First Day of Ramadan

The month of Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is the holiest month of the year. During Ramadan many Muslims fast from dawn until sundown, abstaining from food and drink. The fast is for self-purification and renewal. For more information see http://www.factmonster.com/spot/ramadan1.html.

Labor Day

Labor Day always occurs on the first Monday in September and was first celebrated in the United States on September 5, 1882, as a trade union holiday.  Now Labor Day for most people means the end of summer and the vacation season as well as the beginning of school for many students. The day is often celebrated with picnics, sporting events and reunions.

With the start of school it’s easy to rush out the door and forget to eat a healthy and nutritious breakfast. Remember that children need a balanced diet including milk, meat, vegetables, fruit and grain. Breakfast can include at least three of those groups. For nutrition information as well as seasonal eating tips, recipes and food related activities for children, visit http://www.nutritionexplorations.org/.

Baby Safety Month

Enroll in an infant/child CPR and first aid class. This will be a valuable investment of your time, and Au Pair in America will pay for it if you have three months left on your visa.  There are safety tips throughout this site to keep the children safe.  Here are some more tips for baby in honor of Baby Safety Month: 

• Check condition and sturdiness of toys. Discard any that have sharp edges or are broken or falling apart.
• Check children's clothing for loose buttons and remove strings.
• Is baby's pacifier still in good condition? Be sure it isn't coming apart. Never use strings to attach the pacifier to baby's clothes or crib.
• Where do you set baby's carrier when she's in it? Not on the counter please, or any high surface. Babies can wiggle and tip themselves over.
• Are you using an old walker? It's time to throw it out. Walkers can be dangerous (especially old ones that don't meet today's safety standards). They allow baby to move very quickly and reach things they normally can't. Never use around stairs.
• Stroller check. If your stroller folds down, be sure latches are secure before putting baby in. Always check that your child's arms are out of the way when reversing handle directions so they won't get pinched. Be sure to use that safety strap. Don't hang overloaded or heavy bags on the handle of the stroller, as this may cause it to tip over.
• Can you name the 12 most common choking foods for kids under five? Popcorn, hot dogs, chunks of meat, raisins, ice cubes, chunky peanut butter, peanuts (nuts of any kind), hard candy, grapes, raw carrots, potato chips and corn chips.
• Don’t leave toddlers alone while eating; if they begin to choke, you need to be nearby to assist.
• Get a piggy bank: this is a great place to put coins so they don't end up on the floor, in the couch cushions and then baby's mouth.
• Never leave your child unattended in the bathtub. If the phone rings, let the machine get it, or bring a cordless phone into the bathroom with you. Wait until baby can sit alone to give baths in the tub. It's easier in the sink until then.

Most libraries will give a child a card to borrow books as soon as the child can write his or her own name.  What a thrill to check out books themselves!  Be sure to keep track of the borrowed books and their due dates as this part of using the library is a grown-up responsibility.

National Grandparents Day

Take some time today to make a surprise for Grandparents Day, celebrated on the first Sunday after Labor Day.  This is not a widely celebrated holiday, but most grandparents would still appreciate being remembered and would particularly enjoy a homemade gift or card.  Work with your children to create a simple but special surprise.  Use a photo of the child or the child and the grandparent to make it even more special.

Classical Music Month

Children of any age will find classical music soothing. Try playing music at mealtimes, before naps, when children are playing quietly or drawing or even in the car. There is some classical music designed specifically for children like Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev. You can listen to the music and read the story of Peter and the Wolf with illustrations at http://grotesmurf.madscience.nl/music/petereng.htm. It is a wonderful introduction to symphony orchestra instruments.

National Sewing Month

Introduce your children to sewing. Children as young as two and a half would have fun stringing beads, cereal with holes in it or round pasta to make necklaces or bracelets. Take a piece of cardboard and punch holes for a three- or four-year-old to sew with yarn. If there is no large plastic needle in the house, try dipping the end of the yarn in glue to make it stiff. Find special sewing projects for school age children and teens on this website: http://www.sewing.org/enthusiast/enthusiast.html.

911 is used all over the country as a number to call in an emergency.  School age children should know to call 911 also – discuss when it would be appropriate such as during a fire (but don’t call from the house that is burning!) or when someone seems to be seriously hurt and there is no adult to help.

Honey is one of nature’s delicious foods, but never, never give honey to a child under one year of age. It can cause a serious disease. For older children you can find interesting bee facts, yummy recipes, and the story of how honey is made at http://honey.com/consumers/kids/default.asp.

Children usually learn manners by example, but they may need some help.  Search this site for ideas on improving manners in your family: http://familyeducation.com/topic/front/0%2C1156%2C20-11923%2C00.html.

