How do you apply to be an exchange student?

How can I convince my parents into hosting a exchange student again?

• I really want my parents to host another exchange student again. Everytime I ask them they say its a big responsibility. Two years ago we hosted a exchange student. This exchange student put my father in stress and slapped me for just telling something to her in a panic.She even skipped school the one day to hang out with her friend in the mall and found a pack of cigarettes in her bag. I even caught her with kissing a boy in her room in my house. When she left us my parents told me we won't host any exchange students again. After two years I founded a Military Fitness Course Club which teaches discipline and if this exchange student gets into something wrong I will punish them by putting them on training course with my uncle from the Navy. I want to be a strict brother. I also want to have fun with exchange student by taking he or she parties with my friends. How can I convince my parents into hosting a exchange student again?

• Answer:

  What an experience. It's almost unbelievable. First, be cautious with your attitude when you talk to them. I'm not accusing you of anything - it's just hard to tell somethings from an internet posting. What I mean is don't go to them with the attitude of "it's not that big of a responsibility and you're overreacting". My husband and I are currently hosting our 7th exchange student (4 for 10-11mos each, 1 for 7mos before she moved to a different family, 1 for 5mos (we were the replacement family), and we're in month 8 of our current hosting experience). While the students are here, the host parents do need to be full parents to the student. You are NOT the one to "punish" the student. You are the one to just be a brother. Let your parents handle whatever discipline is needed. That is their job. That being said, I can tell you that the experience you had is extremely rare. There are around 38,000 high school students that come to the USA on exchange for a semester or year. We've had one experience that wasn't great (she was a very good guest, but she was never a member of the family) and the other 6 have been fabulous! If you want to have a rational conversation with your parents about hosting, have a TON of information. Be ready for questions like "what if the student is 'bad'?" "are you going to help the student make friends and adjust to our home?" etc. Make sure you host with a program that will support the student and your family. If I may, I would like to suggest hosting with YFU. I've put some links below where you can get some information. Good luck!