Category Archives: Au Pair Tips

Holiday & Vacation Reminders

“Rest and be thankful.” – William Wordsworth

Holidays and vacations are a great opportunity to rest, recharge and explore the U.S.

Memorial Day Weekend is the unofficial start of summer travel season. Here are some reminders about program rules regarding holidays and vacations.

Holidays

  • Host families are not required to give au pairs any specific holidays.
  • Each host family will make different arrangements on holidays, some au pairs will be off and others will be required to work.
  • Au pairs should not make plans for holidays without checking with your host family first.

Vacations

  • Au pairs earns 2 weeks of paid vacation during the course of her year.
  • Vacation time should be mutually agreed upon.
  • All vacation should be preplanned (at least 4 weeks in advance.)
  • All au pair’s friends and/or family visits/vacations should be pre-approved prior to purchasing tickets.
  • If an au pair travels with her host family, it should be discussed in advance whether this is the au pair’s vacation or if she is working.
  • If an au pair travels with the host family to work, the host family is required to pay for her transportation, lodging and meals.

Important: If an au pair is traveling outside of the U.S., she must have her DS2019 signed (travel validation) PRIOR to her departure from the US. More information about this may be found here on the Au Pair in America website.

Photo: torbakhopper (Flickr)

Northern VA Community College – Registration and Testing

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It is time to register for the Spring 2016 semester if you are interested in taking a class at NOVA.
Here is the link to the website and the Spring 2016 Catalog – be careful there are many campuses – you want to only consider campuses close to you.  Be sure to discuss with your host family before registering for any classes:
To arrange testing for those registering for classes for the first time – please call the campus you are interested in attending:
Loudoun Campus – 703-450-2597 (an option for the entire cluster).
Annandale – 703-323-3323 (Oakton Au Pairs are in between Loudoun and Annandale).
Manassas – 703-257-6536 (an option for South Riding/Chantilly/Ashburn).

Let us know if you have any questions!

NOVA – Registration begins April 15th

NOVA

Click here for a list of classes offered

Northern VA Community College will begin registration for summer classes on April 15th.  You can contact them now to set up an appointment for your English placement test if you have never taken classes at NOVA before.

Loudoun Campus – Call 703-450-2597
Annandale Campus – Call 703-323-3323 (Oakton and Fairfax Au Pairs – either campus is convenient).
Click here to see the classes offered – please be sure to note the campus location for the class before registering:

Handling Expenses

Miscellaneous Expenses

There are different ways to handle the little day to day expenses that come up.  Things like when an au pair takes the kids out for ice cream or picks up a gallon of milk.  Some families keep a cookie jar fund, a little cash that they set aside weekly or monthly for this kind of expenses.  Here are some suggestions for avoiding problems with expenses.

Host Families

  • It’s important to be clear about how long this money should last and what types of expenses are approved.
  • Let the au pair know whether or not you expect receipts.

Au Pairs

  • Only spend the money on approved expenses.
  • If it is something you are not sure about, ask first.
  • Put your receipts in the cookie jar in place of the money to avoid any confusion.

Gas and Fare Cards

Host families are responsible for the au pair’s transportation costs:

  • to and from classes and cluster meetings
  • driving the kids

It is a good idea to figure out how much gas an au pair will use for these trips and either put gas in the car or give a gas allowance.   If your au pair is riding to classes or cluster meetings with another au pair, you should offer to share the cost of gas.

Au pairs are responsible for their own transportation at all other times.  You should replace the amount of gas used for personal use.

Photo: Andrea Travillian

Snowflakes

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Snowflakes –winter officially begins on the 21st but in some parts of the United States it has already snowed. Did you know that each snowflake is unique?

Make snowflakes with your host children:

Step 1

Step 1 IllustrationStart with an 8.5″ x 11″ sheet of paper. Fold one corner of the piece of paper down. Cut off the bottom portion to make a triangle.

Step 2

Step 2 IllustrationTemporarily bring the two corners of the base of the triangle together to find the center point of the longest side. Make a small crease at the center point.

Step 3

Step 3 IllustrationWe’re now going to use the center point identified in Step 2 to divide the triangle into three equal parts. Fold the right corner in at a 60° angle. (Use a protractor to help you.) Then fold the left corner in back at a 60° angle.

Step 4

Step 4 IllustrationYour paper should look like the illustration at right. Now fold the paper in half as shown.

Step 5

Step 5 IllustrationCut off the upper portion along the horizontal line.

