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SPRING IS HERE

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The days are starting to grow longer and warmer. Children are able to spend more time outdoors, go out and help them discover the wonders of spring.

Put some string or yarn outside. Watch to see if it gets carried away to become part of a bird’s nest.

Watch for sprouts of early bulbs and look for buds on trees and bushes that are starting to swell. Cut small branches and put them in a vase of water in the house. Watch as the flowers or leaves start to unfold.

If you live near a pond, look for frogs’ eggs-or go to a nature center that has a pond. You can bring some home by putting pond water and a small clump of frog eggs in a container. Take some weeds from the pond too. About a week after they hatch, feed them fish food. When their back legs have grown, put them back in the pond.

Take advantage of the spring breezes and blow bubbles, fly a kite or make a homemade pinwheel. Draw an X  on a square piece of paper from corner to corner. Cut halfway along each line and fold alternate corners into the center. Overlap the points and connect it to a stick with a pin.. A bead behind the head of the pin may help it to spin better.

Collect early spring flowers and press them between sheets of newspaper weighted down with heavy books for a week or two. Once dry, arrange them on paper and glue them down –make greeting cards, book marks, or a picture.

SAFETY TIPS:

Children are in danger of being hit by a car if they dart out into the street while playing. Children should be supervised at all time when playing, especially in public places.

Children of all ages like to climb. They fall off play equipment and bicycles, down stairs and off furniture. Lock doors to dangerous places such as basement stairs, use gates on stairways  and window guards above the first floor.

What’s going on in town:

This month,don’t miss the Cherry blossoms (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dre/local/2015-cherry-blossoms-dc-blooms)

and in May,don’t miss the International Passport DC , a month-long journey around the world with embassy tours and all kind of festivities (http://www.culturaltourismdc.org/portal/passport-dc1)

Let’s celebrate St Patrick’s Day!

March 17 is St Patrick’s Day!images

The person who was to become St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was born in Wales about AD 385. He died on March 17 in AD 461. That day has been commemorated as St. Patrick’s Day ever since. St. Patrick is said to have given a sermon from a hilltop that drove all the snakes from Ireland. Of course, no snakes were ever native to Ireland. Though originally a Catholic holy day, St. Patrick’s Day has evolved into more of a secular holiday. It has been celebrated in the US since 1737. One traditional icon of the day is the shamrock. And this stems from a more bona fide Irish tale that tells how Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the Trinity. He used it in his sermons to represent how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could all exist as separate elements of the same entity. His followers adopted the custom of wearing a shamrock on his feast day.

For fun ideas for celebrating with children ,go to:

https://www.pinterest.com/aupairinamerica/st-patrick-s-day-shenanigans/

VALENTINE’S DAY

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February 14  is Valentine’s Day .

Valentine’s Day is a time of love, friendship, giving,
and caring. Americans use Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to tell friends and family
how much they care. Children usually exchange cards at school.

“Who is St. Valentine”?

Legend has it that Valentine was a priest who served during third century Rome. The Emperor at that time, Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those that were married. With this thought in mind he outlawed marriage for young men in hopes of building a stronger army. Supposedly, Valentine, decided this decree was not fair and married young couples in secret. When Emperor Claudius II found out about Valentine’s actions he had his head cut off making him a martyr of love.  Another legend has it that Valentine was an imprisoned man who fell in love with his jailor’s daughter. Before he was put to death he sent the first ‘valentine’ himself when he wrote her a letter and signed it ‘Your Valentine’, words still used on cards today.

Perhaps we’ll never know the true identity and story behind the man named St. Valentine, but this much is for sure…February has been the month to celebrate love for a long time, dating clear back to the Middle Ages. In fact, Valentines ranks second only to Christmas in number of greeting cards sent.

For some fun children’s activities including crafts, coloring pages, games, puzzles and poems go to:

http://www.dltk-holidays.com/valentines/index.htm

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/valentines-day/

Also, don’t forget to check our boards on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/aupairinamerica/valentine-s-day/

February 2nd:Celebrating Groundhog day!

Traditionally, the groundhog is supposed to wake up on Februgroundhogary 2, and come up out
of his burrow. If he sees his shadow, he will return to the burrow for six more weeks
of winter. If he doesn’t see his shadow, he remains outside and starts his year, because
he knows that spring has arrived early. In the U.S., the “official” groundhog is kept in
Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania and is called “Phil.” Though not based in science, it is a fun US tradition.And just a tradition it is,nothing else so don’t despair if the groundhog sees his shadow!
Spring will come around eventually….

On the next snow day,check out the movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray….it is fun!

 

 

Celebrating Martin Luther King

-1“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
Martin Luther King, I Have a Dream Quote

These words were delivered on August 28th,1963 at the Lincoln Memorial in DC.

A beautiful Memorial has since opened along the Tidal basin where more quotes from his speech can be read.Please take some time to go and visit.It is very moving!

To read the full I Have a dream Speech go to:

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm

To find some related activities to do with your children go to:

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/mlkjrday1.html

 

 

How to survive in this Winter Wonderland!

A is for Art- try drawing, painting. gluing or modeling with clay

B is for Baking-make a special dessert for dinner

C is for Cocoa-mix some up to warm up, cool slightly to serve

D is for Dance-put on a lively tape

E is for  Exercise- try to do something active everyday

F is for  Friends-invite some over

G is for Greenhouse-stop to smell the flowers

H is for House-make one from a large appliance box

I is for Ice skating-find a public indoor or out rink

J is for Jigsaw puzzle- try making your own from magazine pictures

K is for Kazoo- make your own marching band instruments and have a parade

L is for Library- borrow some book to read- look for The Snowy Day by Keats

M is for Movie-make or watch one

N is for Necklace- make one with noodles, or fruit loops with licorice

O is for Ocean- put out beach towels wear a bathing suit and pretend to be there

P is for Puppets-make them with old socks and paper bags

Q is for Quiet time-everyone need one daily

R is for Reading aloud- do this everyday

S is for Seeds & Suet-feed and watch the birds and see how many you already know

T is for Tent-make one from blanket and chairs

U is for Unplugged-do a day without TV

V is for  Variety- try something new every day

W is for Walk-take one in any weather

X is for X marks the spot-hide a treat and create a treasure hunt with a map

Y is for Year- make a calendar or scrapbook

Z is for Zoo-visit the animals or make your own zoo with stuffed animals and blocks

A Jewish Holiday Celebration:Hanukkah

Hanukkah , also known as the Festival of Lights, Feast of Dedication, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple (the Second Temple) in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire of the 2nd century BC. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar.

This year Hanukkah begins in the evening of December 16th and ends in the evening of December 24th.

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The festival is observed by the kindling of the lights of a unique candelabrum, the nine-branched menorah or hanukiah, one additional light on each night of the holiday, progressing to eight on the final night. The typical menorah consists of eight branches with an additional visually distinct branch. The extra light is called a shamash  and is given a distinct location, usually above or below the rest. The purpose of the shamash is to have a light available for practical use, as using the Hanukkah lights themselves for purposes other than publicizing and meditating upon Hanukkah is forbidden.

Other Hanukkah festivities include playing dreidel and eating oil based foods such as doughnuts and latkes.

Hanukkah became more widely celebrated beginning from the 1970s, when Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson called for public awareness of the festival and encouraged the lighting of public menorahs.

Every year on the White House Ellipse in Washington DC,there is a Lighting Ceremony.It is a free event but tickets are required.This year it will be held on December 16th at 4:00pm (http://nationalmenorah.org/)

 

Courtesy of Wikipedia

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