Help!! What do you do with exchange students?

[staranise]

Ive jsut offered to have my ex-colleague's daughter over in the summer for a week to help improve her English (they're Spanish). I have DDs aged 4 and two and will be 5 months pregnant with number 3.
The girl will be 15 but is super naive, nothing like English teenagers - is a precious only child who has never been on a bus by herself, never walked anywhere by herself and we live in v hectic London. What am I going to do with her? Panicking already! Won't be able to let her out of my sight, She'll have to come on my usual rounds of playgroup, the park etc. Hope she likes young children...

I've got a French 14 year old coming in the summer as well! Fortunately she has younger brothers and sisters and so will be able to help me out (I'm a cm). Will be watching this thread for other ideas!

Good luck! Maybe we should meet up and they can stare at each other for a while!

Must admit, I'm terrified. And our house is not exactly large so it's not like will have much space. At least it's only a week - her mother was hinting at a month!

Mine's coming for 3 weeks! Apparently she loves reading and is bringing plenty of books . Get some DVDs in - you can usually change the language! Also if you're in London there are lots of opportunities for day trips.

yeah, am thinking the aquarium, the museums etc, plus all spanish people are crazy about Harrods
Just think it might be quite hard work, plus am paranoid about her safety. But at least it's only a week...

Are there any summer camps being run at your local school or by the council - I would be tempted to get her mum to pay for her to go to one of those so she can make friends, practice her english and also so that you only have her in the mornings/evenings.

Good idea, will check - TBH I have no knowledge or experience of teenagers in London. Don't even know anyone with teenage children.

Will have to start quizzing the local hoodies...

some

web

sites

Where in London are you?

SW15 - Putney, so it's good for Richmond park, Kew, the museums, Harrods....

Thanks for the website tips, that's very useful

Going to try and find her some English lessons so we're not stuck together all day. Just a bit paranoid about her safety and she is very naive IMO and her English is not good so can't imagine that she'd be able to get around by herself.

This may or may not be appropriate, depending on what you - and her family - believe. But if there are any churches locally that have active youth groups, they might be a source of "safe" teenage activities and/or contacts with local teenagers who are unlikely to lead her too far astray!

Otherwise, a language school that has students of a similar age group will probably be quite good at providing them with a bit of a social life as well.

I'm willing to try anything! She's quite sporty so will see if there are any local summer activities and it would be great if she could meet kids her own age (well-haved, non-drinking, non-smoking ones!!). Poor thing, don't know who to feel more sorry for, her or me!