Dear Annie: Both my adult daughter and her husband are employed. Since they do not cook, when my husband and I visit them, which is approximately four times a year, they send out for food and ask us to pay our share of the bill, or, on occasion, she will use my credit card to pay for the whole bill. When we go out to eat at a restaurant, I always pick up the check, which I feel is almost expected on their part.
Am I asking for too much by wanting them to entertain us when we visit them, as I have done for the past 20 years when they visit us?
—Lunch With a Bill
Dear Lunch With a Bill: When it comes to parents picking up the tab, sometimes old habits die hard. If you’ve been paying for meals since your daughter was a child, she probably doesn’t think twice before passing you the check.
Excuses aside, it’s bad manners to charge guests for their portion of a meal. Next time she tries to charge you for lunch, just say, “You take care of this one, and I’ll treat us all to dinner tonight.”
“How Can I Forgive My Cheating Partner?” is out now! Annie Lane’s second anthology — featuring favorite columns on marriage, infidelity, communication and reconciliation — is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit http://www.creatorspublishing.com for more information. Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com.
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