Posts Filed in ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Winter Olympics
February 5th, 2014by Jennifer Harriss | Comments Off on 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 […]
Chinese New Year
February 4th, 2014by Jennifer Harriss | Comments Off on 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 […]
February
February 3rd, 2014by Jennifer Harriss | Comments Off on 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 […]
New Year's Eve
December 30th, 2013by Jennifer Harriss | Comments Off on 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 […]
Winter solstice
December 16th, 2013by Jennifer Harriss | Comments Off on 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 […]
Au pairs and Minnesota winters
December 11th, 2013by Jennifer Harriss | Comments Off on 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 […]
Why get an au pair?
December 1st, 2013by Jennifer Harriss | Comments Off on 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 […]
Au pairs and holiday homesickness
November 23rd, 2013by Jennifer Harriss | Comments Off on 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 […]
Thanksgiving craft ideas!
November 21st, 2013by Jennifer Harriss | Comments Off on 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’, […]
Holidays and cultural exchange
November 16th, 2013by Jennifer Harriss | Comments Off on 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 […]
