What to Do

...continuing from " What to do and not to do if you hate your host family".... By Elizabeth Gregory So let's say you discover after a few days that a member of your host family "rubs you the wrong way." What should you do? I can tell you from past experience, that 9 times out of 10 this is a simple miscommunication that is easily solved. However, there is that fact of reality that not every single person in the world gets along with every other single person. So, what to do: * Make a note of what happened. (either a mental note, or write it down) Was it something they said that you're not sure if you translated the right way? Or was it a rule that was explained to you that you're thinking shouldn't be the case? For example, laundry service may be included and your host mother may be telling you that it is not included (once in a while, these types of things can happen). Main reason being that host families often work with more than one organization or have in the past, so it can be confusing when each organization has its own sets of guidelines and what to provide for the student as far as host families go. * Speak to a program administrator. If you have a series of events that have occurred, this is especially important. However, I cannot stress enough that you should get this cleared up immediately to avoid further confusion or problems. It is best to speak to them rather than confront the family. This is true for several reasons including: 1. you can do it in your own language 2. they may have to call the family to clarify any confusion (ie the laundry example, they may be a new family, etc). * Let it go. If it's a simple misunderstanding, it's best to forgive and forget. Next time, we'll discuss what not to do....