Any help please, I’ve messed up so badly

[ZoeRose81]

We went to check in on line on Thursday (to depart Friday) and realised our kids passports have expired. It’s just unbelievable disorganisation and general uselessness on my part. My mum booked the holiday - it is her 75th birthday today. And me and the children are not there. My husband has gone, as the villa is remote and she can’t drive over there (Italy) so it was a choice between that or cancelling. Mums oldest friend (64 years long friendship) died unexpectedly two weeks ago and she desperately needs this, so cancelling was not an option. Since Thursday night I’ve been in rallying mode. The kids have been out having fun non-stop, brave face from me. Harry Potter sleepovers etc. then I’m awake at 2am desperately trying to stave off panic attacks. I feel so awful and so exhausted. Appointment is first thing tomorrow at the passport office for the one week emergency service. Does anyone have any clue about how I can secure these as soon as possible? I’ll then have to sort flights and stuff. I know in the grand scheme of things there are a million worse situations to be in but I’m devastated and exhausted and autistic and after 72 hours of wearing the fixed ‘mummy will sort it’ smile, I’ve run out of everything

i’m confused

when were you due to fly? last friday or next friday?

oh sorry i see

How long is the holiday for?

so atm it’s your husband and your mother out there alone?

why on earth did you not go instead of your husband?

how long is the holiday?

Last Friday - mum and husband are there. Me and the children are stuck home.

1. why did your husband go and not you?
2. how long is this holiday?

So many threads about emergency passports for children recently! Must be because they only last for 5 years. From previous threads it seems to take 5+ days to get the new passport

I can’t drive and mum wouldn’t be able to in Italy. Husband is the only one who would literally be able to get her to the villa. He’s a really good guy

ok so when are they due to fly home?

By the time you get the passports sorted it will be time to come home surely? Can your husband fly back and you go and spend the week with your mum? You’re never going to get the kids passports back in time to go as a family

Due to fly back two weeks tomorrow

Do you mean they only went 2 days ago? How long is the holiday? Have you got countersignatures organised?

but you won’t get the children’s passports until almost at the end of the holiday?

Should hopefully manage to get the passports in time to have a week away then

Oh bless you. You're doing your best, please don't be hard on yourself. X

For context, I struggle with holidays (largely because of the fear of this and being out of routines with my autism) but I see how valuable they are for my kids. Even so, my daughter is 8 and she’s left the country twice before this. This really was a big treat for everyone that I have ruined

OP is using the 1 week fast track service so should hopefully manage 1 week away depending on when the new passports arrive

You’re doing your best. This happened to me last year. We pulled out all the stops (as it sounds like you’re doing) and used the emergency passport service too. They guaranteed we’d have the passport in 7 days, we only had 6 days or the whole holiday was ruined, and we received the passport on day 4. I was amazed, it was so efficient. I reckon you’ll get a week with your mum. No sweat.

And both parents are responsible for making sure passports are valid so don't put all the blame on yourself. In fact your mum is partly to blame too for booking a holiday without checking all passports are in date. Fingers crossed all goes well tomorrow.

Oh no OP. Really hope the passports are sorted quickly and you manage to join them.

You haven’t ruined it. Where was your husband in all this? Surely he knows your struggles? He should organise the holidays and passports and everything else that goes along with. Why is it all on you?

It’s a shame - but it’s not ruined.

tbh if your mum has lost a dear friend recently, then a quiet week without children, being looked after by your husband, might be EXACTLY what she needs, before being joined by all of you for a more celebratory week - which you will hopefully get.

If I were you, I’d be looking at it like that (if only to save your own sanity- but I do think it’s probably true). I’d also have a range of flight options lined up - look up one viable flight for each day you might travel- so that when the passports arrive you can just click, book and go. make sure cases are packed etc. too.

have you looked whether any flights available yet op?

It's pretty crap, but these things happen. And by this time next year it will just be one of those family stories. People will say things like 'do you remember when Dad had to go with Granny on his own, and we had a fab time with Mum'

also, re: flights- be prepared to fly into a diff city in case most convenient flights aren’t available. The train network in Italy is quite good, so if you have to fly in elsewhere, it’s also not a disaster.