Would it be wrong to travel without the children after passport mistake?

[Halohalolumpia]

Alright, so we’ve made a silly mistake and found out our eldest’s passport is expired, and we fly tomorrow. We didn’t get travel insurance so that’s a couple of grand down the drain. The two options are to leave the kids ( 2 years 9 and 5 years 8 months) with my parents whom they stay with every week anyway. Or we just all don’t go. It’s such a waste and I am torn. My hubs is ok going on our own but I feel sooooo guilty! The kids were so looking forward to it. Has anyone been in this situation and is it bad parenting going on our own :/ We’ve been away on our own before for a wedding for a couple of days but not 6 days. thanks xx

Why doesn't one of you go with the children who have passports while the other parent goes to the passport office to get an emergency passport. And then they follow on when you get it. If you contact the passport office it is possible to renew passports very quickly
As you haven't bought insurance two of you will have to buy flights to follow on but it should be possible.
If the children have been looking forward to it it seems very unfair for them to suffer because of your mistake

How would you and your husband enjoy the holiday knowing it’s your fault your children were pretty much dumped at the gate?

Absolutely nothing wrong with grandchildren holidaying with grandparents if that’s what they’ve been expecting … I just don’t see how you’re going to sell it to them.

Unless it’s truly a once in a lifetime trip - and there’s no hope of you ever affording it again - I think I’d be inclined to give up on this. And take it as a learning experience.

It’s bad luck, but could have been avoided. 🤷‍♀️

I don't think you can still go on a holiday without the kids, given that they are/were expecting a family holiday!

I wouldn’t go personally. Sorry OP.
I’d try and go somewhere in the UK with the kids for a couple of days if you can afford it, otherwise stay at home but do various activities each day. It’s so disappointing I know 💐

I read here a couple of days ago you cannot get emergency passports for children for safeguarding reasons.

How long is the holiday? If two weeks that might be possible.

Travel insurance wouldn’t have covered you for an expired passport anyway. However, it would be irresponsible to travel abroad without without it so if you do decide to go make sure you buy some first!

Children’s passports take a week. There was another thread about this recently.

I couldn’t do that, it’s a family holiday and if it were my kids they’d be devastated at being left behind when they were supposed to be coming.

Go with the children who have passports and leave money with grandparents to treat the child left behind to fun days out and activities.

You have to make some big promises if you do this. Why do all the children have to stay home if only one doesn't have a passport? Again big promises of how they will be rewarded for missing out. As someone else said emergency passport and a day late for two?

Not something I could ever do.

Yes it’s not possible to get a same day passport for children. When I did something similar I was able to get an appointment at the passport office next day and the passport itself arrived a couple of days later.

Edited to add, no of course you can’t go without them in these circumstances.

No, so unfair on child left behind. They will remember it.

i wouldn’t dream of going without them. Go somewhere in the UK instead.

Please don’t leave your 5 year old at home and take your youngest. That would be really too sad for them. See if you can delay the whole thing.

Surely the children would have known about going on holiday and been excited to go? I think it’s a shitty thing to do to go abroad ditching the kids because you didn’t check the passport expiry dates when you booked or get holiday insurance.

Even taking one child the 5 year old will remember this.

I wouldn't go, I wouldn't enjoy it.
I have been on holiday without the DC before but not in those circumstances

Insurance wouldn’t make any difference to this situation but you are vvvvv unreasonable to consider travelling without it, especially with kids.

It probably would have been cheaper and a lot less hassle to pass a note to the child saying “you are not important to us”.

You’ve dropped the ball big time here, it’s your mistake not theirs. Why should they have to go through the upset of being left behind because you fucked up.

Either you all go or. O one goes, anything else would just be incredibly selfish.

In that case I don't think you should go without them .
Can you take the ones that have passport's but make sure the one left behind has a huge treat. Buy them something they have always wanted ask them what they want and leave money with grand parents for treats and special days out.

You can’t go without them.

Any chance of changing the dates until later in the year? Who have you booked through?

Not sure travel insurance would have covered you anyway, as you made a big mistake not checking passports.

Good lesson going forward though, check passports, have travel insurance. If you do travel and leave the kids behind I would get travel insurance to cover you now

No way I'd go in your situation. Children have long memories and generally think stuff happens because of them. I'd be surprised if they didn't worry about it and think it was their fault or something that did wrong. I wouldn't be able to enjoy myself.

As an aside why do your DC stay with your parents every week, do you live with your parents?

This is exaxtly what DH and I did when the same thing happened to us, he flew with other kids and DD and i went to London and got a new passport and flew the next day to meet them