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Going Unplugged during working hours.

Au Pairs – Imagine for a moment that you went to the hospital and you were in the care of doctors and nurses.  How would you feel if those doctors and nurses who were there to care for you were more interested in texting or using their personal computer than caring for you?  How would that make you feel, about yourself and about them?  Would you think that you were getting the treatment you deserved?  Would you feel like paying the bill after your stay?

Life as an au pair, it is a fine balance between employee and family member. You live with your host family and participate with them as a member of the family, but you also have clear responsibilities as a childcare provider. Being a childcare provider is truly one of the most important jobs I can think of, because you are helping to shape our next generation.  What message are you sending them when you would rather interact with a computer than with them? How will they feel about themselves and about you? Children feel as though everything is about them. They will see this as a rejection of them and they will be more likely to act out.

It also poses a safety concern when you are not paying enough attention to the children in your care.  Accidents happen, but when an adult care giver is close by and appropriately supervising the chances of a major injury dramatically reduce.

During work hours, the following would not be considered acceptable:
-Texting
-Talking to friends on the phone
-Chatting with friends online
-Using Skype
-IMing
-Emailing
-Updating your status on Facebook
-Checking in on Orkut, Studivz, SiempreGente or any other social media site
-Watching videos on YouTube (even my really fabulous ones)
-Tweeting on your Twitter
-Uploading photos
-Anything else on the computer unless it is going to Nickjr.com together with your host children

Think about this — even if you work 45 hours a week, that leaves you 123 hours per week for all of that other stuff, or about 70 hours (if you are getting the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep per night.)

Host Parents – You need to be clear about what you consider acceptable during work hours to avoid misunderstandings.  Also, please understand that you are dealing with a new generation of people who are very accustomed to being plugged in at all times.  Their intention is not to be rude, they don’t necessarily realize how their actions will be perceived.  Please use this information as an opportunity to begin a dialogue on the issue.

EASTER SUNDAY in the United States

Quick Facts

Easter Sunday March 31 ,2013.

Easter Sunday is an important day in the Christian church calendar because it celebrates Jesus Christ’s resurrection, according to Christian belief.

Many Christians celebrate Jesus Christ’s resurrection on Easter Sunday. The Easter date depends on the ecclesiastical approximation of the March equinox.

What do people do?

Many churches hold special services on Easter Sunday, which celebrate the Jesus Christ’s resurrection after his crucifixion. Many people also decorate eggs. These can be hard boiled eggs that can be eaten later, but may also be model eggs made of plastic, chocolate, candy or other materials. It is also common to organize Easter egg hunts. Eggs of some form are hidden, supposedly by a rabbit or hare. People, especially children, then search for them. In some areas, Easter egg hunts are a popular way for local businesses to promote themselves or may even be organized by churches.

Background

In Pagan times, many groups of people organized spring festivals. Many of these celebrated the re-birth of nature, the return the land to fertility and the birth of many young animals. These are the origins of the Easter eggs that we still hunt for and eat.

In Christian times, the spring began to be associated with Jesus Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. The crucifixion is remembered on Good Friday and the resurrection is remembered on Easter Sunday. The idea of the resurrection joined with the ideas of re-birth in Pagan beliefs.

10 Easy Easter Crafts for Kids

http://www.parenting.com/gallery/easy-easter-crafts-for-kids

March 20th – First day of Spring!!!

First Day Of Spring 2013: Vernal Equinox Comes On March 20

Wonderful, warm, beautiful spring is almost here.

At 7:02 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, March 20, the sun will cross directly over the Earth’s equator during a moment known as the vernal equinox when both day and night are about equal — also the official start of the new season. The seasons are reversed for those in the Southern Hemisphere and the event instead signals the beginning of fall.

Spring will last three months until June 21, and summer will carry on until the autumnal equinox on Sept. 22 at 4:44 p.m, according to the U.S. Naval Observatory.


  • A bird sits on a branch of a blooming cherry tree at a park in Tokyo on March 17, 2013. Japan’s weather agency announced the official beginning of cherry blossom season in Tokyo on March 16, equalling the record for the earliest ever start. YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images
  • Raindrops hang on to Crocuses at Kew Gardens on March 1, 2013 in Kew, England. Today marks the first day of Spring, though the Met Office have said that temperatures are likely to be below average throughout March. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
  • VALENCIA, SPAIN – MARCH 18: A woman dressed in traditional costume works at the base of a large model of Saint Mary covered with flowers on March 18, 2013 in Valencia, Spain. The Fallas festival, which runs from March 15 until March 19, celebrates the arrival of spring with fireworks, fiestas and bonfires made from large ninots (puppets). (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
  • A young man and woman enjoy the sun and spring-like temperatures on a pier at Lake Starnberg in Niederpoecking near Munich, southern Germany, Tuesday, March 5, 2013. (AP Photo/dpa, Andreas Gebert)
  • Images of Earth during the seasons. Winter (top left), spring (top right), summer (bottom left) and fall (bottom right).
  • Toronto Blue Jays’ Jim Negrych loses his helmet while diving back to first base after leading off on the play after reaching first on a single in the second inning of a spring training exhibition baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Tuesday, March 12, 2013, in Fort Myers, Fla. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
  • ROME, ITALY – MARCH 14: Nuns enjoy a picnic in a park the day after Jorge Bergoglio was elected as Pope Francis on March 14, 2013 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
  • A man takes a rest in a park in Shanghai on March 18, 2013. PETER PARKS/AFP/Getty Images
  • Naga Sadhus or Hindu naked holy men get ready to take out a procession to reach Sangam, confluence of Hindu holy rivers of Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati, for a ritual dip, on the third and last royal bath of the Maha Kumbh festival on occasion of Basant Panchami in Allahabad, India, Friday, Feb. 15, 2013. Millions of Hindu pilgrims are attending the Maha Kumbh festival, which is one of the world’s largest religious gatherings that lasts 55 days and falls every 12 years. During the festival pilgrims bathe in the holy Ganges River in a ritual they believe can wash away their sins. (AP Photo/ Rajesh Kumar Singh)
  • Snowdrops emerge at Kew Gardens on March 1, 2013 in Kew, England. Today marks the first day of Spring, though the Met Office have said that temperatures are likely to be below average throughout March. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
  • Boiled crawfish lie on display at Kjean’s Safood in New Orleans, Friday, Jan. 25, 2013. The wet winter weather in south Louisiana could be making for a bountiful crawfish season. The harvest is just getting started and peaks into the spring. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
  • Spring flowers bloom inside the Norman Foster designed Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales on March 5, 2013 near Carmarthen, Wales. As the weather improves, staff at the gardens – which opened in 2000, stretches over 500 acres and contains the largest single span glasshouse in the world – are gearing up for the arrival of the spring season. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

