Monthly Archives: November 2014

The Advent Calendar

What a great way to count down til Christmas! Many of you are familiar with the Advent calendar but for those of you who are not,here is the Wikipedia definition:
An Advent calendar is a special calendar used to count or celebrate the days in anticipation of Christmas. The days usually overlap with the Christian season of Advent, which can be as early as November 27 and as late as December 3. Many take the form of a large rectangular card with “windows” of which there are usually 24: one for each day of December leading up to Christmas Day. The doors are opened starting with the first one. Consecutive doors are opened every day leading up to Christmas. The calendar windows open to reveal an image, poem, a portion of a story (such as the story of the Nativity of Jesus) or a small gift, such as a toy or a chocolate item. Some calendars are strictly religious, whereas others are secular in content.

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Why not make your own Advent Calendar with your kids and fill each window or pocket with an activity your host child/children would enjoy.You can find some ideas under Resources for Current Au Pairs

Explaining Thanksgiving to our Au Pairs!

Thanksgiving is next Thursday, November 27th. So what’s it all about? Thanksgiving can be traced back to 1863 when Lincoln became the first president to proclaim Thanksgiving Day. The holiday has been a fixture of late November ever since. The Pilgrims who sailed to this country aboard the Mayflower were originally members of the English Separatist Church. They had earlier fled their home in England and sailed to Holland (The Netherlands) to escape religious persecution. Seeking a better life, the Separatists negotiated with a London stock company to finance a pilgrimage to America.

-1The Pilgrims set ground at Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620. Their first winter was devastating. They lost 46 of the original 102 who sailed on the Mayflower. But the harvest of 1621 was a bountiful one. And the remaining colonists decided to celebrate with a feast – including 91 native Americans who had helped the Pilgrims survive their first year. It is believed that the Pilgrims would not have made it through the year without the help of the native Americans. The feast was more of a traditional English harvest festival and lasted three days. -2It was Sarah Josepha Hale, a magazine editor, whose efforts eventually led to what we recognize as Thanksgiving today. Hale wrote many editorials championing her cause in her Boston Ladies’ Magazine, and later, in Godey’s Lady’s Book. Finally, after a 40-year campaign of writing editorials and letters to governors and presidents, Hale’s obsession became a reality when, in 1863, President Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November as a national day of Thanksgiving. -3

In 1941, Thanksgiving was finally sanctioned by Congress as a legal holiday, as the fourth Thursday in November.  

 

To Learn more about the history and traditions of this holiday go to:

http://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving/videos#history-of-the-thanksgiving-holiday

 

Find fun activities to do with the children here:

http://www.pinterest.com/aupairinamerica/fall-halloween-thanksgiving/

 

How to Talk to Children about Health News

With stories about infectious diseases like the flu, Ebola, and Enterovirus D68 in conversations and on the news, your children may be worried about becoming sick. Here are some tips about how to talk about these illnesses:

Be informed:
Get accurate information about the illness from reliable sources, including:
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (cdc.gov)
World Health Organization (who.int)
Arlington County Public Health Division (http://health.arlingtonva.us/public-health/)
Ensure that you are ready to answer children’s questions. Print information to readily answer questions.

Consider your child’s age, maturity level, and coping style:
Generally, younger children need more reassurance and want to be told that they are safe. Older children are more ready for information and may ask questions.
Like adults, children handle information differently: some children need more information to deal with issues, while others worry more if they have a lot of information.
Adjust the information you share to your child’s personality and needs, using words they understand.

Use these guidelines to help have a conversation (or two) about the topic:
Ask your children what they have already heard and understand about the disease. Ask them what other information they would like, correct any misinformation.
Be factual and honest. Help children understand the differences between common illnesses, like colds, that they may catch and the rare diseases that may be talked about in the news.
If you are unsure of an answer, explain to your child that you don’t know. If it is still of interest, offer to look up the answer for them, or, if they are old enough and interested, help them look it up themselves.
Use the conversation as a chance to teach caring for others who may be having a hard time. You might also use this as an opportunity to talk about bullying and ways to prevent it.

Use our conversation starters to help you initiate a conversation with your child:

Consider simply asking your children about the illness or disease you want to discuss. Use what your children tell you to clear up misunderstandings and answer any questions they have. Possible questions include:
“Can you tell me what you’ve heard about _______?”
“Has ______ been mentioned at school?”
“You’ve probably noticed that ________has been mentioned a lot lately. Do you want to talk about it?”
Use books, movies, or television to help start a conversation:
Read a book with your child where a character becomes ill, like “Katie Woo Has the Flu”, “Germs Are Not for Sharing”, or “A Germ’s Journey” to help start a conversation about illness.
Bring up the topic if a news show or movie mentions an illness when your children are in the room. You could even plan a movie night a way to initiate a discussion. For example, watch PBS’s “Frontline: Ebola Outbreak” with your older teenager and discuss infectious diseases afterwards.
Use websites like http://www.childrennow.org/index.php/learn/talking_with_kids/ and http://kidshealth.org/parent to help you plan more conversation starters.

Remain calm and confident:
Your children notice your attitude. If you act nervous or fearful, your children will copy this behavior. Don’t just tell children they “shouldn’t worry.” Rather, support them as they learn to overcome their fears.
Rehearse the conversation with a friend or spouse to help you remain calm and focused when you talk to your children.

Remind your children they can take simple steps to protect themselves from both common and rare diseases:
Wash hands with soap and warm water (scrub for 20 seconds) to get germs off hands. Do this several times every day. Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
Cover coughs and sneezes with elbows or a tissue to prevent spreading germs to others.
Stay home from school and activities when sick to prevent spreading germs to others, and to recover more quickly.
Source:ArlingtonVa.us

A FUN DAY HELPING OUT AT AFAC

A group of 30 + au pairs from Au Pair In America joined the volunteers at AFAC (Arlington Food Assistance Center) to sort out and carry crates of non perishable food items collected today by the boy scouts all around Arlington.IMG_0204IMG_0203

Many of them expressed an interest in coming back during their free time to help serve their community and give back.IMG_0205

Want to know more about au pairs?

“Au pair” means “on par” or equal. Au pairs and EduCare companions are international visitors who travel to the United States on a J-1 Visitor Exchange Visa to acquire a better understanding and appreciation of American life while living with an American family and caring for their young children. View our au pairs available now.

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

Au pairs on our Au Pair or Extraordinaire programs care for children of all ages – infants from three months of age, pre-school and school age. EduCare companions are au pairs who care exclusively for older children who are in school for a full five days a week.

All au pairs and companions make a commitment to participate in the program for 12 months. Those in good standing at the end of 12 months have an option to apply for an extension of duration of stay to continue their participation an additional 6, 9 or 12 months.

If you are eager to learn about another culture by hosting a young woman who, in turn, provides child care, then one of our program options can meet your expectations.

– See more at: http://www.aupairinamerica.com/aupairs/#sthash.Yro1tawm.dpuf