childhood injury prevention.

Acknowledgments:
Safe Kids Worldwide
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

I love to read month

Well, for the shortest month, February has a LOT of things going on for families., and I Love to Read Month is actually one of my favorites. There are few things I enjoy more than reading to kids and giving them some of my love for the written word.

Scholastic, the school book fair people, have a great website with all kinds of ideas of things to do to give your child a love of reading. Go to http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top-teaching/2013/02/celebrate-joy-reading-all-month-long for the list.

Spending time together reading a book is time well spent. It not only helps the child learn to read, it conveys to them that reading is important, and that they themselves are important, because you are doing it with them. You can’t really read a book to a kids while checking emails or reading the paper (or reading blogs, even ones as valuable as this.) It expands their imagination, and increases their attention span. It creates a bond between the two of you, and by sharing books from your own childhood, or from another culture, it opens windows on all kinds of wonderful things.

What are you waiting for?

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!