A mom writing on Reddit shared an unusual experience. She said her daughter was invited to join a friend Family vacation To Costa Rica – but when her daughter returned, the mother received a bill for travel expenses from the other family.
The confused mother took to social media to find out if her shock at the situation was justified.
“Well, my daughter (16 years old) went to Costa Rica with a friend, her parents, and her grandparents. I assumed they would just charge us a fee,” the mother wrote on the social media platform. Her food and activities Like sliding on a rope. no. They are asking for part of her housing and car rental as well.”
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Confused, the mother wondered on Reddit whether her invitation meant the basic costs of the trip would be covered by the state. Her friend's parents.
The mother wrote: “Why did I assume she was accompanying me?”
One mom on Reddit asked other social media users who should pay for a vacation if a teenager is invited by another family to travel with them. (Istock)
She continued to share that she has hosted others People's children In a similar way – and I thought that was the protocol.
The mother continued: “This is what we did for my daughter’s other friend two years ago.”
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The mother seemed surprised by the exorbitant bill presented to her by the other family.
“I would never dream of charging that much when I was going (on a trip) anyway!”
A MUM (not pictured) was left distraught after being asked to pay for her child's expenses following another family holiday trip. (Istock)
Instead of making a fuss, the mother said she would likely pay the bill to settle things and get it over with.
“We have money, so this (won't) break me,” she wrote.
She said she wanted to deal with the matter peacefully With parents From her daughter's friend.
The Reddit user and her mother (not pictured) decided to pay the extra costs and deal with the issue calmly and peacefully with the other mother. (Istock)
“I just want to have a conversation,” the diplomatic mother added.
The Reddit community spoke out about her predicament.
“The lesson is to talk about things early.”
A commenter named “Illustious-Award-55” said it's not customary to submit an invoice, but he agreed. Mother's decision To escalate.
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“I think it's weird to do this after the fact,” the person wrote.
“The lesson is to talk about things early. The parent should just pay the bill and move on.”
One Reddit writer was asked to split the cost of her daughter's travel accommodations and even a portion of the car rental bill for the traveling family. (Istock)
Other commenters shared the philosophy of thanking the family for taking the child and paying for any expenses the family requests.
The next time her daughter was “invited” on a family trip, people said she should decline the invitation.
“Pay it,” user “Consistent_Pay_74” wrote on the woman’s post.
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“Repeat your thanks for taking her and never allow her to take a trip like this with 'not family' again,” this person wrote.
“Be generous but know that they have shown you who they are – and you must believe them. Tacky!”
Etiquette experts said the best thing you can do in this situation of traveling with another family is to set expectations in advance so all parties are on the same page regarding expenses. (Istock)
Fox News Digital reached out to an etiquette expert about the issue.
To ensure there's clarity about finances — and because there will be costs associated with a family taking on another child — the best course of action is to talk about expectations, one expert said.
“If there are costs, the host should make it clear up front,” said Diane Gottesman, a spokeswoman for the show. Etiquette expert And owner of the Texas Protocol School in San Antonio.
The invitation said different From vacation.
Instead of making assumptions based on past experiences, people need to have a clear understanding with other families about travel expenses. (Istock)
“Regarding the mother’s dilemma, some proactive discussions would have been a better route,” Gottesman said.
She also said: “Assumptions are dangerous.” “It would have been better for this girl’s father or guardian to ask what expenses she would be responsible for covering.”
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But she also said the host family should have been clearer about their intentions as well.
“They can Ask for a flight ticket “Advance and assistance with room and board, but renting a car is difficult,” Gottesman said.
An etiquette expert said it is always a good idea to give the child some money before the trip to pay for any additional costs incurred during the trip. (Istock)
She said the most effective and polite way to respond to an invitation from a friend's family is to say, “Thank you for the invitation. What costs do we need to cover?”
Gottsman said the truth behind why parents allow their children to invite a friend on a trip is no secret.
“Parents usually bring a friend of the child along to make the trip more enjoyable for their child. Paying some or all of the expenses is also not unusual,” she said.
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Although it's okay to ask a friend's parents to cover some of the costs, timing is important.
“Budgets are different, but the host doesn't ask for money unless it's clearly communicated in advance,” Gottesman told Fox News Digital.
Reddit users were engaged in an online conversation after a mother was asked to pay for her daughter's expenses after the girl traveled with a friend on vacation. (Istock)
“The moral of the story is to never assume anything when it comes to expenses.”
Another important thing: Parents of the invited child must give their child a sum of money for any extras.
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“When you send your child with another family, even if the other family offers to cover most of the costs, it is important to send enough money to spend with your children so that they can offer to pay their own way for certain activities, and purchase Treat or candy For themselves and other family members, or they spend money to buy souvenirs,” Gottesman said.
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“You want to make sure your child feels comfortable and has some spending money in their wallet for unexpected emergencies.”
