Tag Archives: nanny new orleans

Motor Development in Children

Motor development is the process of acquiring movement skills and abilities. Motor development is divided into group types: gross motor, which involves the large muscles, and fine motor, which involves the small muscles. Gross motor skills develop before fine motor skills. Fine motor skills are less developed in younger children than in older children. Both types of motor skills are important in the child’s development.

Motor development occurs in a predictable, orderly sequence. This pattern of development is universal in children all over the world. For example, most children sit up around seven months, walk around 12 months, hop by three years, and skip at five years of age. It is important to remember that each child will develop at his or her own rate, and that different children will have different abilities in both gross and fine motor development. Children should not be pushed to perform motor skills before they are ready.

During the first two years of life, motor development is rapid. Motor development proceeds from the head down to the toes. The muscles closest to the head are the first muscles an infant learns to control. Next shoulder, arm, and stomach muscles develop, followed by the muscles in the legs and feet. Most motor skills are developed by six or seven years of age. Giving infants, toddlers and children opportunities to move their bodies and develop their muscles is critical to physical development as well as social, emotional and intellectual development.

Handedness is the area of motor development that involves hand preference. This preference may occur

in children as young as two years of age and is usually established by age five. Hand preference is deter- mined by the brain. As the brain develops, one side of the brain becomes dominant. If a child’s hand preference is left, then the right side of the brain is dominant. If the left side of the brain is dominant, then the child will be right handed. Children should not be encouraged to change their hand preference.

Depending on the age and development of the child, gross and fine motor activities should be encouraged. Activities that include running, jumping, skipping, kicking, walking, climbing, throwing and catching become the foundation for children to learn more complex motor skills as they get older. Some suggestions for large motor development include playing Follow the Leader, jumping over things, dancing to music and playing with balls.

Fine motor development occurs when children have control over the finger muscles. Children should be offered manipulative activities that are age-appropriate to develop this skill. Activities for young children include putting together puzzles, zipping, stringing beads, using scissors, playing with Duplos or Legos, scribbling, drawing, and painting.

Every day age-appropriate activities to promote motor development should be encouraged for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children. These activities should include indoor and outdoor play. Interact and play along with the children while you are supervising them. Make sure children have adequate time and space as well as safe equipment and materials that are age-appropriate. Each time you provide these activities and interact with the child, you are contributing to their development.

Mardi Gras Celebration

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Among many things au pairs love about New Orleans is the opportunity to experience the weeks-long outdoor party that is Mardi Gras season.

They enjoy everything about this “crazy time” and “the coolest free show on Earth”: daily parades that roll own the streets, extravagant floats, high-flying Mardi Gras throws, tons of beads around their necks, buckets of doubloons, the bands, the stands, the costumes. Also, the roar of the crowds to which they contribute with all their enthusiasm and vocal power:

Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler!!

See the list of Mardi Gras parades at http://www.nola.com/mardigras/parades/

CHILDREN SAFETY

If au pair goes to the parade with her host family, it is important to discuss beforehand the following issues:

1. Will au pair be working or just hanging out with the family?
2. If she’ll be working — what exactly will be her duties.
3. If she’ll be looking after a particular child — which one and what she should do when the child gets tired, bored, overexcited, hungry etc.
4. Rules regarding bathroom use.
5. Rules about hand holding and crossing/approaching the street.
6. Rules about not coming close to the floats to receive hand-out toys or special beads. If the child is offered a special item, parents should bring the child to the float to receive it, not au pair.
7. Rules about staying close together and not straying with/without child in pursuit of beads/doubloons.

AU PAIR SAFETY

The rules are common-sense but worth remembering:

1. Do not bring valuables to the parade. That includes money, credit cards, expensive electronics and jewelry, etc.
2. Carry your ID, credit card & some cash in a bag that you can keep track of at all times. Keep it zipped and close to your body.
3. Be mindful and protective of your expensive camera if you decide to bring it with you.
4. If you stop for a drink or snack don’t leave your purse or camera on the chair or table even if your friends promise to watch them. Always have them with you.
4. Don’t park on median (neutral ground) unless you want to get a ticket. Meter maids go out in force to give out plenty of parking tickets during Mardi Gras.
5. Be friendly but cautious when making friends. Do not go into people’s houses if you don’t know the owners and never wander away into secluded area (night or day).
6. Remember that in Louisiana legal age for drinking alcohol is 21 years old.
7. Trust your gut. If you have a funny feeling about a person or a situation walk away and join your friends or seek a busy place with other visitors.

