Tag Archives: childcare

As American as Baseball – August 2023

As American as baseball…the remarkable APIA family of au pairs from all WA clusters gathered to watch the Mariners beat Kansas City in a sunshine filled stadium. We got to know one another a bit more in seventh inning stretch and won some big league chew. A gorgeous day of global, peace-seeking, adventure-driven community at the ball park.

Pools and Shoes – Exchange Day Celebrations – July 2023

The au pairs in WA state gathered up for some swimming, singing and donating of shoes for the J-1 exchange day national celebrations. They  played  a  water  safety  quiz  and  listened  to  their  joint  Spotify  global  jam mix.  Summer  fun!

Exchange Day is coming soon on August 7, and APIA is excited to celebrate with a shoe drive.  Held on the first Monday in August, Exchange Day is a nationwide celebration of the power of international exchange. Program participants come together with their American hosts to share cultural experiences, give back to their communities, and have some fun. This day is also an opportunity to raise awareness of international exchange programs and spread the word about the power of cultural exchange.

APIA has historically celebrated Exchange Day in August with shoe drives, AP get togethers, and more. 

Camp Au Pair – Backyard Safari

Next week’s Camp Au Pair theme is Backyard Safari  These activities focus on animals you might find in the a variety of environments: jungles, savannahs, safari parks and zoos.

Crafts, recipes, activities, and games can all be found here on the Camp Au Pair – Backyard Safari pinboard. 

Field Trips can be an excellent way for kids to learn and have new experiences. Get permission from your host parents before any outings. Check the websites before you go to be sure you understand the hours, costs, and whether advance tickets/reservations are required. Search online to see if your area has any of the following:

  • Local Zoo
  • Animal Rescue Park
  • Drive Thru Safari

Webcams – You can do a Google search for websites with webcams that allow you to observe nature.

Books – Stop by your local library and look for books on animals you might find on a safari or in the zoo. You can also check YouTube for some books on this subject being read aloud.

Movies – There are lots of movies with animal themes.

  • Back to the Outback 
  • Madagascar 1, 2 & 3
  • The Jungle Book
  • The Lion King
  • The Wild
  • Zootopia

Videos – Look for fun videos about animals on YouTube. Here are some to get you started.

Image: Jumble Tree

Prizes and pizzas in a park – June 2023

What a nice day!  The weather was warm and the company warmer.  We played some get to know you, speed dating and trivia games and had, well, pizza in a park.  Gasworks is iconic Seattle and our community enjoyed one another and the day we were given.

Seattle Touring in our own Town – May 2023

A small but mighty group went touring in our own town.  We tried a new tour company and hit the streets to hear about what we didn’t yet know.  They told us great stories of Seattle octopus, revealed the real “first Starbucks” location, talked through the Seattle fire and the newly built city and told tales of a man named Ivar and his eccentric ways (leading him to start the first fish and chips chain in the city.).

The Future is Female – Gates Foundation and Au Pair In America – April 2023

Au pairs from China, Luxembourg, Guatemala, Thailand, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Poland, Germany, and South Africa gathered at Gates Foundation to learn about the work they are doing around the globe.  Our gracious tour guides expertly talked through the data on world hunger, equity, pollution, parental leave, sanitation and disease.  The young women of Au Pair In America (who will soon be adding their voices and efforts to the good fight for justice)  learned about birthing methods and patient treatment around the globe, as well as water free toilets ready soon for market to combat ringworm.  It was a great learning morning and wonderful part of this group’s journey while here in Seattle.  They had smart insights and intelligent responses.  The future is in good hands.

Serving and Protecting Global Visitors – March 2023

The World Health Organization estimates that 1 in every 3 women in the world experience violence and these stats have not improved over the past decade. Women living overseas are an especially vulnerable population, in that they are learners of a new language, surrounded by different values and behaviors. Those who have lived overseas know day-to-day interactions can feel foreign and understanding threats can get lost in cultural misinterpretations.  Step in Officer Craig of the Bellevue, WA (the largest majority-minority city in the US) police department.

Officer Craig has been teaching women’s self defense classes to his local community for just a few months now.  What the Bellevue Police are doing is fairly unique according to Officer Craig, and last Sunday, our au pair population was able to be a part of his teachings first-hand.  Officer Craig slowed down what transpires in the “mechanics” of an unequal struggle, describing how women can use the space between and their own bodies as leverage if it is not their own physical strength that will serve in the moment.  He talked through body positioning for finding the best balance, defensive tactics, illegal in boxing since they don’t serve the goal of being able to strike an opponent.  He later shared links to reinforce the moves:

 

Officer Craig demonstrated with care and precision these defensive moves to 30 au pairs from 12 different countries.  The women then practiced how to guard against an assailant, lessons they can take with them to their own home countries.  

 

Conversations around law enforcement between citizens from various parts of the globe are always interesting and what it means to “serve and protect” has taken on various interpretations, both at home and abroad, depending on the experiences or the traumas we each hold.   Officer Craig learned everyone’s names in the short amount of time we spent with him, he created a space of trust with the local police for a woman far from home, and with humility, he left us offering future support, saying that he was,  “grateful to be in a position to help in a small way.”  At the Bellevue, WA police station in a closed City Hall office on a Sunday, we found a person who was “serving and protecting” in a very proactive and caring way.

The Culture Shock Cure – Chocolate – Feb 2023

A good chocolate bar is a global effort.  Theo reminded us of that this past Sunday.  And a culture shock cure for au pairs might very well be chocolate.  Theo also agreed with us when asked this past Sunday.  A peaceful community is also a global effort.  APIA Au Pair representatives from Mozambique, Italy, Colombia, Thailand, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, Luxembourg and Peru gathered together in the Fremont (the center of the universe) neighborhood of Seattle to taste and vote on their favorite chocolate bars.  The building itself once housed the first trolley cars in the city and then the first Redhook Brewery, but now the building is a buzz with chocolate and the global connections the au pairs brought.  And darn if chocolate and connection wasn’t delicious.

Strong Women Cheering on Strong Women – January 2023

Au pairs from all around WA came together to cheer on our local UW Women’s Basketball team.  We lost in overtime, but won in friendships and connections!  So many countries, it’s too hard to count.  Excited for in person and for a brand new year.

Vashon Island and Her Peace Keepers – December 2022

This strong group of independent women from Poland, Germany, Argentina and Brazil make up APIA on Vashon Island these days and bring the party wherever they go – even if it is just from this room to the next.  Vashon Island is lucky to have this international childcare option and these folks are lucky enough to call the island home for a year.