So you want to live abroad and have an adventure of a lifetime. You can’t wait to make friends, make memories, maybe get some internship credit — and of course spice up your Instagram too! There’s just one hang up. You’re not sure if your folks will be on board. If that sounds like you…this is the post for you!

Let’s face it, some parents have seen too many movies, heard too many stories, and are just too nervous to let their son or daughter live abroad! We’ve compiled 8 easy steps to help you show your parents that the program is safe. You’ll help them see this as a life-changing opportunity for you to grow. Not only will you feel empowered by the chance to live abroad, but you can be more excited knowing that your family has your back! 

Share all the information with them

There’s a huge difference between just telling your parents about the program offhand and sitting down with them to show them the website, reviews, and other information. Not only does sharing the information with them show your folks that you’re taking the situation seriously, but it also helps them see that you’ve done your research. You might say something like: “Mom/Dad, there’s something I’m really interested in and I’d love to sit down with you and talk about it. When is a good time for us to do that together?”

Pick the right time

On that note, there are good times and there are not good times to bring up your dream to live abroad. When your mom comes home really frazzled from working overtime and hasn’t had dinner yet? Probably not the best time. When your parents are in a good mood and relaxed? Much better! 

Invite them to look at the program details page 

If you’ve decided which country you’d like to go to, make sure you have the program details page up. You can show your parents the cost, the requirements, and other details. Having these specific details on hand will help your parents capture your vision! 

Have them look at Google reviews

There are few things more reassuring than reading lots of reviews from people who have actually done the program. Have them check out our Google reviews (which we can’t edit or remove) to get an authentic sense of what the experience is like. 

Show them the FAQs page 

Many of the most common questions and concerns are addressed right on our FAQs page. Reading them together will help your parents understand how the program works. You’ll get answers to things like “How does the weekly schedule work?” and “How do you find the host families?” 

Go over questions together 

After reading the FAQs page and the program details, your parent may still have questions. Open up the conversation by asking something like, “Do you have other questions about the program? Let’s write them down.” Then you can either ask them in a phone call with one of the Rome Abroad team, or just send us an email. We also have plenty of time for questions at every orientation.

Have them join for orientation

Speaking of orientation, have your parents tag along! Orientation is where you finalize your dates after you’ve been accepted to the program. We love it when parents join for orientation. They often think of really good questions and they always leave the meeting feeling very reassured about the safety of their son or daughter. 

Introduce them to real people

After orientation, you’ll get the chance to look through host family profiles. You may choose to look through with your parents, or you could simply show your folks your top 2-3 choices. Once you’ve picked which family you want to meet, you’ll meet them via video call. After getting to know them, we strongly suggest introducing your family to your host family! Both families love doing this, and it really helps everyone feel good about the match.

If your parents are still feeling a bit nervous, we suggest introducing them to another person — one of our program graduates. Most likely this will be a person who has lived with this specific host family before. (If not, it will be a recent program graduate.) Sometimes just talking to a real person who has gone through the experience eases a lot of potential stress! 

Be responsible 

As a last point, be responsible. If you’re the kind of person that doesn’t have a job, lives at home, doesn’t do their own laundry or cooking, and doesn’t manage their time well, you’re probably going to have a hard time convincing your parents to let you live on your own in another country! (Plus, our program probably isn’t for you!) You need to have the skills and confidence that come from living on your own (or at least acting like it) to live abroad. Make a point to show your parents your responsibility in how you live your life. You might get a job, start taking care of your own laundry or meals, get involved in a class or volunteer group, or something else! The possibilities are endless. And your family will see that you’re totally capable of living without them in another country. 

We hope those ideas help! You’ve got this. Check out our programs: 

• Australia 
• China
• Teach English in China
• France
• Italy
• Spain

Not sure which country you want to go to? That’s okay! We can go over options at orientation and help you decide which country is best for YOU. Apply for free today. Use the promo code RABLOG for 10% off (you don’t need to pay anything until you’re accepted to the program). 

Looking for other helpful posts? 

• Use our ultimate packing guide to make sure you have everything you need to live abroad.
• Check out this post and learn how to get internship credit at your college or university for participating in one of our programs! 
• Learn how to document your travels so you can relive the good memories of your journeys 🙂