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

Depends. At those ages the children might actually be very happy to stay at home and be spoiled by their grandparents rather than going on holiday.

But if they would be disappointed not to go on holiday with you then I think you need to stay at home.

I do know someone with two (older) kids who discover that one child's passport was expired and the last minute and he just stayed home with his aunty while the rest of the family went away. Apparently he was fine with it!

Travel insurance doesn’t cover you for expired passports anyway. I’d go without the kids if they won’t be too upset, but if older one was excited, i’d feel bad, but it’s a lot of money to lose.

You can’t get an emergency child passport so you’d need to go alone, or don’t go at all. Could you pay to transfer the dates?

They are 2 and 5..how devastated could they be? Leave them behind, leave money for loads of extra treats, and enjoy a glorious relaxed week without them.
Why would you waste the holiday entirely?

Of course you can't go, either without them or with some of them! Jesus.
Book yourselves an adults holiday at some point, but not when they know they're meant to be going for christs sake. Is this even real

The poster said they were flying tomorrow.

Of course they can

No way could I do that. The 2 year old won’t really know , but the 5 year old will ( I’m a bit confused on ages , I’m not sure if you mean you have a 9 year old too and they would definitely fully understand ) . To be looking forward to a holiday and instead not only do you not get to go on holiday , but mom and dad leave you to go … sorry op , i absolutely could not do that I would feel cruel , because it would be cruel. My DH would also likely suggest this same thing too and not feel guilt !

I have nothing against parents going away without children , but not leaving the children when their holiday is cancelled last minute , especially as it’s a parent mistake .

Stay at home and give the trip to your parents. They deserve a treat if they have the children
all week.

No you can’t go without the kids on this situation, find something in this country instead.
a planned holiday without them is fine but not when they are excited to go and you’ve messed up

Wow, that’s even worse than leaving them both behind! 😳

That would be incredibly selfish and I would feel way too guilty especially assuming all the kids know about the holiday. Why can’t you push the dates or will cost a bit more but you wouldn’t loose your holiday. In that time sort out the passport. My friends husband recently lost his so they push the flights and hotel back a week while they sorted it

I would never ever leave my children behind and go on a jolly when I promised them a family holiday. Let your husband go with the ones who have a passport if he must but I‘d be staying behind with the child that can’t travel. Leaving without them is just cruel.

Oh gosh not sure I could enjoy it leaving the kids at home for something they have been looking forward to. I'm all for going on holiday without your children but not something like this prearranged family holiday, it seems unfair on them when it isn't their fault.
Apart from trying to fast track the passport (which I know nothing about), I think you should all stay together even if it means taking an expensive life lesson.

I wouldn't even consider the idea of going and leaving them behind.

Isn’t your eldest in school? So essentially they’d just go to school while you were on holiday?

I’m not in England so not sure how long half term is, but, no I really couldn’t leave them in these circumstances.

I think it's half term now.

Nope, I couldn't do that. It's so cruel. Especially if you just took the one kid whose passport is valid - how will the other one feel in years to come when you all look back at the photos, and he/she is missing? Sorry but that's vile.

Yes I mean insurance when booking as Martin Lewis money says
but I’m not sure they’d cover you for your own mistake but either way what if one of them got poorly and had to go to hospital

it’s just crazy to think you were contemplating a family holiday with no insurance

you can’t leave the kids out that’s so mean 😢 I just wouldn’t go and chalk it down to experience

You can't seriously be considering flying off on a holiday your kids were looking forward to without them, because YOU two messed up? Of the options open to you here, this has to be the worst, most self serving and most likely to upset your children. For me the choices are, split up and follow later with eldest as suggested here, or all stay home and give your kids a fun family time here as some compensation for your mistake. The last thing you should be doing is putting yourselves first when it's your fault.

Those saying take one kid. Can you imagine being 5, excited to go on holiday and then finding out your parents are only taking your little sister and you have to stay behind?

If it was the toddler being left you might get away with it but my 6 year old would be hysterical!

OP how long is the trip?

I wouldn’t leave them.

Also - why didn’t you get travel insurance? It wouldn’t have covered your flights in this case but really why would you travel without it?

4 kids including a 2 year old and 8 month old??
My goodness, your parents are saints.

Your kids have been looking forward to it because of you, their parents.

Your kids now cannot go because of you, their parents.

It’s such a waste because of you, their parents.

If it were me I wouldn’t be going.

2 kids.
2 years and 9 months
5 years and 8 months