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IM with kiddos
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Hi everyone. Considering IMMT. Anyone know how hard or how much of a pain it is to get kids across country lines as a single parent?

I still lapped everyone on the couch!
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Re: IM with kiddos [Jloewe] [ In reply to ]
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Which country are you going to?
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Re: IM with kiddos [jimatbeyond] [ In reply to ]
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jimatbeyond wrote:
Which country are you going to?

Well, he is considering IMMT, so I'm guessing.........Canada.

Pink? Maybe. Maybe not. You decide.
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Re: IM with kiddos [japarker24] [ In reply to ]
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Re: IM with kiddos [Jloewe] [ In reply to ]
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How old are your kids?
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Re: IM with kiddos [mvenneta] [ In reply to ]
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mvenneta wrote:
How old are your kids?
My daughter is 8. I'm trying to get family to come out with me so I can bring her.

I still lapped everyone on the couch!
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Re: IM with kiddos [Jloewe] [ In reply to ]
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Get a passport for her - you'll be fine with that if both parents are traveling. Else, you'll need a form letter signed by the other parent saying it is ok for you to be taking the minor out of the country by yourself.

Done this for Canada, Austria and Australia - pretty easy with passport.

Edit: I am presuming you are in the USA...
Last edited by: toddm72478: Jan 22, 17 20:08
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Re: IM with kiddos [toddm72478] [ In reply to ]
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toddm72478 wrote:
Get a passport for her - you'll be fine with that if both parents are traveling. Else, you'll need a form letter signed by the other parent saying it is ok for you to be taking the minor out of the country by yourself.

Done this for Canada, Austria and Australia - pretty easy with passport.

Edit: I am presuming you are in the USA...

^This.
You'll need both a valid passport for her (and you too, obv) and a consent letter from the other parent. They may or may not ask for it at the border, but you need to have it.
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Re: IM with kiddos [Jloewe] [ In reply to ]
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You do not need a passport for an 8 year old, just a birth certificate. My wife is from Canada and we cross the border often, when she goes alone with the kids (5&8) I just write a note that I am aware she is traveling to Canada, and the reason I am not with them. She has also done it several times without a note.

http://www.us-passport-service-guide.com/does-a-child-under-l6-need-a-passport-to-enter-canada-and-return-to-us.html


Last edited by: Najo: Jan 23, 17 10:30
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Re: IM with kiddos [Jloewe] [ In reply to ]
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I have used the below consent letter for my kids to travel with grandparents between UK, China and Malaysia without problems. Given that it's been drafted by the Canadian government, one would hope that it works for Canada as well.

https://travel.gc.ca/...ldren/consent-letter

Basically birth certificate and passport plus a copy of the mothers passport.
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Re: IM with kiddos [Najo] [ In reply to ]
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Crossing the Canadian border by land or sea with children is fine with just a birth certificate.

If you are flying, everyone needs a passport.
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Re: IM with kiddos [Jloewe] [ In reply to ]
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Drove to IMC this year with my 8yo daughter and my mom. Brought a letter from my wife giving our daughter permission to leave the country with out her. I still get the 3rd degree from the boarder agent. She kept asking about dates of travel and why my wife couldn't attend. We eventually made it through. Oh, and passports all around for us.

Oui, mais pas de femme toute de suite (yes, but I am not ready for a woman straight away) -Stephen Roche's reply when asked whether he was okay after collapsing at the finish in the La Plagne stage of the 1987 Tour
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Re: IM with kiddos [Jloewe] [ In reply to ]
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Jloewe wrote:
Hi everyone. Considering IMMT. Anyone know how hard or how much of a pain it is to get kids across country lines as a single parent?

i went to IMMT this year and it was a fantastic time for the kids. my wife came and we have two boys, aged 6 & 10 and we had other family come so my wife wasnt solo on race day.

