Become part of our family and share English with our children in Istanbul, Turkey

Details

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  Description

  Hello and welcome to our family in Istanbul!
  
  We are a warm and friendly family living in Çekmeköy, on the Asian side of Istanbul. We have three children, aged 3, 7 and 10, and we would love to welcome an international guest into our home who would enjoy becoming part of our daily family life.
  
  Our main reason for joining Workaway is to give our children the opportunity to experience English naturally in their everyday lives. Rather than having formal English lessons, we would love them to improve their English through normal daily interaction — talking, playing games, reading books, doing activities, having conversations at home and simply spending enjoyable time together.
  
  During weekdays, our children attend school in Ataşehir, so they are at school for a significant part of the day. This also means that our guest will have plenty of personal time to study, explore Istanbul, meet friends or simply relax.
  
  We already have someone who helps our family with cooking and household cleaning, so we are not looking for someone to come to our home as a cleaner or housekeeper. What matters to us is having someone who genuinely enjoys being around children, is positive and responsible, and is happy to communicate with them in English.
  
  We would like the person staying with us to feel comfortable and respected in our home, rather than feeling like an employee or simply a temporary guest. We hope to create a friendly cultural exchange where you can experience Turkish family life and Istanbul while our children benefit from spending time with someone from a different cultural and linguistic background.
  You will have your own private room and wardrobe/storage space, so you will have privacy and your own personal area within our home.
  
  
  
  Our home is located in Çekmeköy, Istanbul, in an area with convenient access to metro and bus connections. From here, it is possible to reach different parts of the Asian side and explore the rest of Istanbul using public transportation.
  
  Istanbul is an amazing city to experience as an international student or traveller. You will have the opportunity to discover both the modern and historical sides of the city, experience Turkish culture and food, and at the same time have the comfort and security of living with a local family.
  We are flexible about many of the details. We believe it is better to first meet, preferably by video call, talk about each other's expectations and see whether we are a good match. We can then discuss the daily routine, free time, length of stay, pocket money and all other practical details together.
  
  For us, the most important things are trust, good communication, kindness towards children and mutual respect.
  
  If you are friendly, responsible, enjoy spending time with children and would like to experience Istanbul while becoming part of a Turkish family's daily life, we would be very happy to hear from you and get to know you. 😊
  
  We look forward to welcoming the right person into our family and making their time in Istanbul a wonderful experience.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Language practice

  Teaching

  Babysitting and creative play
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  Interests

  

  Self development

  

  Culture

  

  Writing

  

  Languages

  

  Books

  

  Art & design

  

  Astronomy

  

  Sailing / Boating

  

  Beach

  

  Adventure sports
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  We would love to offer our guest the opportunity to experience authentic Turkish family life while living in Istanbul.
  
  You will be welcomed as part of our family and will have the chance to experience our culture, traditions, food and everyday lifestyle. We would be happy to share Turkish meals, conversations and family activities with you, while also helping you discover Istanbul from a local perspective.
  Whenever possible, you are welcome to join us for family activities, meals, outings and different experiences around the city. At the same time, we fully respect your independence and personal space, so you will also have plenty of opportunity to explore Istanbul, meet new people, attend university or language courses, and enjoy your own social life.
  
  We are also happy to help you practise Turkish if you are interested in learning the language.
  For us, this is a genuine two-way cultural exchange. Our children will have the opportunity to improve their English and learn about another culture, while you will have the opportunity to experience Istanbul and Turkish culture as part of a local family rather than simply as a visitor.
  We are curious about different countries, cultures and ways of life, and we would love our children to grow up with an international perspective. We hope that whoever stays with us will leave Istanbul with great memories, new friendships and the feeling that they had a second home here.

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  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

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  Help

  Our main expectation is for you to spend quality time with our three children (aged 3, 7 and 10) and help them improve their English naturally through everyday interaction.
  We are not looking for formal English lessons or a traditional teacher. We would much rather have someone who enjoys communicating with children and can make English a natural part of their daily life.
  
  This could include speaking English with them, playing games, reading books and stories, doing creative activities, helping them with age-appropriate English, watching and discussing English content together, and simply having conversations during everyday family life.
  Our two older children attend school in Ataşehir on weekdays, so we mainly expect interaction with them after school and during mutually agreed times. We can discuss the routine and schedule together and make sure that you also have plenty of personal time.
  We already have household help for cooking and cleaning, so we do not expect you to do housework or cleaning. Our priority is your interaction with the children and creating a positive English-speaking environment for them.
  
  We would especially welcome someone who genuinely likes children, is patient, energetic, responsible and has a very good command of English. A university or Erasmus student would be very welcome, although this is not essential.
  
  We want this to be a comfortable and enjoyable cultural exchange for everyone. We are happy to be flexible and discuss the exact schedule, responsibilities, free time, length of stay and other details together.
  
  We are also open to discussing additional pocket money/financial support, depending on the arrangement, the amount of time spent with the children and our mutual expectations. We would prefer to discuss this personally once we get to know each other and understand what arrangement works best for both sides.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  Russian: Fluent
  Turkish: Fluent
  English: Intermediate
  German: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  Our main goal is to help our children improve their English through natural, everyday communication. We are especially interested in hosting someone who is a native English speaker or has an excellent (C1/C2) level of English. In return, we would be very happy to help you learn and practise Turkish and introduce you to Turkish culture and everyday life.
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  Accommodation

  You will have your own private and comfortable room in our family home, with your own bed, wardrobe and personal storage space. We want you to have privacy and feel completely at home during your stay with us.
  
  Our home is a comfortable family home located in Çekmeköy, on the Asian side of Istanbul. You will have access to the common areas of the house and Wi-Fi/internet.
  
  Accommodation, meals and normal household living expenses will be fully provided by us, and we will not charge you anything for staying with our family. You will be welcome to eat with us and enjoy the meals prepared at home.
  
  We already have household help for cooking and cleaning, so you will not be expected to cook for the family or take responsibility for household cleaning.
  
  Our home is conveniently located close to metro and bus connections, making it easy to reach other parts of Istanbul and enjoy the city during your free time.
  Most importantly, we want you to feel safe, comfortable and welcome in our home. We hope that during your stay, our home will feel like your home in Istanbul too.

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  What else ...

  We are a family with children, so we value mutual respect, trust, cleanliness and good communication at home. We do not have complicated house rules, and we want our guest to feel comfortable and independent while also respecting our family routine and the children’s schedules.
  During your free time, you are completely free to explore Istanbul, attend university or courses, meet friends and enjoy your own social life. Our home in Çekmeköy has convenient access to public transportation, including metro and bus connections.
  Since our children are at school in Ataşehir during weekdays, there will be considerable free time during the day. We would mainly like you to spend time with them when they are at home, with the exact schedule arranged together in a flexible way.
  We prefer someone who genuinely enjoys being around children, is responsible, friendly and has an excellent level of English. Native English speakers or those with C1/C2 English are especially welcome.
  We believe good communication is the key to a happy experience for everyone. Before confirming anything, we would like to have a video call, get to know each other and openly discuss expectations, schedules, length of stay and all other practical details.
  Our goal is for this to be an enjoyable experience for both sides — we want you to have enough independence to enjoy Istanbul while also feeling like a welcome member of our family.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Can host digital nomads

  Digital nomads are very welcome. We have reliable high-speed Wi-Fi and you will have enough personal time during weekdays to work or study remotely, as our children are at school during the day. We are flexible with the schedule and can arrange the time spent with the children around your work or study commitments whenever possible. Your private room also gives you personal space when you need to work, study or relax.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  My animals / pets

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