Is it normal to take someone else's teenager on a family trip with your teenager and expect them to pay for their own food?

Question

I'm in Chicago with a friend of mine and her family. We've been here for a couple days and I've never experienced being invited somewhere and being expected to pay for yourself and I am wondering if it's normal. I didn't bring any money and now their holding it over my head as a loan. They didn't tell me they weren't paying and I needed to bring money before the trip.

Accepted Answer

You shouldn’t expect someone else to pay for you.. I’ve gone out with friends families many times. Sometimes they pick up the bill and sometimes I pay for myself.. 
However, i think it’s ridiculous for adults to treat a teenager in such a way that makes them uncomfortable. Especially when they are a guest. 
You shouldn’t have expected for them to pay for you. But they shouldn’t be so dumb about it. Basically ruining the experience and mood/atmosphere for everyone.

Answer

I’d be sent with money or told I couldn’t go because we didn’t have money. I never went away with friends assuming they’d pay for me.

Answer

They invited you, they pay. If you are under 18. They pay. You are a minor in their care. They are responsible for you. I hate when people hold basic things over your head. You are a child. How would you have known? Keep your head up and enjoy the city.

Answer

It is messed up. Growing up my family was always the traveling and vacation family and I was always bringing friends and my parents aren’t made of money but my family always budgeted for that and allowing us to bring friends and if they didn’t have the money we would just make it a family trip. But also on the other hand if I ever went somewhere with someone else’s family my family would always send me with money whether I needed it or not

Answer

If it wasn’t discussed with you and/or your parents beforehand then no it’s not normal. Those types of things are expected.

Answer

Yes, but the teenager should be told ahead of time so that they know to bring money.

Answer

Your parents should have given you spending money and if they couldn't have they should have either not let you go or should have talked with your friends parents about them paying.

Answer

My parents wouldn’t send me on a trip with someone without speaking to their parents about stuff like that. They’d either send me with money or call and explain that we don’t have the money for me to go. The parents would then say don’t worry about it if that were the case. I think it’s weird they’re expecting you to pay it back. It’s typical for kids to not have money. But it’s also typical for the kids parents to send money just to be polite and just in case.

Answer

Well speaking from my source whenever my parents invite a teenager to a trip with us they always pay for their food whether the teenager has money or not because we’re the ones who invited the child to come along with us my parents never let anyone pay even when we are or at dinner with other family members ahah my dad always insists .

Answer

It should have been discussed beforehand, for sure. That's weird they didn't even ask if your parents gave you money for food and souvenirs before leaving. I marked normal just because most of my experiences, I was expected to bring money along for myself, but I also had one particularly well off friend whose parents always insisted on eating lavishly and buying us gifts when we would go on trips, knowing my parents were lower income. They didn't make it weird that they paid for everything though.

Is it normal to take someone else's teenager on a family trip with your teenager and expect them to pay for their own food?

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