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Being a Host Family to a foreigner can be daunting for some, while others embrace it head-on.

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★ How will my lifestyle change?

★ Will they eat what I eat, or do I have to prepare separate meals?

★ What will I do with them while they are here?

★ What if there is a language barrier?

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These are all common, rational questions people ask before they host for the first time. 

Let's answer the questions above. The first thing we need to consider though, before answering these questions is whether you are hosting a high school student or an adult language student.

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Lifestyle

Your lifestyle shouldn't need to change all that much, if at all. Your homestay student has come to experience living with your family and should be willing to have a go at whatever you do. Whether that be accompanying you shopping, helping with the housework, or even trying the food that is offered.

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Supervision 

Generally, if you are hosting a high school student then the chances are you also have school-aged children at home. This is not always the case but accounts for about 90% of most cases.

This means that you are already doing school drop-offs and pick-ups and have a fairly flexible schedule. In most cases, the students will attend school or outings on weekdays, with most weekends spent with the host family. 

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An adult language student is much more independent and will make their own way to and from their school. They will also be more proactive about sightseeing on the weekends, but will certainly enjoy accompanying their host family on outings.

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Meals

As the Homestay visitor is coming to experience life in Australia, which includes food as well, there is generally no need to prepare special meals for your guests. Even students who are picky eaters will have been warned well in advance that they will most likely not get any special treatment. 

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If your visitor is feeling homesick we suggest perhaps cooking them a dish from their home country to help comfort them, or better yet, see if they can help you prepare a favorite dish of their own.

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High school students will usually require three meals a day, which will include a school lunch on weekdays. Some Asian country students are provided with a school lunch and do not have the opportunity to order their meal(s). Helping a student order their lunch the night before, or giving them some money to buy their lunch from the canteen can be a great experience for them.

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The most common package for adult students is breakfast and dinner, with them buying their lunch. It is common for some hosts to offer for them to take sandwiches each day to cut down costs. There is absolutely no problem with this, but it is worth noting that if you do offer this you will need to make sure that they can take it for the entire length of their stay which could be anything from 1 to 3 months.

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If you have an adult language student, there is the likelihood that they will not be home for all meals. The best way to judge whether you need to cook for them or not is to ask them to please let you know by a certain time if they will be joining you for dinner. For example, if you generally start dinner preparations at 6 pm, then asking them to tell you by 5 pm on the same day might be a good idea. If they forget to tell you don't let it get you down, as you can always think of it as a preprepared lunch for the next day.

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And lastly..... The Benefits of Hosting

Probably one of the biggest benefits of hosting is that you get to meet people from all over the world. You get to experience another culture right under your roof. You don't only get to share food and traditions from your own culture, you can also ask them to introduce you to theirs and in doing so you can create lifelong friendships along the way.

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When was the last time you visited a local wildlife park or revisited that local tourist spot? Being a Host means that you have a reason to revisit all of those places you've been meaning to, but have never quite had the time to. Sometimes we forget how blessed we are to live in such a wonderful country and this is a great chance to rediscover the local community and appreciate what we have in our backyard.

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Hosting through one of the many companies available [Hosting companies in Perth] means that should you have any problems arise you only need to make a phone call and someone will be there to help you.

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And of course, there is the remuneration you receive for hosting a student. This is usually enough to pay for any extra food and a few little treats along the way. Depending on the company depends on the amount of remuneration received. Please check out our [Hosting Companies in Perth] page to find out more details about remuneration and other information.

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