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

Your kids are very small and will soon forget. Don't throw all that money down the drain.

Kids passports take at least a week even with an appointment.

Mehhh it happens...

Unpopular opinion: I'd go without them and tell a lie as to why...

then get them a great consolation prize like a weekend at peppa pig world.amd let them both have a "yes" day.

Just here to say the 9-year-old will certainly hold that against you forever (personal experience), you might get away with the 5 year old....but kids have a way on internalising this stuff and it will manifest.

Op1: One adult takes the kids with passports. You try and get passport sorted for the oldest and follow on.

Op2: Or you don't go, and that's a hard lesson learned.

Well, I wouldn’t do it. But then you sound like you’ve never holidayed before, OP. Not checking passports and no insurance?!

I think it would be pretty horrible to go without them. Honestly, I'm surprised you're even considering it. If they were an adult that had messed up their own passport that's one thing, but it's yours and your husband's mistake. Imagine looking forward to a family holiday then getting left behind... they would be so sad.

See if you can get an urgent appointment at the passport office, but if not, you should stay home with them and do whatever you can to make sure they have a good time at home.

I just can’t wrap my head round anyone booking a family holiday and not checking passports nor getting travel insurance sorted.

An almost six year old won’t forget, how dumb do you think kids are?

Op threw the money down the drain the day she booked a holiday with no insurance before checking they all had valid passports.

One Parent and one child fly on the original flights - go
The other parents sorted out an emergency passport and then goes on the next available flight with Child

You do not leave the children behind. Your oldest child will never forgive you

Insanely irresponsible on all fronts.

I’ve just booked a holiday today for 2027 and guess what the first two things I did was… inform my travel insurance company of the planned trip, and check if the passports will need to be renewed. All today. When I booked the holiday.

I would never consider going on a planned family holiday without my children, due to my own admin error also.

This post feels like rage bait.

You can’t get an “emergency” passport for a child. That’s not happening.

This happened to me and my husband took some kids and I stayed behind with the one that passport expired and got a quick one and followed after

A child’s passport takes up to a week to be issued as an emergency.

I thought that you have to refer to your passport when booking a holiday abroad? I'm almost sure we had to check ours at booking, before we actually confirmed

I wouldn’t dream of going without them. What a truly horrible thing to consider.

It is a silly mistake but one that happens frequently. its your decision wether you go without your children or take one child. Im sure it will be emmotionally tough whichever you do. Check with the passport office wether there is any other options and with the travel booking to see if there is an option to cancel/postpone.
A much bigger mistake is travelling without insurance.

I wouldn't want to be the grandparents in this situation either, dealing with upset children who are ,missing their holiday!

You’d think people would make sure passports are in date wouldn’t you but given the number of threads on this every year some people don’t seem to be organised at all. Not checking passport expiry dates and not having insurance is madness imo.

I think it’s pretty much rage bait too because surely no-one is this stupid.

How “quick”?

Whilst I am not sure the 5 year old would remember if they were suitably spoilt, what parents make a fuck up, and to be clear it’s their fuck up, but then go on holiday anyway? Wow.

'Hubs'? really?

@Halohalolumpia - sorry to hear that. This is so easily done.

You can't get an emergency passport for a child - it's a child protection measure. So you're right to think that you won't be able to get a passport in time to enjoy this holiday. In your shoes, I would be looking to rebook. It seems harsh to go without your DCs since they've been looking forward to the holiday as well.

Also, travel insurance wouldn't cover this but surely you weren't thinking of travelling with your children without travel insurance in any case!?

Can I just appeal to everybody to get travel insurance, and to start it at least 2 weeks before you leave so it covers for last minute emergencies. I know this isn't answering your question op, but how many people have we seen stuck in hospital abroad with horrendous bills because of no insurance.Make sure it covers one person to stay with a sick or injured person, and please make sure it covers repatriation fees.
To answer your original questiin, no I wouldn't go

Hope you're not going to Spain, I've just read you have to show you have travel insurance so you won't get in if you don't have it,