1) get a passport. you kids will think its cool! we drove across. nothing crazy. why are you coming, for how long, bringing anything across......
2) there is SO MUCH TO DO there. its a fantastic family place, made for vacationing.
3) you'll want and need others to come if bringing your kids. you'll want to do a few easy rides runs and swims up there so need someone to look after them while doing so. also, there's a lot to be done in the way of getting your bags packed and to transition, etc. its a great set up, but having a little help is good.
4) the exchange rate is awesome, so things are a bit cheaper up there.

i cant recommend it enough. we were there for a week. and it truly felt like a family vacation. i rode my bike 2x, ran once and swam once. that's it. and was back by breakfast each time. they have a huge celebration too, a concert, etc. truly an amazing unforgettable week.

just hope you dont get a monsoon to bike through like we did!!!
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Re: IM with kiddos [Jloewe] [ In reply to ]
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My family(wife) loved IMMT. I have 3 kids and they were age 7,5,4. The hotel overlooked the finish line and had a kitchen. When the kids were tired, they took a nap. Everything is walking distance or a ride on the gondola. A lot of activities on the top of the mountain. Great experience! You will need someone to watch your child during the race.

IM Lake Placid this year with the kids now age 10,8,7. They should be able to do more activities on the lake now that they are older.
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Re: IM with kiddos [Hoffmeister] [ In reply to ]
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Hoffmeister wrote:
I have used the below consent letter for my kids to travel with grandparents between UK, China and Malaysia without problems. Given that it's been drafted by the Canadian government, one would hope that it works for Canada as well.

https://travel.gc.ca/...ldren/consent-letter

Basically birth certificate and passport plus a copy of the mothers passport.

The above x2

Next races on the schedule: none at the moment
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Re: IM with kiddos [Jloewe] [ In reply to ]
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My wife and I travel a lot with our four kids (the older two are from her previous marriage) and I highly recommend you simply get passport(s) for your child(ren) - regardless of age. It may be a pain to do up front, but it'll save you a ton of headaches in the future. We went to Muskoka through Toronto last year (flew) and had zero issues at the border, but here's the trick: because we are a complete family, border agents are less likely to ask questions, but they do ask the kids questions to see if something is amiss. (I could get into a long dissertation as to why traveling only on a birth certificate, while legal in a lot of cases, is just a total pain in the butt - and Canada border control is surprisingly tight compared to many other countries that we have traveled to in the past.) Further, make sure you get the travel permission from the biological mother. I have heard horror stories of people traveling where the other parent is aware and verbally authorizes the children's travel over the phone to border patrol and the family is still denied entry (I come from a large family and one of my brothers and his step children almost had this happen in Dominican Republic). Child trafficking is a real issue and the major industrial countries are taking it very seriously, so it isn't worth the hassle that it can create for your family if you miss either of the requirements (passports to fly, travel permission from missing biological parent, and birth certificate). Someone already linked to this page: http://www.cic.gc.ca/...ish/visit/minors.asp See which situation applies and follow it to a T. That's my advice from having had a lot of experience traveling with children. (Despite all of the hassle, by the way, it is the best thing you'll ever do for your kids... Watching them experience another country and get their passports stamped, etc, is a ton of fun.)
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Re: IM with kiddos [Najo] [ In reply to ]
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Agree about the passport, but would suggest a birth certificate and letter from other parent (or proof there isn't another parent). I've had trouble on different occasions going to Canada from the US with my kids who have a different last name than me. That said, it isn't a problem at all if you have your documentation. Register and have fun!
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Re: IM with kiddos [Jloewe] [ In reply to ]
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We did the trip to Mont Tremblant in 2014. Great place. My son was 9 then and we got him a passport for that trip and the trip three weeks prior to Whistler.

Tons to do for the family in Tremblant. I suggest staying in the main village area to get the experience. The village really does cater to the IM athletes and families. I found Whistler to be the superior venue in every way imaginable but it's also a lot bigger than Tremblant, and IM isn't the only show in Whistler as the mountain bikers still outnumber triathletes by 5 or 10 to 1. Race week in Tremblant is all about the IM and athletes.

