Tag Archives: childcare

What to do when your kids say "I'm bored"

Sometimes, especially with younger children, cries of boredom are really calls for companionship and attention—their friends may be away on vacation and without the structure of school they may find it difficult to keep occupied during long summer days. Prolonged intervals where the kids have nothing to do can be stressful . When bored, children often become whiny, cranky and demanding. Calendar-of-the-season-300×216

Here are a few easy tips to help au pairs and host parents combat summer boredom and help kids develop the internal resources that are important for developing creative, resource and time management skills:

Put a weekly calendar together so as not to overwhelm yourself with planning entertainment for an entire summer, just take it one week at a time—day trips, arts and craft activities, play-dates, reading time, nature hikes, picnics, bike rides, a trip to the movie theatre etc. This way kids will have something to look forward to during down time. A calendar also helps with getting kids prepared for what comes next.
Ask: “If you could do anything, what would you like to do?” Try and encourage your children to generate their own ideas for activities—they are more apt to have fun when they thought it up on their own! Reinforcing that children use their imaginations will also help them develop a sense of resourcefulness and get them in the habit of making their own choices about how they will spend their time.
Keep an “art box” handy full of supplies: scissors, fabric, felt, glue, paints and brushes, stickers, paper, markers, canvass, needle and thread, beads, yarn, picture magazines etc. Rummaging through a box of art supplies can ignite the imagination and occupy children for long periods of time. They could even begin an entrepreneurial enterprise and sell their wares at the end of the summer.
Inspire them to play with water. Water is very calming and soothing for children and they can while away many hours playing and keeping cool. Get them to wash the car, hose off the deck, or run through a sprinkler. Spend time together at the beach or pool

(Thanks to Jan Peedin, Annapolis Community Counselor, for the great posting!)

National Library Week April 10-16

Libraries are great places to take kids of all ages! National Library Week is the ideal time to check out all the opportunities at your local library. From preschool story time to resources for high school research projects, libraries can be an important part of caring for children. In the Twin Cities, go to www.hclib.org to find your closest library and check out what’s happening!

Summer Safety Tips from Au Pair in America

 

As we roll into the summer season and some very hot weather, it is a good time to remind au pairs of some safety tips. Most of the country, including the Twin Cities, has to endure high temperatures at some point over the summer. Here are some common safety reminders:

  • Never leave a child unattended in a car, even with the windows rolled down.
  • Always lock the car when not in use so kids can’t play in it.
  • Always check the temperature of the car seat and seat belt before buckling a child in the car.
  • Don’t keep a baby in the infant carrier for long periods of time on hot days. It can feel much hotter in the seat than out of it.
  • Dress children in light=colored, loose-fitting clothing.
  • Everyone, children and adults, should drink a lot of water every day during the summer.
  • Reduce or eliminate strenuous activites during the hottest parts of the day. 

SWIMMING POOL SAFETY TIPS

  • An adult should be at arms’ length of (able to touch) any child under the age of 5 in a swimming pool.
  • Never leave any child alone in or near the water.
  • Keep a phone by the pool at all times.
  • Always check to be sure the gate is closed when leaving the pool area.
  • Host families should review their own home and pool safety rules with the au pair.
  • Don’t forget the sunscreen!

Global Awareness Week!

This week we are focusing on Global Awareness, our program where au pairs go into schools to talk about their home countries. We help them connect with interested schools, and provide them with materials to bring in, and the au pairs just spend an hour or so with the students, talking about their homes, teaching them a song, or explaining their flag. It’s fun and easy, and a great way to share cultures with each other. If anyone is interested get in touch with me and I can make it happen!

Spring is coming!

I know this winter seems to be going on forever but spring will come.  It comes every year. The average daily temperature is going to start climbing any day!

If you can’t wait for Nature to warm things up, there are lots of places in the Twin Cities where you can get the feeling of being outside on a warm day. For example, the Como Zoo Conservatory is a beautiful glass building filled with different kinds of plants. It’s free, too, and kids love it too, so if you want to spend an hour or so in a tropical climate, you can’t do better.

Edinborough Park in Bloomington has an indoor play area as well as a pool and other activities. The admission fee isn’t too high and it’s great for kids of all ages.

Nickelodeon Universe at the Mall of America can definitely give you the feel of being at a park on a sunny summer day no matter what it’s really like outside. Pushing a stroller through the park can really be refreshing.

If you find a way to enjoy the cold you will also find it easier to cope – dress warmly and go sledding or skating, build a snow fort, make snow angels, or just play in the snow. Once you’re out there you’ll have fun, I promise!

Au Pair in America – Twin Cities

I am excited to start writing the blog for the Minneapolis and St. Paul cluster of Au Pair in America! Au pairs are young women who come to the US for a year to learn about our culture by living with a family and caring for their children. They also take college classes to get to know young Americans. They come from all over the world, more than 60 countries. They arrive with a J-1 visa.

Au pair programs are standardized by the federal government. The rules are:

– au pairs can work up to 45 hours per week, up to 10 hours per day, and up to 5 1/2 days per week. They get one weekend off every month and 2 weeks of paid vacation.

– au pairs take the equivalent of 6 semester credits at an accredited institution of higher learning

– au pairs cannot have any other employment besides caring for their host family’s children

It’s a great option for many families who like the idea of cultural exchange being part of their children’s upbringing.

I have been a Community Counselor since 2004. I have lived in the area almost my whole life, except for when I was in college in Wisconsin. I live with my husband and our three daughters in South Minneapolis.

Hopefully this blog will be a useful way to spread information about our cluster and about Au Pair in America!