Tag Archives: au pairs

Social Distancing: 5 Online Adventures for Kids

Reading, playing, and doing art projects are always great ways to entertain children and keep them physically active and learning. It’s a good idea to limit screen time. But, in this time of social distancing, technology can play an important role in allowing kids to see and connect with the world outside of their homes. Many online resources are popping up to create those opportunities.

Here are five to get you started:

And if kids have questions about the coronavirus, Live Science has created an ultimate kids’ guide to the new coronavirus that has lots of information and is appropriate for school-aged kids.

Handling Expenses

Host parents often ask for suggestions on how best to handle common expenses that occur as au pairs are caring for the children.

Miscellaneous Expenses

There are different ways to handle the little day to day expenses that come up.  Things like when an au pair takes the kids out for ice cream or picks up a gallon of milk.  Some families keep a cookie jar fund, a little cash that they set aside weekly or monthly for these types of expenses. Others give their au pair a prepaid debit card for this purpose. Below are some suggestions for avoiding problems with expenses.

Host Families

  • It’s important to be clear about how long this money should last and what types of expenses are approved.
  • Let the au pair know whether or not you expect receipts.

Au Pairs

  • Only spend the money on approved expenses.
  • If it is something you are not sure about, ask first.
  • Put your receipts in the cookie jar in place of the money to avoid any confusion.

Gas and Fare Cards 

Host families are responsible for the au pair’s transportation costs: to and from classes, cluster meetings and when driving the kids.

It is a good idea to figure out how much gas an au pair will use for these trips and either put gas in the car or give a gas allowance.   If your au pair is riding to classes or cluster meetings with another au pair, you should offer to share the cost of gas.

Au pairs are responsible for their own transportation at all other times.  You should replace the amount of gas used for personal use.

Photo: Andrea Travillian

Happy Labor Day!

NOLLaborDay

Happy Labor Day to all hard working au pairs!

Labor Day is a legal holiday in the USA, celebrated on the first Monday of September. It was established in 1882 to provide working people with a guaranteed free day for rest and enjoyment. Most Americans celebrate Labor Day by having picnics, parades, and cookout. Many rush to the stores to take advantage of big discounts offered by the retailers.

Occupational Collage Craft for Children
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/laborday/

NOLLaborDaycraft
Make a great collage by cutting pictures of workers from magazines and gluing them to poster board.

Ask your host kids the names of professions in English and then tell them the names of those professions in your language.
– teacher
– policeman
– doctor
– nurse
Give them a star or thumbs up if they can remember the words at the end of the day!

Tip: Start with names that are easy to pronounce. Pielegniarka (nurse in Polish) may be too much of a challenge! 🙂
Another option may be the phrase “Good job!” – “Dobra robota!”

Most of all, remember to have FUN!

International Education Week

NOLflagsThis week, November 11-15, marks the 14th annual International Education Week (IEW) – an opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide.  This joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education is part of the U.S. Government’s effort to promote programs in the United States and overseas that prepare Americans for a global environment and that attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences in the United States.

The IEW Website

The IEW 2013 website includes promotional materials, suggestions and resources for activities to hold during the week and beyond, information on a free virtual college fair, and opportunities to post and view planned events celebrating international educational exchanges around the world.

Be Inspired and take a moment to watch this video clip

IEW promotional video “International Education is for Everyone” shares  video messages from both Secretary Kerry and Secretary Duncan, will also be featured on the site!

We encourage the participation of all people and institutions interested in international education — schools, colleges and universities, embassies, international organizations, businesses, associations, and community organizations.  Please be sure to visit the IEW site and submit your events.

The latest Open Doors report reaffirms the United States as the destination of preference for international students and cites international student enrollments in U.S. higher education institutions are at the highest levels ever with 819,644 international students studying in the United States during the 2012-2013 academic year (Open Doors 2013). U.S. students who study abroad are choosing increasingly diverse locations overseas; 283,332 U.S. students studied abroad for academic credit during academic year 2011-2012 (Open Doors 2013).

Facebook

Help IEW with their goal of reaching 15,000 fans before the end of IEW by liking the Facebook page today!  You may also follow Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Ms. Evan Ryan on Twitter (@ECA_AS) and use hashtag #IEW2013 to join the discussion and receive updates on IEW.***

Thank you for your support of International Education Week!

Au Pairs Participate in Step Into School

Au pairs participated in Step Into School event at the Louisiana Children’s Museum this past Saturday.  As in the previous year, they helped children make (i.e. decorate and roll up) German Schultuten.

A schuletute is a gift tote (paper cone) that first-graders get from parents and grandparents on the first day of school. The tote is filled with candy, chocolate, and toys to make children’s first-day-of-school experience “sweeter”.