It also helps a bit if you can speak French. While not really an issue in the village area, it can be an issue if you stray away from Tremblant. Some of the small towns between Montreal and Tremblant can be very hit-and-miss on with the English language.

Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One
Last edited by: The GMAN: Jan 25, 17 5:36
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Re: IM with kiddos [Jloewe] [ In reply to ]
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Should have:

- passport for both of you
- consent letter from biological mother (consent statement with some brief travel info: why, where and for how long)

Optional:

- a photocopy of biological mother ID and contact information
- your IM registration confirmation

Optional docs are not really needed and are rarely asked but it is good to have it handy in case you need to provide proof or reason for traveling.

Cheers!
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Re: IM with kiddos [Jloewe] [ In reply to ]
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Well times have changed but I'd have a passport & the letter & expect the 3rd degree lake the other poster experienced especially if a woman.

When I did my 1st IMC with my 2 small kids, husband out of country already in Canada on business & I'd checked what the requirement were ahead of time I was stopped & my kids & I had to go into a building. There they attempted to separate me from my kids with the assumption that I couldn't be doing an ironman & must be stealing children. It didn't go well for the border patrol. My kids still remember being grilled by another inspector and being led away.

My husband who regularly traveled to Canada couldn't believe it.
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Re: IM with kiddos [jdais] [ In reply to ]
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jdais wrote:
My family(wife) loved IMMT. I have 3 kids and they were age 7,5,4. The hotel overlooked the finish line and had a kitchen. When the kids were tired, they took a nap. Everything is walking distance or a ride on the gondola. A lot of activities on the top of the mountain. Great experience! You will need someone to watch your child during the race.

IM Lake Placid this year with the kids now age 10,8,7. They should be able to do more activities on the lake now that they are older.

my wife loved MT as well. it really is the perfect setting. we were with my kids (10 & 6) and my brother & his family (kids are 8 & 5). i am planning on going back up there in 2018. at that point, my kids will be 12 & 8 and able to do bigger things activity wise. zip line, more swimming, etc. its closer to drive to placid but just seems like MT is just a family vacation playground and oh yeah..... an ironman on sunday.
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Re: IM with kiddos [Jloewe] [ In reply to ]
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I was also asked for my vehicle registration, both going into and coming from Canada. Crossing into Canada the border agent told me he needed it since the camera couldn't see my license plate because of my bike. I soon as I came to the booth he said to me, "Are you here for Ironman"? Took under a minute.

Coming back into the US it took much longer. It seemed like every car ahead of me was Canadian, and they all went through very quickly. We seemed to proceed at about a 1 minute per car pace. I made it to the booth and I was there for what seemed like an eternity. Asked why I was there and I said a triathlon in Mont Tremblant. Not impressed! Maybe I should have said Ironman and gotten that tattoo. I was traveling with my wife and two sons, age 18 and 16, and the girlfriend of my 16 year old. I had a letter from Nina's mother stating that she was traveling with us with her permission. Neither border agent asked for it. The agent coming into the US asked me if I was traveling with any minors that were not my children(after reviewing our passports). I told him my son's girlfriend and that was it, told to proceed.

My family loved MT. Going back this year.
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Re: IM with kiddos [Jloewe] [ In reply to ]
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I wouldn't worry about it as long as you have passports and as others have said a letter from the kids' mother will help. It just might take you a few minutes.

We skied at Tremblant a number of times before doing IMs there. One time my son, 12 at the time, and I drove from Sugarloaf to Montreal where we were picking up my wife and daughter the next day at the airport. It was a much smaller border crossing in the middle of rural Maine/Quebec. It definitively took a while, maybe 20 minutes, before they let us go. They did speak directly to my son, probably to get a sense that nothing was wrong. Assuming they ran our plates and my passport/drivers license. While waiting I wished I had a letter from my wife, might have gone smoother.

This summer for IMMT our kids each brought a friend. One was 20 and the other 17, despite the fact that one friend would be considered an adult we still had her parents write a letter just in case. We didn't need them but better to be prepared.

Tremblant is a great place for kids. Lots for them to do.
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