St. Patrick’s Day is observed on March 17, because that is the feast day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.  It has become a holiday all around the world, where everyone can share in the fun and be Irish for the day.

Fun Ideas with the Kids

St. Patrick’s Day Recipes

  • Rainbow Cupcakes
  • Irish Soda Bread
  • Corned Beef & Cabbage

    • Fun Facts

    • The color green is also commonly associated with Ireland, also known as “the Emerald Isle.”
    • One estimate suggests that there are about 10 000 regular three-leaf clovers for every lucky four-leaf clover.
    • Legend says that each leaf of the clover means something: the first is for hope, the second for faith, the third for love and the fourth for luck.

    2012 taxes due April 15

    Why do we pay taxes? Everyone pays taxes – they can be in the form of sales taxes (on clothes, gasoline, food in restaurants, to name few) and income taxes. Tax dollars are used to keep many services running that all citizens need. They also pay for Social Security, health care, national defense and social programs such as food stamps and public housing.

    As a temporary member of the community of the USA, au pairs are potentially required to pay income taxes. They use the 1080-EZ NR form (for non-residents).

    Ash Wednesday – February 13th – religious holiday


    A priest marks a cross of ashes on a worshipper's forehead.

    Ash Wednesday, in Christian churches, is the first day of the penitential season of Lent. On Ash Wednesday some Christians have a smudge of ashes placed on their foreheads as a sign of penitence.

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    Valentine’s Day! February 14th!

    Globe Heart

    Valentine’s Day is February 14th!

    Au Pairs give loving care to their host families every day. Au Pair in America has provided 27 years as the world’s most experienced intercultural childcare program.

    Au pairs become full-fledged family members, sharing a cultural exchange experience that often leads to a lasting relationship with the host family.

    Au Pairs come to the USA for cultural exchange and to provide childcare to busy families. They stay for one year and then have the option to extend for a second year. Au Pairs are 18 to 26 years old when they arrive in the USA. Please check out www.aupairinamerica.com for more information!

    Au Pairs will be making Valentine cards with their host children. Here’s how:

    What you’ll need:

    • 8.5 x 11 construction paper or card stock in various colors and/or patterns easy-homemade-valentines-kaboose-craft-photo-350-fs-IMG_9049_rdax_65
    • Valentine and/or heart stickers
    • Scissors
    • Pinking shears (optional)
    • Glue stick or white craft or school glue
    • Glitter (pink, red, white)

    How to make it:

    1. Begin by cutting a piece of construction paper or card stock into four equal pieces.
    2. Fold quartered paper in half to make a card.
    3. For the easiest version, appropriate for preschoolers, use stickers to decorate or cut out hearts from a different color of construction paper or card stock to glue onto your cards. Experiment with different patterns, florals look great contrasted with stripes on a solid background.
    4. Younger children love glitter! Use a bottle of glue to “draw” on a heart or phrase (such as “Be Mine”). Sprinkle glue generously with pink, red or white glitter and let dry over night. Tap off excess glitter when completely dry.
    5. For the older set, let them use pinking sheers to cut out heart shapes and glue onto cards. Again, use contrasting patterns and colors to create a charming design.
    6. Once glue is dry, cards may curl up a little. Place cards between the pages of a heavy cookbook or phone book and leave over night.

    Valentine's Day

    Upcoming cluster meetings for 2013

    January –  Dave & Busters Game Center

    February – 76ers basketball game in Philly with host families and au pairs

    March – Chinatown Brunch in Philly

    April – Laser Tag

    May – Bowling

    June 5th Wed nighy – Phillies Baseball Game with host famiilies and au pairs

    July – barbecue at Diana’s house

    August – education information meeting

    September – Hard Rock Cafe

    October – Eastern State Penitentiary Historical Tour meeting

    November – International Thanksgiving Dessert Party with host families and au pairs

    December  – Au Pair Christmas/ Holiday Party!