I wanted to thank all of you who sent postcards quite awhile back to our exchange student. He loved them! If anyone here every hosts and wants a post card for your student, please let me know.

If you ever get the chance, and have the desire, to host, I highly recommend it! The boy was one of the best things to ever happen to this family. We were very blessed to have him here, and we all miss him a lot!

We had a foreign exchange student 23 years ago. She went home and finishedoneyear of high school and came back. She has lived in the states near us ever since. As far as everyone is concerned, she's my sister. Her son is just another grandkid around my parents house. It was a great experience and our family learned so much (and still does) from her.

I'm so glad your exchange student had a great time. It's a wonderful opportunity for students.

We had 4 exchange students over the years and wouldn't trade the experience for anything! We are going to Europe next summer to visit 3 of them and can hardly wait to see them again and meet their families. I'm glad you had a good experience with yours!

We used to take foreign exchange students for a 3 week visit during the summer. It was designed to give them a taste of what it's like in the USA but not be here for a school year. We loved doing it and had 2 come back more than once.

Diannia

A friend of mine has had exchange students over the years and loved them. When a friend asked her to take in an American girl for a few months she agreed..and bitterly regrets it now.
The Japanese girls were well trained in cleaning up after themselves and did everything she told them to. Well trained with lovely manners they were and will be welcomed again at any time she wants company.

The American girl? She had been raised like most of our kids...brought up to feel entitled to what she wanted when she wanted it, and as for housework or cleaning up after herself, that was for someone else to do.

I strongly suspect my friend will never again take in an American girl, only foreign ones.

Which leads me to wonder..what do your younger family members do when they visit? My GKs all pitch in and help with housework when visiting, (one GD helped put down carpet squares and helped paint the house) and my kids do most of the work when THEY visit, giving me a mini vacation.

My daughter is getting her 5th foreign exchange student. She has had very good luck with all of them. 4 from Germany and this one from Sweden.

Love those Germans!!