It is the norm, yes. But I agree that it is weird. Just have him bring a sleeping bag. He can sleep on top of the bed in the sleeping bag or on a couch.

I know this is the norm here in America, and I did this on school band trips, but honestly it felt pretty weird and awkward to share sleeping space with another person even though we were friends and we were all girls. My daughter just went on a school trip with 4 to a room and she didn’t realize everyone shared a bed and that caught her off guard so she grabbed a bunch of pillows and slept on the floor. I don’t blame her. While I don’t think it’s gross to share a bed, I definitely think it can be strange and uncomfortable. As an adult, I went on a girls trip and a friend of mine and I slept next to each other which I still felt really strange with given that I am only used to sleeping with my husband.

Anonymous wrote:Ugh in high school and college I had a bunch of honors orchestra type weekends and religious retreats where I'd have to share a bed with a total stranger. It was so funny to have my first business trip and an entire hotel room of my own!

I remember All-State Orchestra well. The girls all shared beds, no problem, but all the boys had some system worked out for who got the beds when, and the others made nests on armchairs and window seats and the floor out of spare linens. It was like some secret code.

That being said, the best year was the year our room had only 3 people to start with, and then the third girl didn't show up, and the other girl in the room ended up randomly being someone I actually knew already and was at least friendly with. That weekend was actually pleasant instead of just tolerable.

My 8th grader is on a trip right now with 4 to a room. My high schooler travels with his AAU team. It's always 4 to a room and these are big guys. Financially, several of the boys can't even pay for their travel expenses so the team needs to keep costs down. They have even stayed in AirB&B's where kids have been on the floor with a pillow. Not everyone can afford the luxury of getting their own bed.

4 to a room. Totally normal.

My kid’s middle school trip next year is 4 to a room. Same as when I was in middle school. Girls were always fine, boys refused and took turns sleeping on the floors. But we always got to choose our roommates for big class trips. Less so for smaller trips, like with my Spanish club.

But I’m also a grown adult who routinely shares beds with my girlfriends when we do trips together. I just shared a bed with one last week and have another trip scheduled in two weeks where we will all share.

Ugh in high school and college I had a bunch of honors orchestra type weekends and religious retreats where I'd have to share a bed with a total stranger. It was so funny to have my first business trip and an entire hotel room of my own!

Anonymous wrote:Normal for sports teams.

This!!! Anyone who grew up doing travel sports at a high level has shared a bed. It literally doubles the price if the kids don’t share (a lot of hotels don’t offer roll aways anymore). DS even went on the school ski trip and if you didn’t want to share a bed, you could pay double to get your own bed. Every high school student shared. Wear pj’s and put some pillows in between

Normal for sports teams.

I've never heard of kids' being expected to share beds, but it seems kind of weird to me. It seems as if it would be awkward among the kids, and, as a practical matter, would not result in a good night's sleep. Don't most teens like to sleep in their underwear or naked? That would make it even more awkward, I think.

I would argue that a 2-bed room with a rolling bed for a third would be a better option for everyone.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no sport or game or competition or event that truly necessitates travel. We are a strong region and people should have plenty of other teams or groups to compete against within a two hour drive. Parents need to stop the madness.

This is nice in theory, and true especially before high school level. But my son would be crushed if I told him he couldn’t go overnight with his varsity team to Virginia Beach just because of some arbitrary rule like that. It’s literally the sport state championship, and pretty hard to do a day trip and compete 4 hours away. Plus it’s a great bonding experience for the team.

Okay; the only exception to the foregoing is for a high school state championship. But if you lived in Maryland you wouldn’t need to sleep overnight for that.

I'm the OP, but not the poster you are responding to. So do you and your family go through life only doing what is "truly necessary?" Sounds miserable.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no sport or game or competition or event that truly necessitates travel. We are a strong region and people should have plenty of other teams or groups to compete against within a two hour drive. Parents need to stop the madness.

This is nice in theory, and true especially before high school level. But my son would be crushed if I told him he couldn’t go overnight with his varsity team to Virginia Beach just because of some arbitrary rule like that. It’s literally the sport state championship, and pretty hard to do a day trip and compete 4 hours away. Plus it’s a great bonding experience for the team.

Okay; the only exception to the foregoing is for a high school state championship. But if you lived in Maryland you wouldn’t need to sleep overnight for that.

Totally normal. Some kids on my son’s team bring inflatable air mattresses to avoid sharing.

Anonymous wrote:There is no sport or game or competition or event that truly necessitates travel. We are a strong region and people should have plenty of other teams or groups to compete against within a two hour drive. Parents need to stop the madness.

This is nice in theory, and true especially before high school level. But my son would be crushed if I told him he couldn’t go overnight with his varsity team to Virginia Beach just because of some arbitrary rule like that. It’s literally the sport state championship, and pretty hard to do a day trip and compete 4 hours away. Plus it’s a great bonding experience for the team.

There is no sport or game or competition or event that truly necessitates travel. We are a strong region and people should have plenty of other teams or groups to compete against within a two hour drive. Parents need to stop the madness.