Valentine's Day

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Through the ages, many cultures have paused to celebrate love and romance in mid-February, but Americans use Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to tell almost everyone how much they care. Children usually exchange cards at school. Even more importantly, the observance of this day encourages a spirit of goodwill and respect for fellow human beings. Valentine’s Day truly is a time of love, friendship, giving, and caring.

See the links for Valentine’s Day ideas and games:

http://blackdog4kids.com/holiday/valentine/index.html

http://www.heart4home.net/2014/01/valentine-ideas/

http://www.ivillage.com/valentines-day-crafts-kids-0/6-b-142009#142011


A History Lesson at Laura Plantation

Laura Plantation in Vacherie, La is one of the many Creole plantations sitting alongside the Mississippi River outside of New Orleans.

The main building has a colorful façade reflecting Caribbean influences and compared to other plantation houses is less grand and nearly contemporary in look.  Located behind the main compound are old slave quarters displaying old time farm implements and a few pictures.

The fascinating story told at Laura focuses in equal measure on the plantation owners and slaves, giving visitors a fairly rounded picture of what life was really like on a Creole plantation in the nineteenth century.

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Following a lively and informative tour by our excellent guide, Dough, au pairs repaired to a nearby shelter to have some refreshments and enjoy the rest of the meeting.

We gave a big round of applause to Kirsty who is finishing her second very successful year with her host family and getting ready to return to England.

We also greeted two new au pairs, Desire from South Africa and Charlotte from France. Desire is a first time au pair, but Charlotte is a returning au pair who rejoined her former host family after a two-year hiatus back home in France.

We wish Desire and Charlotte a great year with their host families!

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Extension au pair:

Au pair who decides to extend her participation in the program either with her current host family or a new one. Au pair can extend for 6 months, 9 months or 1 year.

Returning au pair:

Au pair who decides to rejoin the program after a required two-year break. Au pair can match with her former host family or a new host family.

Alexiane Says Au Revoir to New Orleans

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Q: How would you describe your year as au pair in America?

Fantastic. I have no regrets about my decision to become an au pair. I think being in an American family is the best way to discover and understand this country, and this is what makes this experience unique. I’ve met a wonderful family, I’ve got the chance to travel and see different parts of the USA, I’ve met wonderful people and I would never forget this year.

Q: What surprised you most about the USA?

I would say the people. Americans are so friendly and you can easily talk with someone while waiting for your coffee or at the gym with people smiling at you and asking how you’re doing. Pretty much something I wasn’t used to. Also, this country is huge… Everything is bigger.

Q: What was the most memorable experience you shared with your host family?

All the special moments I had the opportunity to experience with them such as the 4th of July, Thanksgiving or Christmas… It was interesting to see how they celebrate holidays and so nice from them to include me.

Other memorable things are when I’m with the kids and we are all laughing and having fun, these simple but magic moments make all sense for an au pair.

Q: The best trip you took.

Every new trip is the best! But New York with my family coming from France was kind of special. Excited for my travel month now.

Q: What advice would you give future au pairs?

Make it the best. Don’t overthink things, sometimes you just need to be confident in what you’re doing. Do your best, parents will notice it, and enjoy every moment. Remember that you’re trying to make it easier for everyone including you. 🙂

A Visit to the 1850 House

One of the most fascinating characters in New Orleans’ long and colorful history is the famous Micaela Almonester, Baroness de Pontalba who designed and built the famous Pontalba Buildings around Jackson Square in the French Quarter.

To get a glimpse of the historical apartments, au pairs visited the 1850 House museum located within the Pontalba complex. The museum docent narrated some of the Baroness’ fascinating life story, complete with her unfortunate marriage, persecution and shooting by her father-in-law, and success as a shrewd business woman and developer. After visiting the two story house furnished with period furniture and memorabilia, au pairs walked down the block to Café du Monde for café a’lait and begniets.

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http://www.knowla.org/entry/833/

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Holiday Party

Holiday party with its gaiety, food, friendly chats and exchange of gifts is one of the highlights of au pairs’ year in the States. This year the celebration was as festive as always. A big thank you goes to au pairs who prepared wonderful dishes for all to share:

  • Marta from Poland: gingerbread cake with chocolate icing
  • Ana from Colombia: chicken and pineapple salad
  • Alexiane from France: crepes with hazelnut spread and strawberry jam
  • Sarah from France: gratin dauphinois i.e. potato casserole with creme fraiche
  • Priscilla from Brazil: pão de queijo i.e. cheese bread
  • Kasia from Poland: kopytka i.e.potato noodles with ham

The spread was Yum!! Deliciosio!! Smakowite!! Delicieux!