Step 6

Step 6 IllustrationThis triangle will be 1/12th of your snowflake. Use a pencil to draw a design on the triangle. The unopened side will be the backbone of the snowflake. Do not draw any lines that cut through the triangle.

Step 7

Step 7 IllustrationUse a pair of scissors to carefully cut away the unwanted area.

Step 8

Step 8 IllustrationCarefully unfold your snowflake and flatten it out with your fingers. Voilà!

Now experiment with different designs and see what you come up with. One of the joys of cutting paper snowflakes is that you never know for sure what the snowflake will look like when you open it up!

Healthy eating

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Is your house filled with treats, and goodies that are tempting you?  It is the season, and you are here for a cultural exchange, so try some of the traditional sweets your host family is offering, but it is a good idea to downsize your portions – how much you eat is as important as what you eat.

From http://www.aupairinamerica.com/resources/life_in_the_us/healthy_eating.asp

Guidelines for Eating Smart

  • Eat breakfast – it’s the best way to start the day.
  • Drink water – 4 glasses or more a day, more when it is hot or when you are active.
  • Downsize your portions – how much you eat is as important as what you eat.
  • Snacking – most packaged snacks are high in calories and low in nutrition. Skip the cookies and the chips and snack instead on whole fruits, nuts, popcorn (without the butter), carrots or non-fat yoghurt.
  • Fiber – foods rich in fiber are filling and give you energy. These foods include bran cereal, fresh and dried fruit, broccoli, asparagus, peas, corn, cabbage, brussels sprouts, whole grain breads, brown rice and lentils.
  • Lean protein – whether or not you eat meat, you need protein. Best sources include skinless chicken or turkey breast, fish and shellfish, egg whites, lowfat milk and cheese, kidney beans, chick peas, tofu and other soy products.
  • Variety – try to eat fruits and vegetables of many different colors. This will help you get many vitamins and other nutrients important to your health.
  • Stop eating before you are full – you’ll feel better.

If you want to lose weight, here are some ideas to help you do that:

Crash diets or quick weight-loss schemes are not a good long-term solution.
Have patience in losing a half-pound to one pound per week.
Always drink plenty of water or other fluids.
Never skip meals in an effort to lose weight.
Get up and go, increase your physical activity.
Eat a variety of foods.

Credits: The International Food Information Council Foundation and http://www.bluecrossma.com

NOVA – Registration for Spring

click here for the Spring 2014 Catalog

click here for the Spring 2014 Catalog

Here is the catalog for the spring courses at Northern VA Community College. This is all campuses – be sure to look for the one that is closest to you.

Registration begins December 4th.
Reminder: you need 80 hours, which equals to 8 CEUs, or 6 credits throughout the year.

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Education

5188351708_aa503de0e8Online Courses: As you prepare to register for classes that begin in January, remember, online courses do not meet the educational requirement for au pairs.  The only exception is the UCLA course, which is exclusive to Au Pair in America.

Open registration for all students begins tomorrow at NOVA: http://www.nvcc.edu/wdce/loudoun/

Photo: Sean MacEntee

November 11: Veteran’s Day

A day to honor American veterans of all wars, Veterans Day is a federal holiday

7081352589_8b5f0787ecBy , About.com Guide:

Veterans Day was originally established to honor Americans who had served in World War I. The national holiday is celebrated on November 11, the anniversary of the day World War I ended in 1918. Today Veterans Day honors veterans of all wars for their patriotism and willingness to serve in the military and sacrifice for our country.

Veterans Day is a great time to visit the monuments and memorials in Washington, DC. Many of the memorials and a few other attractions around the region host special events in honor of America’s veterans. Washington DC does not host a parade in honor of Veterans Day. The main event in the nation’s capital is the observance at Arlington National Cemetery. (see the details below) Here is the schedule of events for 2013:

Arlington National Cemetery
November 11, 2013, 11 a.m. Across the Potomac from Washington at the west end of the Memorial Bridge, Arlington, Virginia. (703) 607-8000 This is the national Veterans day service with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Seating in the amphitheater is limited, so visitors should plan to arrive at least a half hour before the ceremony.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial
November 11, 2013, 1 p.m. Constitution Avenue and Henry Bacon Dr. NW, Washington, DC. Color guard, speakers and a wreath-laying ceremony pay tribute to all who served and sacrificed during the Vietnam War America’s other conflicts.

Click here for more events in DC

Photo: Cristian Ramírez