As the 206-17 school year comes to a close, SHARE! wanted to get up close and personal with a host family getting ready to say goodbye to their exchange student. Yvette Coffman from our SHARE! Southwest office interviewed the Lyn Claus, host mother to Nienke from Germany. The Claus family has hosted 7 exchange students and will welcome their 8th exchange student, a girl from Switzerland, this coming August.
YC: Tell us what made you first decide to host an exchange student.
LC: I was volunteering at a school and they were looking for host families to volunteer. I thought what a great experience it would be for my children. From then on, we have had one every single year.
YC: Your current student is from Germany. How has that been different from hosting your students from other countries?
LC: We’ve only hosted a Slovakian and Norwegian. Most have been German girls.
YC: What is it about hosting German girls that your family is drawn to?
LC: We fell in love with the first one we had and then again with the second one. They are all just eager to be here, friendly, and will jump right in and try new things. They will join sport teams even if they have never played the sport before.
YC: What is your favorite way to acclimate students to your home when they first arrive?
LC: We do baptism by fire! We go away for the weekend right after they arrive. Its works! If they are forced to be just with your family in a completely different setting, they become a member of your family instantly rather than if they were just at your home going through the motions. I am already am planning where we will take our next student.
YC: Where is your favorite place to take them on your weekend away?
LC: San Antonio. The River Walk, Alamo, Sea World, Natural Bridge Caverns.
YC: Your family has hosted 7 exchange students. Is there a most memorable experience you have?
LC: I’ve only hosted girls so the most memorable has always been the proms. Everything leading up to the prom- the shopping for a dress and getting their hair done. Each student also has their own special memory with me. I call them my daughters- they are truly my kids.
YC: Most students like to prepare a meal for their host family from their home country. What meal is most requested by your exchange students for you to make?
LC: We are in Texas so Mexican food or anything BBQ!
YC: Students can be really nervous about their first day of school. Is there anything you tell them before school to help give your girls confidence and calm their anxiety?
LC: I tell them they are not alone and that it’s the first day of school for everybody- and to smile and that it’s okay to cry when they come home. They have all come home teary but that’s when I tell them they should call their parents and tell them what a great day they had. The tears don’t last long.
YC: Can you tell our readers the top three things you consider when picking your exchange student?
LC: Their extracurricular activities, the closeness to their biological family, and whether they like pets, because we have a ton! I realized the ones that are closer to their parents become closer to us as their American parents. The ones who are very close to their parents call me mom, the ones who were not call me Lyn.
YC: You hosted sisters! One in 2009 and the another in 2012. Tell me about that experience.
LC: They were total different people! One was reserved and the other was more outgoing. I would do that again in a heartbeat and tell all of our students that if their siblings ever want to come we would be happy to host them.
YC: The sister spent two weeks in Tampa, FL to visit your dad, their host grandfather in Florida last year. Is being a host family a “whole family” experience?
LC: Yes! The girls love my dad and he loves doing things for all of our exchange students.
YC: Is there anything you look forward to with your 8th exchange student?
LC: Gaining another daughter.