You’ve heard, “the early bird catches the worm,” and it’s true for hosting! Christine, a host mom from Utah, shares how picking early gave her family more time to connect with their student, creating a better experience. This extra time can make all the difference! With Jette from Germany, they’re making unforgettable memories like cheering her on and enjoying everyday moments. Read on to see why picking early was the best decision for Christine’s family—and why it could be for yours too!
What inspired you to become a host family, and why did you decide to host again for the 2024-2025 school year?
In 2022, we saw a post on Facebook that a child, Zoey from Germany, needed a host family, and we were empty nesters, so we decided to give it a try. What we enjoyed the most about hosting Zoey, was how she shared her culture through cooking German food for us and she was very laid back. For this school year, we wanted to try to choose a child that was more aligned with our family lifestyle instead of taking one that hadn’t been chosen yet by a family.
What are the benefits of choosing a student early, and how did it impact your hosting experience?
You have more time to get to know each other before the student arrives! We also got to pick from a list of students instead of just taking one who hadn’t been placed yet. It worked out much better for us because we got to pick Jette from Germany and talk to her as soon as she was officially placed with us in March.
Can you tell us about your experience hosting Jette from Germany and some of your favorite moments with her?
Jette has been wonderful. We selected her from five students, and she has been great. She’s authentic, a very good student, a rule follower, and she helps out. We’ve done loads of fun stuff with her, like taking her to Lava Hot Springs in Idaho and Las Vegas. We’ve also watched her cheer and ride horses. She’s very athletic!
What advice would you give to a family considering hosting?
Pick early and write a honest letter to your student. You want your student to enjoy being here, so give them a look into what your life is like day-to-day. Let them know if you have animals, what your expectations and rules are, to ensure you are all off to the best start possible!
Are you interested in making a student a part of your family? We are looking for American host families to welcome a student for the upcoming 2025-26 school year! Check out the profiles of our wonderful students! New profiles go online every Thursday!
