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!
Tag Archives: childcare
January Cluster Meeting
We went snow tubing at Theodore Wirth Park. For most of the au pairs, it was their first tubing experience, and everyone had fun – even though it was 10 degrees and the tow rope broke!
APIA celebrates 25 years!
Au Pair in America is celebrating our 25th year! We were the first federally-approved au pair agency in the US, starting in 1986. We have brought together thousands of families with thousands of au pairs from all over the world. Anyone have any stories?
Awesome discounts for new families
If you’re new to Au Pair in America, and sign up and match with an au pair, you can get some truly awesome discounts! Go to www.aupairinamerica.com for more details. Now could be the perfect time to try live-in childcare – with an international flair!
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!