My son brought a friend on vacation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is "home training" a commonly used phrase? It has shown up a lot on this thread, but I don't remember seeing it before.

I agree that it is perfectly appropriate (and enjoyable for the rest of us) for an OP to come on here and vent about things they'd never say in public. It's just that this particular OP seems to not quite view the annoying house guest as an actual person. That's what's off-putting, for me anyway. Does anyone else truly sort their kids' friends into tiers?

Are all your kids' friends as equally close? You're telling me your kid doesn't have certain friends she's closer to and others that are just a notch above being at the acquaintance level? My dds definitely have the inner circle of a few very close friends, the next circle of good friends but maybe not as close and then the outer circle of friend (3rd tier, if you will) of friends who are just a step above acquaintance. Heck, I even have those different level of friendships. Doesn't everyone?

Doesn't mean they are bad kids it just refers to where they are in the friend hierarchy.

I'm the PP you were responding to, and while my kids have some friends they are closer to than others, I think there is something very off about referring to them as belonging to "tiers". They have school friends, sports friends, neighborhood friends, family friends, etc.

[Anonymous]

I bet the kid is from a poorer family which would make this whole situation sad.

[Anonymous]

You can stop folks. No need to waste time on this. OP said on page 6 she's not even reading all the responses so I doubt she'll read pages 6 through 13.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I bet the kid is from a poorer family which would make this whole situation sad.

Ordering a menu item at market price without a second thought? No, this kid is not from a poor family. Everything about his described behavior screams “entitled rich kid”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I bet the kid is from a poorer family which would make this whole situation sad.

Ordering a menu item at market price without a second thought? No, this kid is not from a poor family. Everything about his described behavior screams “entitled rich kid”.

+1

I agree with this. The poor behavior is to not even ask about the price of such fish, assuming it's not an option, and only order it if someone (i.e. the person paying) insists several times that it really is fine.

And OP said the kid also tried to order the most expensive steak when the prices were listed on the menu and he was the only one to try to do so. Poor kids just don't do that, even when they're out with rich friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder if OP had not mentioned that he was an obese third tier friend who tried to order filet mignon but instead talked about needing to vent about an unhelpful house guest who went through all of the family's supplies if this whole thread would have broken a different way.

Can't believe it has gone on for 11 pages.

Don't forget the part where she calls him a glutton who causes her to lose her appetite.

Or that he has failed in his "mission" to keep her Dear Snowflake entertained.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder if OP had not mentioned that he was an obese third tier friend who tried to order filet mignon but instead talked about needing to vent about an unhelpful house guest who went through all of the family's supplies if this whole thread would have broken a different way.

Can't believe it has gone on for 11 pages.

Don't forget the part where she calls him a glutton who causes her to lose her appetite.

Or that he has failed in his "mission" to keep her Dear Snowflake entertained.

I mean, in her defense, what do you really think the kid is there for, if not to entertain her son? It sounds like they don't really even know the kid that well. Do you think it was supposed to be a charity trip, an all expenses paid eat-as-much-as-you-can-possibly-consume vacation of a lifetime, just because OP had so much extra money in the bank?

The glutton comment was a bit weird, but if someone was literally stuffing every single piece of food he saw at my house into his mouth without checking with anyone whether it was okay to do so, then maybe that would be a case for calling someone that. I'm not sure what else the definition would be, if not that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have inexpensive food available at your rental place - cereal, hot dogs/buns, spaghetti/sauce, chicken drumsticks, mac & cheese, eggs, lunch meat, bread, English muffins.

I'd be inclined to model healthful eating. Lots of vegetables filling each meal plate at dinner. Fruit with lunch. Omelets for breakfast with English muffin for kids but not cereal, which isn't going to be enough and too carby.

He's 19, not 9.

Sounds to me like he wasn't taught any manners.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, what high school did you son go to? Just curious.

Why? Is your slightly overweight kid on vacation with the family of a friend from high school? Because that would take this thread from weird to awesome.

Lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have inexpensive food available at your rental place - cereal, hot dogs/buns, spaghetti/sauce, chicken drumsticks, mac & cheese, eggs, lunch meat, bread, English muffins.

I'd be inclined to model healthful eating. Lots of vegetables filling each meal plate at dinner. Fruit with lunch. Omelets for breakfast with English muffin for kids but not cereal, which isn't going to be enough and too carby.

