Gather the children 'round for their passports

Taking the kids to Canada by air or sea for a field trip? On January 8, 2007, they will need a passport. Same goes for travelers returning from Mexico and the Caribbean by air or sea.

For those driving the kids to Canada, you have until January 1, 2008. The $82 U.S. passports for Americans younger than 16 last 5 years. Adult passports are $97 and last 10 years.

You should prepare your kids for the trauma that adults must face of the dreaded ID picture. Boy, if I had a passport when I was 10, I would be depressed at the picture and the wardrobe of that era.

Seriously, if your child needs a passport, get it now. Trust me, given the time it takes to get one, and knowing the last-minute rush, do it soon.

Even worse for parents, you have to go through a more complicated process with precautions designed to prevent separated or divorced parents from sneaking their child out of the U.S. without the consent of the other parent.

I found this handy dandy sidebar from Hearst Newspapers:

To obtain passports for their children, parents must:

- Appear together with their partner and any child younger than 14 to submit the application in person.

- Present proof of citizenship, identity and parental relationship.

- Make a sworn statement before a designated federal employee.

- If one parent has legal custody after a divorce or during a legal separation, that parent must present a notarized statement from the child's other parent approving the passport application.