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Holiday Season

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The winter holiday season is most often a time of joy and excitement. However, it can also be a time of stress and disappointment for both host families and au pairs. Here are some ideas and insights that will hopefully broaden an understanding of the complexities of the season with different nationalities and perhaps different religions sharing the season under one roof.

Homesickness can be a problem during the holidays, even if it hasn’t been at any other time of the year. Au pairs often miss their friends and family, familiar places and their own traditions and customs. The holiday activities in the United States seem, and may actually be, different just at a time when an au pair would welcome something familiar. It is common for au pairs’ emotions to be close to the surface during the holidays. Her highs are higher, her lows are lower. The enormity of what she has done–actually living in another country (which is an amazing thing when you think about it!)–hits her and throws her into a self-protective mode. You can help her through this unfamiliar territory by talking to her about what your specific family activities will be (gifts, meals, visitors, religious services, in-home traditions, or none of these, as the case may be). In the spirit of cultural exchange, ask her if she has any favorite holiday traditions or foods that you might be able to incorporate into your family’s celebration of the season. Let her know what you will be doing, when you will be doing it, and what she can expect. Talk to her about what has to be accomplished and get her involved and interested. Don’t expect her to just “know” what needs to be done. Give her some clear, agreed upon assignments. Make her feel a part of things. And, let her know her contribution is needed and appreciated.

For au pairs with religious beliefs different from your own, you may choose to encourage her to share the associated traditions with your family. If you are not comfortable with this aspect of cultural exchange, your au pair may need your help as well as appropriate time off to participate in her own holiday traditions with another family, with a community group or with a religious institution. Enabling her to do this is very important. Her holiday or her time to celebrate the holiday may not be the same as yours; try to take this into consideration if you can when you make her work schedule. You may find that there is no conflict in giving her time off if her traditions are different, and it can relieve a great deal of anxiety to take her preferences into consideration. If you do need your au pair to work during the holiday, please tell her way in advance so that it is not a surprise. Help her to see this as a positive aspect of the cultural exchange if she will be actively sharing in the holiday celebration.

The dynamics of established relationships and routines change during the holiday. The parents are home more, and this is unsettling to the children as well as to the au pair. Some different work expectations may be needed since the kids may prefer to hover around the parents. This can make an au pair feel unwanted and unsure of what is expected of her. The high emotions and energy of the children (compared to their more reasonable behavior during the rest of the year) may seem like craziness to the au pair. Assure her that this new set of behaviors is temporary and the household will be back to normal soon. In the meantime, suggest specific things she can do to help. Encourage her to roll with the punches and enjoy the craziness. Also, the quantity of gifts, food, decorations, etc., can be unfamiliar and overwhelming. Try to include the au pair in some quiet, meaningful time together when the true spirit of the holidays is shared.

The holidays are a time when au pairs want to be with their friends. Christmas Eve, in some countries, is spent with friends rather than family. New Year’s Eve in America is a very special occasion to them. Discuss your plans and expectations with each other. Be as generous with time as possible.

These are important days ahead. This is perhaps the greatest opportunity of the year to respect and learn about cultural differences, which is, indeed, one of the basic elements of the Au Pair in America program. There will be fun-filled memories. This should be a time of love and understanding. Please do your part to make that happen.

Wishing you all every happiness of the season!

Nominations for Au Pair of the Year

NOLstarIs your au pair a superstar? Let us know!
Nominate your au pair for Au Pair of the Year!

Dear Host Family,

Annually thousands of young people from all over the world embark on a special journey by becoming au pairs. Leaving behind the familiarity of their homeland, they are welcomed into another culture as part of their host family and assume the great responsibility of caring for their host family’s children. For many au pairs this is their first experience of a new country and culture. Here is your opportunity to share your own special story about your au pair.

Each year the International Au Pair Association (IAPA) awards one exceptional au pair with the title “Au Pair of the Year.” The “Au Pair of the Year” award not only celebrates one young person’s achievements as an au pair, but gives positive recognition to all au pairs and au pair programs across the world through its international media coverage.

We at Au Pair in America, a member of IAPA, urge you to nominate your au pair for “Au Pair of the Year”. Not only will you give her the opportunity to win this prestigious award, but all nominees will receive an official certificate by mail from Au Pair in America. Whether she wins the title or is simply nominated, it is an achievement she will be proud of for years to come.

If you have any questions, please contact aupairoftheyear@aifs.com.

Kind Regards,
Au Pair in America

Host Family International Day

Despite earlier threat from the tropical storm Karen, we had fabulous weather for our Host Family International Day in City Park. The children enjoyed making Friendship Rings and playing around the oaks while host parents and au pairs chatted about their experiences with the program and cultural adaptations.

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