P'mike! pls. send this to them.
I was an exchange student in Washington, DC USA for a year with the AFS program 2 years ago (2008-2009). My host family is a single mom with 9 years old younger brother. We lived in Apartment up Northern DC, very close to UDC. Throughout a year I have had wonderful experiences with them. I couldn't see any problems living with a single mom without any high school kids. I have learend many things from living in this kind of family. I knew my hostmom might need to work so hard and maybe she didn't spend so much time to do things with me and my younger brother but that's when I have learned to have more responsibilty. My brother, even he was just nine at that time but guess what, I knew how to play and enjoy watching baseball and football from him. I also knew what are American kids favorite TV channel, song and game. Not just only me that learned to live as American but I'm sure my hostmom and my brother learned a lot from me too. I took my culture and lifestyle with myself and show them how I lived back in my country. If you decided in that way, many single mom families will lose this great opportunity to learn and understand more about the world from us, the excahnge students. Thus, I don't see a problem when there isn't any high school kids living with in the family.
Finally, as one of an exchange student that use to lived with a single mom family, I would say, it's true that it doesn't sound like a lovely perfect host family but you have my guaranteed that many exchange students to live with a single mom family will have great experiences in any other ways. So that I worte this to you and I hope this would be considered.
Best regards
Arin Krachaiwong
(AFS Thai Exchange Student 08'-09')
