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Original poster

Son's passport expiring - family hols in ruins

828 replies

blueshoes · 16/10/2021 21:00

Dh and I were looking forward to our family holiday in Crete, Greece for the October half term. We watched the covid-19/PCR situation closely not realising that my 15 year old son's passport has less than 3 months. Just found out today. This is our first foreign holiday since covid struck.

The government website says that for entry to Greece, your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave Greece, or any other Schengen country.

We leave on 30 October and my son's passport expires just short of 3 months on 22 January 2022. It is too late to renew his passport as we are leaving in less than a week.

Ds cannot come with us, can he? Sad We f_ked up.

Anybody recently travelled to Greece with Ryanair with less than 3 months left on their passport? Is it a bad idea to turn up and chance it or bite the bullet now and plan on the basis ds cannot go.

OP posts:
FinallyFluid · 16/10/2021 23:48

Like I said, attitude is VILE

Original poster
blueshoes · 16/10/2021 23:49

Who are you expecting to look after him if he catches covid from one of the 7 houses he'll be staying at?

Yes, good point about covid. One of us will have come back then.

OP posts:
Blankspace4 · 16/10/2021 23:49

“No issue” that should have said rather than “no I saw” - iPhone autocorrect Confused

Lbnc2021 · 16/10/2021 23:49

@Coogee

We were (and are) working so hard that we dropped some plates.

Quite appropriate if you are going to Greece.

🤣
Yourstupidityexhaustsme · 16/10/2021 23:51

These are his mates that he spends time at school with. They have been giving each other covid left, right and centre. He does not want relatives at home. He prefers his mates and is in fact now more and more looking forward to it.

You've not answered the question.

Who is going to be responsible for your fifteen year old son in your absence? What will happen if he gets ill/has an accident? What will happen if he trips and breaks his leg? Who is in charge of looking after him?

Six different friends is not an appropriate nor safe option - what's he going to do if his plans fall through or two out of the six say he can't stay there? Is he then staying home alone? He doesn't want a main carer/relative well tough titties, he's a child that's like saying he doesn't want to do his homework or to lock the door when he's home alone - you have to make decisions on his behalf.

23minutesfromTulseHill · 16/10/2021 23:52

2 years is a fairly long time in the loft
There's been a bit of a pile-on against the OP but, to be fair, she never suggested anything like that. Wish I'd thought of it back then Grin

Nat6999 · 16/10/2021 23:53

We did ds passport by check & send at the Post Office, sent it last thing Monday & received the passport by Friday.

bizboz · 16/10/2021 23:54

@blueshoes

If the issue is for one day, could you not re-book flights for at least DS and one parent to return a day earlier? If it is Ryanair it shouldn't cost the earth for two tickets and you were prepared to pay quite a lot to try to use the express passport service.

It is not a day. Because ds' passport expires 22 Jan, ds and the parent would have to come home on 22 Oct which is the first day of our holiday. So effectively no holiday.

Ah,sorry I misunderstood your post when you mentioned the date ticking down from the date of departure on 30th.
brittleheadgirl · 16/10/2021 23:54

Eye rolling at your assumption you deserve sympathy because you haven't had a holiday for 2 years.
You do know the reality for the vast majority of people?

Original poster
blueshoes · 16/10/2021 23:55

@Blankspace4

Chances are if he catches covid he’ll be asymptomatic like the vast majority of teenagers!

However I do wonder, OP (and as you know I’ve been very supportive of you here and don’t get the hysteria), whether he would be better staying with the one mate all week. No I saw him seeing other mates but wouldn’t it feel more comfortable for all concerned if he was settled somewhere for the week (that is if you can’t sort the passport out). Does he have mates where you know the parents and could leave some money for keep?

Ds got an offer from more than one mate to stay the whole week but ds was not keen. He wanted to rotate his friends. I will check with him again to be sensible and maybe restrict to 2.

With dcs in senior school, they have mixed and shared viruses so much over the last 6 weeks that I am not sure he hasn't already caught everything going. Ds has also been covid single-jabbed and flu-jabbed.

I don't know any of his friends' parents well. Working ft and ds being in senior school means I lost touch. I plan to whatsapp the parents after Monday if it is confirmed the passport office thingy does not work. I also plan to leave money with ds (but mention that to the parents). I think that is more discreet than giving money to the parents. These are parents who are pretty well off.

OP posts:
Lbnc2021 · 16/10/2021 23:57

Will he have access to his own house while you’re away?

RosesAndHellebores · 16/10/2021 23:58

Phone your MPs constituency office first thing Monday. They will have emergency contact numbers for the passport office and will be able to help you.

Soupseason · 16/10/2021 23:58

I have 6 15-16 yr Olds at my house tonight. I just did quick poll. All of them given the choice would take the week at home with friends over a holiday with parents.

Warmduscher · 16/10/2021 23:58

I don't know any of his friends' parents well.

