Au pairs met at the mall, the Lakeside Shopping Center to be precise, to reconnect after summer vacation and greet newly arrived “comrades in arms.” After sharing happy memories of summer escapades, both with host families and on their own, au pairs fanned out across the mall to compete in Scavenger Hunt. The winners enjoyed scoops of ice cream and plenty of accolades.
Tag Archives: live in childcare new orleans
Back to School Tips
The new school year will start shortly. The transition from a more relaxed summer time to the busy school year can be challenging for all – kids, parents and au pairs. Here are a few tips for making it as easy as possible for everybody.
- Discuss changes to the daily routines in advance and mark children’s after school activities on the calendar
- Make sure au pair is familiar with the system of dropping off/picking up children (including NOT leaving kids in the car when picking up siblings)
- Put au pair’s name on the list of people allowed to pick up the children from school
- Provide au pair with the list of emergency contacts, including doctor’s
- Prepare a list of acceptable foods for breakfast, lunch and snacks
- Designate a spot for kids’ backpacks, school projects and sport/extracurricular activity items
- Discuss children’s after school routine (rest, playtime, use of electronics, homework)
- Remind au pair that it’s illegal to pass a yellow school bus if it has the STOP arm raised
New Match Advice for Au Pairs
The basis for developing a trusting relationship is good communication. Good contact between the host family, au pair and community counselor is the best recipe for success on our program. Here are some tips about how to get your match off to the best possible start:
- Family Time – Spend time with your new family; the more you get to know them, the more comfortable you will feel.
- Time to Talk – Set aside some time each week with your host family to talk about how things are going, ask questions, and discuss any concerns.
- The Schedule – Review and discuss the schedule and your duties, making sure you really understand what is being asked of you.
- Vacation Planning – Discuss vacation time as early as possible so you can choose weeks/days that work for you and your host family.
- Classes – Review your education options and discuss your preferences with your host family.
- Cluster Meetings – Attend the cluster meetings, as they are a great way to have fun with other au pairs and connect with your community counselor.
- Monthly Contact – Your counselor is required to touch base with you once a month; let her know how things are going.
Support – If you are concerned or worried about anything at all, let your counselor know!
Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro
The Olympic Games will take place from August 5th – August 21st. Au pairs will be cheering on their nations from the USA and maybe supporting the USA too. The Olympic Games are the world’s biggest sporting spectacle. They are divided into a summer and winter Games, held every four years by a single city. This year 207 nations will participate in the games. Athletes with disabilities compete at the Paralympics. More than 10,000 athletes from all over the world take part in the summer events. Here are some fun facts:
The First Olympics
The ancient Olympics celebrated the god Zeus and were held every four years at Olympia, Greece. Winners received an olive wreath. The date of the first Games is unclear, but the first recorded Olympic champion was Koroibos, who won a sprint in 776 BC.
The Olympic Rings
The rings symbolize the unity of the world’s five continents (Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania, and the Americas). Every national flag in the world contains at least one of the five colors.
What is the Olympic Ideal
The ideal is to build international understanding and cooperation. The Olympic code promotes amateurism, or performance without payment, and professionals are allowed to participate only under certain rules.
Winning Gold…or not
Even though the top athlete in his or her field wins the ‘gold,’ the medals aren’t really made out of solid gold. In fact, they haven’t been pure gold for around 100 years. The gold medals awarded now are actually silver, with gold plating. That probably doesn’t matter to the athletes who have dedicated their lives to winning one, as long as they aren’t planning on melting the medal down and pawning it off.
All About Rio
This year the Olympics will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Just one hour ahead of the Eastern Time Zone, it will be easy to view many events live. View the official website with everything you need to know here https://www.rio2016.com/en
Schedule of Events
Find out when your favorite events are scheduled here http://www.nbcolympics.com/full-schedule
Au Pair Julia Volunteers at Baby and Child Expo
Swedish au pair Julia has been enjoying her match with local host family for more than five month now. To find out more about childcare in the area, and in the States in general, she volunteered to participate in the Baby and Child Expo at the Lakeside Shopping Mall. After talking to several interested families, she was delighted to note that both she and the families learned a lot from each other. She was also impressed by the great variety and high quality of services offered to families with young children.
