American Christmas Traditions and Their Origins

Consider the strings of lights on Christmas trees – how did this tradition get started? According to an article in Smithsonian Magazine, the history of Christmas lights stemmed from the invention of the light bulb. One of Thomas Edison’s colleagues, Edward Hibberd Johnson, who was also an investor in the Edison Lamp Company, wanted to

Pediatric Nurse Grateful for Moments of Compassion, Endurance, Laughter and Hope

At PROaupair, the majority of our host families have children with special needs. For many of these families, these special needs require frequent doctor’s visits, hospital stays or ongoing therapy sessions. As we read this post, we saw – in the nurse’s stories – our host families and the children we serve. We also saw

Classic American Books Your Child and Your Professional Au Pair Will Both Enjoy

Little Women: a classic American story following the life of the four March sisters – Meg, Joe, Beth and Amy – during the American Civil War. Louise May Alcott based the story in part on her own upbringing with her three sisters. Children will love following the adventures of the sisters and their neighbor Laurie,

Help your Au Pair Feel like Part of the Family on Thanksgiving

While your family’s Thanksgiving holiday may usually run on celebratory autopilot, consider stepping back and thinking about the holiday as if you had never celebrated it before. What are the traditions? How do people get involved? What is considered vital to the celebration? Your professional au pair will likely be celebrating Thanksgiving for the very

What Classes Fulfill the J1 Educational Requirement for Au Pairs?

“I took two Spanish classes at my nearby college because I have a lot of Hispanic friends. I also took several museum classes in Washington, D.C. because they are convenient, cheap and I can spend the rest of the day in D.C.” - Merle K. “I chose an au pair cooking class in Bethesda, Maryland. It