You’ve definitely taken hands-off parenting to a whole new level.

Original poster
blueshoes · 16/10/2021 23:59

You've not answered the question. Who is going to be responsible for your fifteen year old son in your absence? What will happen if he gets ill/has an accident? What will happen if he trips and breaks his leg? Who is in charge of looking after him?

I mentioned that one of us would have to come back then. Those are important things that could go wrong. He should not be home alone, not foisted onto others in that situation. Agreed.

OP posts:
Original poster
blueshoes · 17/10/2021 00:00

@Soupseason

I have 6 15-16 yr Olds at my house tonight. I just did quick poll. All of them given the choice would take the week at home with friends over a holiday with parents.
Lol Grin
OP posts:
balernobetty · 17/10/2021 00:02

"I don't know any of his friends' parents well. Working ft and ds being in senior school means I lost touch"
So you're planning on leaving your 15 year old son with people you don't know well but are expecting them to be responsible for him whilst you are abroad on holiday?
I wouldn't be buying any suntan cream until you've actually spoken to the parents because you might find they don't all have the same blasé attitude as yourself

RaoulDufysCat · 17/10/2021 00:02

You sound absolutely awful. Stay at home with your son. If he wants to stay with friends that is fine but you should be in the same country. And you should absolutely not be sending him off to stay with friends if you don't know their parents and won't be around to pick up the pieces should anything go wrong.

I have a fifteen year old and she would be absolutely horrified if this happened to her. But I suppose she is used to parents who care about her and think about her feelings.

Original poster
blueshoes · 17/10/2021 00:03

Will he have access to his own house while you’re away?

Yes, he has house keys and knows how to travel around by tube and bus. I was worried who he would want to bring home with him but turns out he wants to stay with his friends rather than at home.

OP posts:
GayParis · 17/10/2021 00:06

When I was 15 I would have told my parents to absolutely go on holiday and not to worry about me and that I'd like the time alone.

Your DS sounds lovely, like I was.

Thing is, I'd have been bloody devastated inside that my parents went away without me after planning to take me & buggering up my passport. I wouldn't haven't wanted them to know it but it would feel like such shit.

Also, if I was one of the kids parents and you got in contact with me asking for me to put your son up for x amount of time because you're away on a family holiday without him id be judging you massively.

shinynewapple21 · 17/10/2021 00:07

@simitra

I spent my first holiday alone at 16 back in the 1960s as my parents were going to Wales for 2 weeks on a caravan park. That kind of holiday no longer held any attraction for me and I was also working. I told my parents I couldnt get the time off work but I never asked!

I really enjoyed the two weeks of freedom and my ability to do what I wanted - within reason. No I didnt go mad with parties as I knew the NDN would be bound to snitch on me. It was that two weeks which made me realise how much I enjoyed my own company.

At 16 my DS wouldn't have been keen on a caravan park in Wales either . He would have loved a week in Crete though Wink

brittleheadgirl · 17/10/2021 00:07

@blueshoes

You've not answered the question. Who is going to be responsible for your fifteen year old son in your absence? What will happen if he gets ill/has an accident? What will happen if he trips and breaks his leg? Who is in charge of looking after him?

I mentioned that one of us would have to come back then. Those are important things that could go wrong. He should not be home alone, not foisted onto others in that situation. Agreed.

Yep, it's that easy to pop back from Greece in an emergency 🙄 I'm a fairly easygoing parent but I'm shocked that you're openly admitting you barely know the people you're leaving your ds with!
SudokuWillNotSaveYou · 17/10/2021 00:08

@Workinghardeveryday

He’s 15 not 18, doesn’t he want a holiday just like you do?

You would pack and have suitcases all ready with him around them then wave bye. I think it’s shocking!!

Well, right, OP and her DH have two DC. They’re leaving ONE behind.

They’re taking the 18 year old with them and leaving the 15 year old behind.

So I’m not sure what difference him being 18 would make to OP, since in this case, the 18 year old lucked out with their passport and gets to go.

Maybe that’s the point: the 15 year old isn’t just being left behind by parents. He’s being left behind by his whole family (mother, father, and a sibling).

brittleheadgirl · 17/10/2021 00:08

@blueshoes

Will he have access to his own house while you’re away?

Yes, he has house keys and knows how to travel around by tube and bus. I was worried who he would want to bring home with him but turns out he wants to stay with his friends rather than at home.

And you believe him?! Bet the invite to his huge house party is already circulating on his social media Grin
SallyWebsterr · 17/10/2021 00:09

I actually think this is a piss take. There is no way in hell a parent is so blase about this situation. And that theyre shit enough to jet off without even a backwards glance. My turning point was "I dont even know the parents very well". Yet are planning on letting your teen son randomly move round them all.

When I mentioned covid your reaction was that theyve all had it and passed germs round etc. No mention of grandparents / siblings / vunerable people in the next house your son would be going to. Just as long as you get your holiday. Not buying it.