Many Swedish families live in privately owned houses with gardens. The northern part of the country is much less populated than the southen part. In the rural areas far south, many families live on large farms with hundreds of acres of land, but it is never far away to the nearest town as Sweden is a fairly small country.

Swedish parents have more or less strict rules for their teenage children. If you want to go out to meet your friends it will not be a problem but it is very important that you respect what you and your host parents have agreed on. You are also expected to help out at home, e.g. to clean your room or help setting the table for dinner.

On weekends most families organise get-togethers with relatives and friends. Many parents also attend their children sports games or other spare time activity. If you have a host brother who is playing soccer on weekends, it is very likely that you and the whole family will be there to watch the game.