'I had to leave my son, 5, at home during my holiday after my simple admin error'

A mum had to leave her five-year-old son at home during the start of their holiday due to a basic admin error.

Penny Moyses, 37, has today warned fellow parents to always ensure their children's passports are valid after she discovered her eldest son's document expired. Penny only realised this was the case just days before they were due to depart from Stansted airport, dashing her family's hopes to attend a wedding in Croatia and spend time enjoying the country's beautiful sights.

Panicked, the mother of two rushed to secure an emergency one - but was stunned to find out children's passports need to be applied for at least one week in advance. So, the tragic admin error meant Penny had to leave husband James and their five-year-old son at home, while she flew to Croatia with their youngest child.

"Fear totally went through me - I felt sick to my stomach. I just had a quick peek just to double-check I had the exact right passports and just happened to notice that my eldest son's passport expired," Penny said today.

"I thought 'It's fine we can get an emergency passport, you can get those in a day'' Turns out that for kids you have to wait a week as there's a lot of safeguarding regulations, which I totally respect."

Despite missing their flight and a few days in the sun, James eventually managed to secure their eldest's emergency passport. The pair met the group at the port and, with their outfits in tow, quickly changed on the boat transfer before stepping off in their suits - much to Penny's relief.

Penny, who lives in Hertfordshire, said: "My eldest ended up missing the first two days of the holiday. Luckily we managed to intercept the passport at our local sorting office and they arrived just in time for the wedding, literally the boat transferred them to the wedding."

The traumatic event has encouraged Penny to take charge of what she refers to as the "silent load" of life admin that swirls around her head on a daily basis. One new trick in particular is helping her brain take a break from constant worries about planning.

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The mum is using an app called Fyio, a digital filing cabinet that helps users keep track of their most important personal documents. She said: "The silent load is often what can fall on a woman for various reasons but typically the person that is running the household.

"It's something that I certainly can't switch off. By using Fyio I can now keep track of my important documents; if I had the passport expiry dates in there, I would've completely avoided the Croatia disaster and saved myself hundreds.

"My son wouldn't have missed two days of our holiday. For me, it's those family moments that paperwork can really impact. I totally underestimated what it was like going back to school with kids.

Penny first came across Fyio when it launched at her 2022 'Clean & Tidy Home Show'. Since then, her event has evolved into 'Home, Life & You LIVE', which returns to Excel London in October 2025.

She is now an avid user of the app, which allows for everything from passport renewal reminders to managing prescriptions, uploading files in seconds and sharing documents safely with others, with them set to expire after a chosen time.

The platform uses military-grade security and even Fyio's own team cannot access the data. She said: "Now, I have all the important documents in my online filing drawers, such as school uniform regulations " and, of course, passport info.

"The app helps with the silent load I used to feel and helps me take ownership of my life admin in a simple way. Finding ways to save time " especially as a parent " means I can be present with my family instead of worrying if I've forgotten something. This app makes my life easier and takes some of the pressure off my shoulders " something every mum could do with."