Many young artist enjoyed painting , trimming, and putting glitter on their creations.

NOLStep2013Tabea

NOLStep2013EstherMelisa

Host Family Day

Please join us for a fun, educational, and inspirational meeting!!

Host Family Day
Audubon Park
St. Charles Ave, New Orleans, La 70118
Playground to the left of main entrance
April 14, 2013
10m – 12pm
For the kids:
  • egg and spoon race
  • face painting
  • tied-leg race  (AP with her host child)
  • origami planes

For the parents:

  • fellowship of other host families
  • opportunity to network and exchange childcare tips

For everybody:

  • the pleasure of meeting other members of our APIA “cluster”
  • delicious food prepared by au pairs
  • cultural exchange: discussion about American food vs. ethnic food, HF and AP perspective
Looking forward to seeing everybody!!

Puppets

PUPPETS are a wonderful way to enjoy art and drama and to develop language skills.
They can be used with all ages of children.  The youngest children can watch you perform and talk to the puppet.  Starting at about age 3 the children can help make the puppets and put on simple ‘shows.’  You can make a puppet from almost anything.  Here are some ideas to get you started.

Finger puppets:
♦ Draw a face on your fingertip.
♦ Draw on strips of paper and tape them around your fingers to make different characters.
♦ Decorate the fingertips of an old glove with felt, yarn for hair and beads or buttons for eyes;
make a whole family on one hand.
♦ Cut out simple animal or people outlines on cardboard.  Do not include legs or feet but leave a wide bottom edge.  Cut out two holes near the bottom – large enough to put a finger through each hole.  Your fingers can make this kind of puppet dance or walk.
♦ Almost anything slipped over your fingertip can make a puppet – try making faces on a paper cup, or a ball.  Put a cloth napkin over your hand first to give the puppet some clothes.
♦ A toilet paper tube can be used vertically for a soldier or other figure, or horizontally for a dragon or other long animals.  Just put the tube over your finger to make it move.
Stick puppets:
♦ Make a drawing of an animal or person and glue it to the end of a Popsicle stick.  You can drawhair or make the hair more interesting using curled paper.
♦ Cut out photographs of members of the family or friends and glue them to sticks.  You can act out real family events.
Sock Puppets:
♦ A simple puppet can be made from an old sock by adding hair and eyes.  Put your thumb in the heel and your fingers in the toe of the sock to make the mouth.
♦ For a fancier version cut a plastic lid in half and then tape it together to make a hinge.  Glue this mouth in place at the toe end of a sock.  This makes a great dragon.
Paper Bag Puppets:
♦ Take a lunch size paper bag and draw a face on the flap at the bottom of the bag.  Glue on hair, ears or other features.  Put your hand inside the bag.  Move the flap up and down to make the puppet talk.
♦ To make an owl glue or draw eyes under the flap.  Draw eyelids and eyelashes on the flap.  Add wings, ears and feet.  When you move the flap up and down the owl will blink.
Making a Stage for the Puppets
♦ Hide behind the back of a couch.
♦ Use the edge of a table covered with a tablecloth or turn a table on its side on the floor.
♦ Balance a mop handle or broom stick between two chairs and hang a large towel or blanket over the stick to make a stage.
♦ Make a puppet theatre out of a large cardboard box (appliance size).  Cut a window for the
puppets.  Operate the puppets from inside.

Enjoy the show!

A Memorandum from a Child

  • Set limits for me. I know quite well that I ought not to have all I ask for.  I am only testing you
  • Be firm with me. I prefer it. It lets me know where I stand
  • Lead me rather than force me. If you force me, it teaches me that power is all that counts. I will
    respond more readily to being led.
  • Be consistent. Inconsistency confuses me and makes me try harder to get away with everything I
    can.
  • Make promises that you will be able to keep. That will encourage my trust in you
  • Remember that I am being provocative when I say and do things just to upset you. If you fall for my
    provocations, I’ll try for more such victories.
  • Keep calm when I say “I hate you.” I don’t mean it, I just want you to feel sorry for what you have
    done to me.
  • Help me feel big rather than small. I will make up for feeling small by behaving like a “big shot.”
  • Let me do the things that I can do for myself.  If you do them for me, it makes me feel like a baby,
    and I may continue to put you in my service.
  • Correct me in private. I’ll take much more notice if you talk quietly with me in private rather than with
    other people present.
  • Discuss any behavior when the conflict has subsided. In the heat of conflict for some reason my
    hearing is not very good and my cooperation is even worse. It is all right for you to take the action
    required, but let’s not talk about it until later.
  • Talk with me rather than preach to me. You’d be surprised how well I know what’s right and wrong.
  • Help me feel that my mistakes are not bad. I have to learn to make mistakes without feeling that I
    am no good.