cultural exchange

Cultural Exchange: Little things you’ve learned about the US from your Au Pair

by cv harquail May 22, 2018
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I was flipping back through some old posts and found one asking what our Host Kids have learned about other cultures from their Au Pairs.  Northern NJ Mom’s list (reposted below) made me smile, and wonder: What kinds of small things have you learned about the US or your Au Pair’s home culture? Let ’em rip, […]

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5 Reasons to Take Your Au Pair to See “He Named Me Malala”

by cv harquail October 9, 2015
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For a cultural exchange that will bring you and your au pair closer, take her (or him) to see the documentary film “He Named Me Malala”. He Named Me Malala opens nationwide this Friday, October 9.  Here’s the link to find showings near you: http://theaters.henamedmemalalamovie.com/ 5 Reasons Why You Should Take Your Au Pair to […]

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Why Your Au Pair Should Go To Your Kid’s School Play …

by cv harquail March 15, 2015
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… and all sorts of other family events. If having an Au Pair is a Cultural Exchange, school and community events are an important part of the excitement. Hey, I’ve endured enjoyed  enough grammar school orchestra concerts to be an expert on ways to butcher the violin parts of The Str Spangled Banner. But if […]

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Cultural Exchange: American kids react to breakfasts from around the world

by cv harquail February 17, 2015

Cultural Exchange always feels more concrete when it’s translated into food. Food preferences, food differences, food customs, and beyond.   With a hattip to Mark Frauenfelder at BoingBoing, here’s a video that reminded me of the first time I had fishpaste from a tube, on a business trip to Sweden.   I wonder how many […]

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Au Pair Host Family Fun for Thanksgiving

by cv harquail November 10, 2014
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20 Fun Things You Can Do with Family on Thanksgiving Hi Host moms—  I found this great list of ideas for Thanksgiving on the DumbLittleMan Tips for Life blog. It’s such a great list that there is no way to summarize it and do it justice, so I’m excerpting it in large chunks… but if […]

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3 Features of Au Pairing: Which One Challenges You?

by cv harquail September 1, 2014
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What are the real, important differences between Au Pairs and other kinds of childcare providers, like nannies, babysitters, or childcare centers? What really influences the challenges that host parents and au pairs face when it comes to making this ‘the best year ever’? It used to be that when people asked me how having an […]

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Fun for the 4th: Bake a Flag Cake

by cv harquail July 1, 2014
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Does your Au Pair like to bake? Do your kids? If you’ve ever made a checkerboard cake, a heart-shaped cake, or a cake-like thing that looked vaguely like Thomas The Tank Engine, you have all the skills and equipment you need to make this very American beauty. The flag-making process and recipe come from the […]

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Get Your Au Pair an American Flag, says TexasHM

by cv harquail June 13, 2014
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Happy Flag Day! Flag Day is a special day for our neighborhood — it’s my next-door neighbor and friend Michael’s birthday. Every year his wife decorates their front porch with flags and has the neighborhood over for cake to mark the dual celebration.   But even without the cake, it’s still another fun reminder for […]

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Themes, Perspectives, and Cultural Stereotypes, Ideas from TexasHM

by cv harquail April 25, 2014
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Just days before a demonstration of how stereotypes about certain nationalities can feel unkind and unhelpful, frequent contributor TexasHM sent me this guest blog post. Perfect timing! We’re always working to generalize wisdom from our individual experiences, so stereotypes and national personalities are a common topic of conversation among folks in the AuPair community. TexasHM […]

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AuPair Gifts That Give Back ~ Ideas from Susan Robinson

by cv harquail December 2, 2012
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How about some some gift ideas for au pairs that, with their purchase, provide a donation to women’s and children’s causes around the world? It’s two gifts in one!  The curator of this list is Susan Robinson, known to many of you as AuPair Answer Mom over at Cultural Care. Susan Robinson has been host […]

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