Summer Safety Tips
During the summer months, we need to take some added precautions to keep children safe in the sun and by the water. We recommend you review these safety tips together as a family to make sure everyone understands how important they are. Have a wonderful and safe summer!
- Avoid long periods of sun exposure, especially between 10:00am and 4:00pm.
- Apply sunscreen of at least 15 SPF that protects against both UVA and UVB rays (should be worn on sunny and cloudy days).
- Infants should be dressed in lightweight clothing covering as much skin as possible and brimmed hats to shade the face.
- Stay hydrated; drink water throughout the day.
- Intense activities and sports should be reduced whenever high heat and humidity reach very high levels.
- Actively supervise children in and around the water, giving them your undivided attention. Appoint a designated “water watcher,” taking turns with other adults.
- When in the water, there should be at least an adult at arm’s length from young children at all times.
- Children who cannot swim or who are not strong swimmers should wear water wings or life jackets when in or near the water.
- Never leave children or animals in a car alone even for one minute.
Creole Tomato Fest
Any excuse is good to visit the famous French Market in the French Quarter, but Creole Tomato Festival is an especially good occasion. Au pairs enjoyed browsing through the many stalls and admiring both produce and products … while New Orleans summer storm thundered in the distance.
A Docent Tour at New Orleans Museum of Art
New Orleans Museum of Art is the perfect destination for both passionate art lovers and casual amusement seekers. On a recent early afternoon Sunday au pairs joined a docent-led tour to explore the highlights of the collection. Everybody picked their favorites, be it a grand portrait of Queen Marie Antoinette in her finery, an Andy Warhol likeness of intense Mick Jagger, or a Flemish still life showing a table laden with all manner of consumables.
A bite of king cake after the tour completed a fun and interesting outing.
Au Pairs Explore Arts and Museum District
It was fun and educational for au pairs to set out on a scavenger hunt and discover the many museums, galleries and monuments in New Orleans Warehouse District.
Happy Halloween
Hello dear au pairs,
I hope the pumpkins are carved, the costumes are ready and you’re looking forward to going trick and treating with your host children.
Happy Halloween!
Halloween, what is it all about?
Halloween is celebrated across the United States on October 31st. Not all, but most families will participate in some aspect of the Halloween holiday traditions. This may be a new experience for you so It is a good idea to talk to your host family ahead of time and find out how they celebrate.
Like many other holidays, Halloween has changed throughout history. Over 2,000 years ago people called the Celts lived in what is now Ireland, the UK, and parts of Northern France. November 1 was their New Year’s Day. They believed that the night before the New Year (October 31) was a time when the living and the dead came together.
More than a thousand years ago the Christian church named November 1st All Saints Day. This was a special holy day to honor the saints and other people who died for their religion. The night before All Hallows was called Hallows Eve. Later the name was changed to Halloween.
Like the Celts, the Europeans of that time also believed that the spirits of the dead would visit the earth on Halloween. They worried that evil spirits would cause problems or hurt them. So on that night people wore costumes that looked like ghosts or other evil creatures. They thought if they dressed like that, the spirits would think they were also dead and not harm them.
The tradition of Halloween was carried to America by the immigrating Europeans. Some of the traditions changed a little, though. For example, on Halloween in Europe some people would carry lanterns made from turnips. In America, pumpkins were more common. So people began putting candles inside them and using them as lanterns. That is why you see Jack ‘o lanterns today.
These days Halloween is not usually considered a religious holiday. It is primarily a fun day for children. Children dress up in costumes like people did a thousand years ago. But instead of worrying about evil spirits, they go from house to house. They knock on doors and say “trick or treat.” The owner of each house gives candy or something special to each trick or treater.