National Farm Animal Awareness Week

Animals fascinate children. Is there a farm nearby where you can visit to see them up close, or a local county fair? Preschool age children will enjoy the coloring pages and other activities found on http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/farm.html. Farm animals often make the news too – check the newspaper in your area for stories about animals.

Elephants are the largest land animals.  There are Asian (or Indian) and African elephants – the two look slightly different.  Can you find the differences? 

Younger children may enjoy reading books with elephants in the story such as the classic Babar series by Jean de Brunhoff or But No Elephants by Jerry Smath.  Older children (ages 6 and older) would be interested in facts about elephants and learning about conservation of the endangered Indian elephant.  Find out how the circus is trying to help at http://www.elephantcenter.com/nursery.aspx There are lots of fun facts and activities for all ages at http://www.himandus.net/elephanteria/kidstuff/main_kidstuff.html.

Finish off the day with Elephant Ears, a sweet pastry available at many bakeries. If you like to bake you can try these at home. It would be safest for children to not participate in the deep-frying, but they would enjoy mixing the ingredients and kneading the dough.

Elephant-Ear Cookies 

• 3 egg yolks
• 1 egg white
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2-cup milk
• 1/2-teaspoon cardamom
• About 3 cups sifted flour
• Shortening or vegetable oil for deep-frying

Beat egg yolks and white and combine with water, milk and, cardamom. Gradually stir in enough flour to make a soft dough, turn dough out on a lightly floured board, and knead until firm, smooth, and glossy. Cover and let stand for 2 hours. Divide into balls the size of small walnuts. Then with a rolling pin roll each ball out as thin as possible, 3 inches in diameter, and cut into rounds. With the fingers gather one side of the round and press dough together into a tiny handle 1/3 inch in length and thickness. The remainder of the circle should flare out like an elephant's ear. Place the cookies on a cookie sheet and keep them covered with a towel to prevent them from drying. When all the dough is ready, heat oil, to a depth of about 1 inch, in a shallow frying pan to 375 degrees. Fry the cookies a few at a time in the hot oil for about 30 seconds on one side, then turn and fry the other. They should not be allowed to brown much. Remove and drain on absorbent paper. While still warm, sprinkle generously with confectioners' sugar. Store in a tightly closed container in a dry place.

As the weather cools and the leaves start to change color, it is the perfect time (in most parts of the United States) to pick apples. Try these simple apple recipes, no matter where you get your apples:

• Applesauce is very simple to make. Remove the core and quarter the apples. If you leave the peel on during cooking it will give the applesauce a pink color. When the apples are very soft, remove any peel that is left, mash the pulp or put it through a sieve. Add sugar if needed.

• Try making Dried Apple Rings. They can be used as a nutritious snack. Peel, core and slice apples into 1/8-inch rings (Macintosh or Golden Delicious apples work best). Dip each ring into a mixture of lemon juice and water to help the apples keep their color. Pull a piece of string through the center of each ring and hang in a dry, warm place. They take 1-2 weeks to dry and become chewy.

• For fall crafts ideas visit: http://familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts/season/specialfeature/famf0802_sf_autumn/

This is a good day to check that you have enough first aid supplies available where you can find them easily. Children are interested in health and often enjoy playing doctor with their stuffed toys or dolls. Remember, Au pair in America will pay for the cost of a Red Cross class providing you have at least three months left on your visa and you are taking one of several approved childcare/child safety related classes, such as infant/child CPR or Community First Aid and Safety. Check with your counselor for details.

There are many different tribes of Native Americans living in different parts of this country. There may be a reservation, a pow-wow or a museum nearby that you could visit. The library would have many books to look at.  There are also many websites with information – here’s one about the Navajo as an example.

Try making the traditional Fry bread, but be very careful with the hot oil.

Fry bread: makes 8-10 small ones or 5 big flat ones for Indian tacos.

• 2 cups flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup milk
• Deep hot fat in fry pan or fryer

Sift dry ingredients. Lightly stir in milk. Add more flour as necessary to make dough you can handle. Knead and work the dough on a floured board with floured hands until smooth. Pinch off fist-sized limps and shape into a disk. (Shape affects the taste because of how it fries.) For Indian tacos, the disk must be rather flat, with a depression – almost a hole – in the center of both sides. Make it that way if the fry bread is going to have some sauce over it. Smaller, round ones are made to put on a plate. Fry in fat (about 375°) until golden and done on both sides, about 5 minutes. Drain on absorbent paper. (From Phyllis Jarvis, Paiute, http://www.kstrom.net/isk/food/r_frybre.html)

Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah starts at sundown and is a solemn celebration of the beginning of the Jewish year. Synagogue services are held on Rosh Hashanah. During the services, the shofar, a ram's horn, is sounded. During Rosh Hashanah special dishes are prepared. Many of the dishes contain honey, which symbolizes the desire for a sweet year. A round bread represents the fullness of the year.