Should the whole family forfeit the holiday?

happyinflorida

I'd let one child go with one parent and the other would be promised a big treat/present to compensate + I'd try to get a replacement passport done at the passport office as an emergency, if possible!
To me the cost of this holiday, £2500, would mean it was to go to Disney at Paris not Florida! We've just been to Florida and for a family of 4 it cost £5000, plus spending money of £2000 for 2 weeks - it costs a fortune out there for everything - we only did Disney for this, nothing else and bought some souvenirs, not that many and eating/drinking every day. It all adds up, we could have done with some more money as we ran out the last day!!

I think this would be part of the learning curve for children, sometimes it is better for them to learn like this, that there are big disappointments in life and this sort of thing happens, especially if parents aren't careful - but then how many of us are perfect?!! Not many, we all make mistakes and learn from them, again the children would learn this. I still think the 8 year old should be bought a present - something they really want, as compensation as it's not their mistake, it's the parents error, so the little one should get a treat instead, especially if they couldn't go at all!

I definately wouldn't leave the kid with a relative/friend, unless there was one that they would love to go to and the kid didn't mind at all, if they did mind, I wouldn't leave one child at all, that would be very unkind.

trejoy

As long as its me that gets to go with son, yes. He can go to Newport and queue and join us as soon as.:rotfl::eek::rotfl:

pagso

Well it wasn't Disneyland but as I stood in the check in line en route to our holiday I realised one of my children's passports was out of date so we had to make a quick decision - I went ahead with the other two kids while my husband stayed with the third and had a very busy few days traipsing around the country as passport offices were shut for bank holiday and then they had to take two flights to join us. Always check the passports now!

NatFeerick

Easy - one parent goes and queues at the passport office for a replacement passport, even if it means the other parent has to go with the other child to the airport and they all meet up there. If the passport parent doesn't make it, the airline will usually change the booking to a later flight and all they will incur is an admin fee - they'll lose a day of their holiday at worst, big deal - next time they'll know to plan ahead ;-)

stars_bright

I would say one parent takes the child who can travel, £2500 is far too much money to loose and better that one child gets to go than none. The other parent could use the time alone to do special things with the other child, there are planty of theme parks etc in this country. Of course, if a new passport can be arranged in time for them to join the other 2 later on that is an added bonus.

Contains_Mild_Peril

tallgirld wrote: »

I would give the 8 year old the keys to the house and tell her to wait until we get back. Is that Illegal???? :-)

Oddly enough, I remember a case along those lines on the news years ago. The kid was about 10 and arrived at the airport with his family only to discover he didn't have his passport. According to the parents, they sent him home to find his passport and catch them up, and if he missed the flight he could get a later one and meet them at their destination airport! Not sure what the airline would think about a 10-year-old flying unaccompanied. Anyway, the boy evidently did not understand the plan, and when he was found home alone about 2 days later he just said he'd been sent home because he didn't have his passport and told there were plenty of pizzas and stuff in the freezer for him.

gravitytolls

One would go and one would stay.

This actually happened to rellies of ours. Only on arriving at the airport did they realise that one didn't have a visa, so he went with child, and she went home. When they came back she went to Majorca with a chum for a fortnight to make up for it.

TBH, I'd like to think it couldn't happen to us, as we'd be checking and double checking that everything was in order.

bargainmaiden

my oh says he would go, while there's no way I would!!

CherylOB

We would all go or no one would.. simple as that!

boobyru

one parent and both kids go - passport agency now does a 24 hour express service anyway so one parent can still make it with rest of the family a day later! sorted!