He's 19, not 9.

Sounds to me like he wasn't taught any manners.

+1

And even for 9 years old it would be bad, really. I can understand a 9 year old not understanding something like "market price" (although they should have been coached by their parents before going on a trip about making sure they were always aware of prices and not ordering anything expensive) but wolfing down entire packets of cookies without anyone else getting any of them is not normal behavior for a 9 year old.

For a late teen, it's quite outrageous. And I don't think this particular kid is following any models of how to eat. That's the whole point - OP said that this kid is the only one eating like that. The others are actually modeling healthy eating, and also ordering appropriately priced menu items. The kid is just not going along with the program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have inexpensive food available at your rental place - cereal, hot dogs/buns, spaghetti/sauce, chicken drumsticks, mac & cheese, eggs, lunch meat, bread, English muffins.

I'd be inclined to model healthful eating. Lots of vegetables filling each meal plate at dinner. Fruit with lunch. Omelets for breakfast with English muffin for kids but not cereal, which isn't going to be enough and too carby.

He's 19, not 9.

Sounds to me like he wasn't taught any manners.

+1

And even for 9 years old it would be bad, really. I can understand a 9 year old not understanding something like "market price" (although they should have been coached by their parents before going on a trip about making sure they were always aware of prices and not ordering anything expensive) but wolfing down entire packets of cookies without anyone else getting any of them is not normal behavior for a 9 year old.

For a late teen, it's quite outrageous. And I don't think this particular kid is following any models of how to eat. That's the whole point - OP said that this kid is the only one eating like that. The others are actually modeling healthy eating, and also ordering appropriately priced menu items. The kid is just not going along with the program.

LOL when was the last time you ordered the cheaper option on a date lady?

[Anonymous]

Why did you bring a 19 year old on your family vacation? This was sort of predictable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm baffled by the idea that a 19yo didn't bring his own sunscreen, but instead waited for his friend's mommy to provide it.

Maybe he just left his in his room....

When we go to the beach, one of us. Me, mom, SIL, Bro, Husband... pulls out some sunscreen and we do EVERYONE. When we run out, we go on to the sunscreen of the next family member.

It is frickin' sun screen. Not a personal hygiene product.

Okay, this is obviously just incorrect. No sharing sunscreen with extended families! Don’t you have preferences for what you use? Does everyone groan when SIL pulls out the cheap no-brand?

[Anonymous]

Good god it's still going on?? I 100% stand by my glutton comment. We had our last dinner out last night. He ordered a fish special and eyed my son's plate like a vulture and the SECOND my son took a break from eating he asked "YOU'RE DONE!?" My son said no and kept eating. When he DID finish and place his napkin in his plate to clean up the friend barked at him "HUSHPUPPIES!!!" and snatched them off the plate.

We ordered an appetizer and what does he do? Grab the dipping sauce it came with, pulled it right over to himself and started eating directly over it dipping each bite.

We brought in shells from the balcony and my son asked what to do with them. I said the younger girls would want them. This a**hole went over and TOOK ALL THE GOOD ONES OUT FOR HIMSELF. I saw him looking but didn't realize til this morning that he had actually taken them.

He is the absolute WORST guest we have ever brought on a trip for any of my kids. Ever. Never thanked us for a thing. Just consumed consumed whined and consumed. I'm so pissed I had to spend my vacation with him and I'm pissed my son even invited him knowing he's like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Uh OP you’re a spineless jellyfish. Also, you posted because you wanted attention and advice, but “6 pages?? I’m not reading that!”

Don’t you have any experience with setting limits? Allow me to help:

At restaurant: “Boys, the dollar amount for your entree is $15.”

Multiple boxes of cookies: Label each one with a name. You eat the cookies with your name on it.
Complaining about cereal for breakfast: “You are smart guys and can use your phones to search for a breakfast place nearby, and use your own money.”

No thanks for meals, activities, etc: “Hey Larlo, don’t you ever thank your parents when they do things for you? That’s how we do things in our family. Please feel free to plan and arrange for the remaining four vacation days on your own. We’ll be happy to drive you back home at the end, though!”

I’m a teacher. Parents who don’t know how to set and enforce limits are the cause of about 80% of any problems I have with their little darlings.

This would be extremely passive aggressive even if the kid were 7. Which he is not. (Do you really talk to people that way? It is really condescending.)