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Arrival
It is best to meet your student at the
airport with a small gift or welcome card. Some cultures prefer to
give a hug and kiss on both cheeks on arrival, while others may
dictate only a shake of the hand. Gender plays a role here as well.
Whatever you choose to do may help shape the rest of the students
stay.
When your student arrives, there has usually been a tremendous time change (from Europe to America they have usually been up for nearly 24 hours) or climate change (coming from South of the Equator, they are probably experiencing their winter while we are still in summer time). In general, ask the student if they wish to have a look around your community or to go home and go to bed. You may also wish to treat them to a meal if they are hungry.
Jet lag seems to be easier when traveling from East to West. At first, this student will go to bed early and wake up early. If your student has traveled from West to East, they will probably have a more difficult time adjusting their internal clock. This student will go to bed late and tend to have problems waking up in the morning. Either way, it is usually best for them to force themselves to fit into your daily schedule as soon as possible.
Sometimes, an exchange student will arrive when neither you or your spouse can greet them at the airport. This happened to us with an exchange son from Germany. My wife and I were both playing for a local production of The Music Man at the same time our exchange son was to arrive. She was the only violin, and I was the only piano player in the pit orchestra. The principal of the school picked him up at the airport on his arrival and delivered him to our home. Fortunately, he was too tired to care much, but it is good policy for at least one of the host parents to be at the airport. We had tickets to 2 performances for him and he slept through both performances!!!