Anyone have experience with housing exchange kids?

We have done it twice and found it to be a rewarding experience and we have remained close with both girls we hosted. One was from Belgium and the other France. It made us do more local things we wouldn’t normally do and it was fun to see their reaction to many things Americans take for granted. Our eldest even went visit the one in Belgium.

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Curious if anyone has any experience good or bad with that?

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Al and Bud seemed pretty happy with it.

I've never done it, but my wife's sister and her husband did sponsor two from one family from Germany. The boy was in high school and he was the first to come over and then a couple years later the sister came over to spend several weeks with them here in N.O. and our in-law's son spent time with their family in Germany.

Over the years they have both been back to N.O. several times and are great folks to be around and have even had their mother come with them on a couple occasions.

My wife and I made it a long day of taking them to see some of the Plantations in the River Parishes and having lunch at Rivershack Tavern on River Rd. in Metairie. We had a great time that day.

I don't understand why Americans never want to help out Americans. Why wouldn't you want to adopt an American kid? And I don't mean this to be a smartass.. I'm just curious

It's like my Church.. all of their money trips are overseas to rebuild things... It annoys me that they never go to low income parts in our own ountry to help rebuild things and it's always a select group of people that go on these long trips overseas.

I just find it odd

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It's like my Church.. all of their money trips are overseas to rebuild things... It annoys me that they never go to low income parts in our own ountry to help rebuild things and it's always a select group of people that go on these long trips overseas.

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That reminded me of this funny video from John Crist. Most of these church mission trips are simply vacations.

My family had multiple exchange students when I was in junior high, and my sisters were in early elementary. I remember four of them, they were usually around for a summer or a semester, or similar. If you're going to be a host family, you need to take them places. But understand, they don't understand how big the US is. "Why can't we go to Chicago this weekend?" Well, it's a 13 hour drive, $1200 in flights for 4, or a 2 day train ride!.

1) A guy that worked as a driver to transport organs on the Autobahn in Germany. Everyone can thank my driving style because of him. He drove us from NOVA to Montreal in record time.

2) A French or Dutch girl for a summer. Interested in hooking up (of course)with other Europeans during a Northern Virginia meet up.

3) A former USSR chemical corps guy from Kazakhstan (not a teenager) that gave me a pocket watch I wish I still had (in 1990) and gave us 16oz bottles of real Soviet vodka that workers would drink at lunch.

4) Nanny from Colombia that lived with us for about two years before she married a shithead who she eventually divorced, but I knew she'd go cartel style to protect my daughter. I think she was 20 when she moved in.

Overall, clear expectations is the key. We're going on a spring trip, and a fall trip, and to Atlanta every other month. They have no scale of distance that we deal with, and even with Spirit, we don't have $25 flights that get us to other countries, which they are probably used to.

My junior year of highschool I befriended two of the foreign exchange students: one lived with my best friend's family and the other lived with our neighbors (spent most of the time at our house because the people he was staying with were just horrible.)


Both were two of the most intelligent, kind, friendly, helpful, and funnest people to be around. (Watching them experience our culture and emerse themselves in it resulted in countless laughs and ribbing)


I'd say go ahead with it, just decide which gender you and your wife think would be a better idea (better fit, more comfortable dealing with as a guardian, etc) for your family. Remember: they are going to be a part of your household and family for at least 9-10 months. Don't tell the program that you don't care who they assign you, you'll be stuck with "no good option for host" students. Real conditions to be met before you host anyone in your house.


***If you are offered a Danish student, take them in, male or female. The one who lived nextdoor was Danish. Those people are awesome and are basically the MAGA Republicans of Europe.