Paying for hospitality?
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Paying for hospitality?
| Mon, 08-06-2007 - 2:57pm |
My 15-year-old daughter just spent a week in a resort area with the family of one of her friends. The parents have asked me to reimburse them for food expenses. (My daughter's diet is pretty average in quantity, quality, and type.) I'm going to pay up quietly but I wonder--am I behind the times, or is their request tacky?

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Asking AFTER you agreed that DD could go, or AFTER they return is worse than tacky though.
If they asked up front, and you agreed to allow her to go you have no complaint, and got your DD a cheap trip it sounds like.
No one's been dumb enough to take any of my kids more than a weekend somewhere, but we did take DD's frd along with us to Orlando last year. Before the frd was asked to go I made sure that the parents would allow it, and that they would pay for her Disney ticket. We provided everything else from food to transportation, etc. Her mother gave her extra spending money to get DD something that she really wanted while we were there and I thought that was very nice of them, frd's mom said she got off cheap and was quite happy.
I had a girl stay with my dd and I at a hotel for a dance competition as her parents were working and couldn't attend the entire time. There were two full size beds and it was just the two of us so it was no big deal to have her there. Her mom did leave her with some money for food but I ended up paying for alot of it myself as it wasn't really enough. But then her parents, grateful for the hospitality, took us out for dinner and I was fine with that.
To me I would have been okay even paying for her and I didn't need the dinner or anything. But they were just trying to be polite in thanking me for looking out for their daughter. However I wouldn't dream of asking for any money. I made the offer to have her stay with us anyway.
Well, I think you should have asked before you accepted so I feel you both kind of fell apart in the communication department
I would have given the parents a gift card for a dinner out upon their return even if they said they didnt want money for expenses and the boys always carry money for incidentals like Tshirts
A week is a long time-JMO
It is tacky of them to ask AFTER the fact. These are issues that should have been discussed beforehand.
When my then 15dd went away with a friend's family, I enclosed $300 in an envelope. One hundred of it was for food (which included a dinner theater one evening). One hundred was for park entrance fees, etc. And the balance was 'fun money' for dd to do with what she pleased. The parents never asked me for a penny, but I offered it up and they were grateful.
I'd pay it quietly to them and remember this for next time. Make all plans and arrangements up front so you know what will be expected of you.
Did you offer any money to help with food or anything?! Maybe they were taken aback if you didn't offer or your daughter didn't help pay for any of her meals. We just took a friend for a week at the beach. When the other parents said that their son could go, they offered to send money with him for food and gas etc...we declined and said thanks anyway, but this trip was going to be our treat. We did tell them to send money with him if he wanted to buy himself any souvineers etc.. One of the nights we were out to dinner, the child asked the waitress for the bill and paid cash. The other family obviously didn't take no for an answer totally :) > I must admit, if they didn't offer, we wouldn't ask, but I would have thought it strange for someone to send their child with us without even an offer of some money. Just my opinion.
Julie
KRistie
Ramona Mom to 2 great kids and wife to one wonderful hubby since 1990!
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