Yay! You are welcoming a teenager into your home! And they need a bedroom. First let me state that the government requires the student have a real room with operating door, a real bed (no futons or air mattresses), adequate storage, and reasonable access to a bathroom. They can share a room with another student or your child that is similar in age and the same gender.
Now to the fun stuff: first decide if they are sharing a room with someone or if they get their own room. I’m going to discuss own room because that is my experience, but for sharing a room I imagine it would be similar in making them feel welcomed by having a space they can decorate.
As I have covered before our first year hosting was with a single student, so we just turned the guest bedroom into hers. We emptied the closest and realized how much junk we owned. We left some stuff on the very top shelf (that is hard to reach) and some luggage pieces in one corner. We cleaned everything up and bought a new mattress (the one that was on there was old and bowed) and pillows, along with some extra sheets and bathroom towels and storage solutions. I cleared out a lot of personal items, she didn’t need a picture my sister and I at my wedding, but left a couple cute touches and things like a jewelry box. About half way through her year I took down a picture and added a fun flag that says “choose adventure”, gives it more of teenage space feel. And before class of 2020 came I refinished the furniture. But I didn’t really change a lot in this room.
Now, when we decided to double host then I had to completely redo a room. The third bedroom had been an office/gym/catch-all room. It was actually an embarrassing mess most of the time. What we decided to do was move the office into the dining room, which is really too small for a formal dining room anyway (and we never used it as such….like ever). We donated the dining room furniture (which were hand-me-downs) and moved the office in. We found new homes (either inside our home or out) for everything else. We cleaned out the closet. Again we own a lot of junk and note that a lot of the junk from the first room ended up in here. Ugh! Where was Marie Kondo a few years ago? Not on Netflix where she was easily seen that’s for sure! Hahah. New paint color was chosen, a bed with mattress was ordered (from Wayfair), we found a used nightstand at a thrift store that I repainted, my mother-in-law gave us an antique dresser to use, and we ordered a small rug. Those are the things that make up the room. The first room is a European themed room and salt grey color so I wanted a different feel for this second room, so I went with coral for the walls and a Caribbean/Hawaiian feel to this one. My two travel loves are Europe and the Caribbean, so it fits me. There is a photo from Hawaii, a bunch of fish art (like fish you hang on the wall), a small shelf with some odds and ends. There is also a foam board poster of Pirates of the Caribbean, yes the Johnny Depp movie. Because I was in love with it and have had this poster for what feels like forever. And every student has gotten a kick out of it, so it stays. There is also a little jewelry box and some storage items on the dresser.
So both rooms also have small bookshelves with some YA books from my collection (which if they want they can store in the closet) and the large frame with strings and clothes line clips so they can hang their photos up. We are also pretty good about allowing them to hang things up, we just ask that they get us to help, we’ve had flags up and a white board calendar, and Halloween decor on the door (that stayed up loooong after Halloween haha). There are also cups with pens and little block calendars. Just things that I think will help. Oh and there is a nightlight, now this might be silly to think a teenager needs one but I think it’s helpful in the beginning when they are still learning your home, I also have one in the hall, kitchen, and bathroom (anywhere they might need extra light in the middle of the night and are afraid of turning an actual light on).
So decorate the room however you want to but maybe be flexible if they want to put something up. Also I only host young ladies so my more feminine decor works, I doubt a male exchange student would tolerate coral walls and Johnny Depp staring at him to well. So consider being more gender neutral if you want to try hosting both boys and girls.
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