home stay student fun

August 8, 2005

After finishing a successful homestay week housing a foreign student, I feel like I should share a few tips should you ever decide you want to have a student stay in your home to gain cultural insights. First you have to tell your homestay kid right up front that YOU are the boss. Don’t give them a chance to slack or have an opinion by saying things like “Are you having fun?” or “Did you enjoy that?” or “What would YOU like to do?”

Why would you start out a perfectly good situation like this by making your student believe that his / her opinion or emotions are important. Instead, tell them “You will have fun when I SAY you will have fun! Now finish scrubbing the baseboards maggot!”

At some point, your student may be reluctant to share in a meal, not being familiar with the food we enjoy here. If the situation occurs, try a compromise such as this: “Not hungry? American food not GOOD enough for you? Well that’s ok, you can just have a drink then FROM THE TOILET!” Always give them the choice. I find this compromise works and encourages respect for our culture.

If you find that your homestay is getting a little homesick, remember that it is a common feeling that is only temporarily. However if it persists, try using a psychological method called distraction. Distract them from their homesickness by giving them a real illness. Add a little Syrup of Ipecac to top their waffles. You’ll find that within a twenty minutes they will have forgotten all about their parents and siblings.

When out sightseeing, your student may give you a hard time, whining about being hot, tired, or speaking out of turn. Remind them that here in the land of the melting pot, their freedom in the USA rests only upon not being singled out as a terrorist in a public place. To really drive this one home, it helps if YOU have been holding on to their passport for safekeeping.

That’s all the tips I have. The real thanks goes to you for being a good American citizen and humanitarian.

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