Passport renewal questions

Hi everyone. I don't post much but have lurked a lot in the past. I know how helpful everyone this board was to me when we moved here so I'm hoping someone will know the answer to my passport dilemma.

We have been living in the UK since July 2015 and plan to return to the US in July/August 2018.  My husband and I have passports that expire in October 2018. I've heard that you can sometimes be hassled travelling when your passport has less than 6 months left. Should we renew them by mail (we meet the requirements for mail in renewal) while still here in the UK, or just wait until we are back in the US?

We also have 3 kids. Their passports all expire in March 2018. So, I know we will be having to make an appointment and take them to the embassy. Trying to make the most of our last year here, we have lots of travel planned for our remaining time. But, we won't be leaving the UK until the end of October. I was thinking that I would try to get the kids passport renewal appointment sometime in August.

Does anyone know about how far in advance I need to book the appointment (I sort of tried to go thru the process on the website but it wouldn't let me get too far)? Is a mid-late August appointment enough time to get their passports back before the end of October? I know they say 4 weeks... but I'm a little nervous that this is just an estimate. And, finally should my husband and I just renew ours at the same time as the kids since we all have to be there anyway?

Thanks for any advice!!
Holly

hi holly. ijust renewed my passport via the embassy, it was 3weeks exactly door to door

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You can apply for an emergency passport which will cost more and is valid for a year but can be traded for a full, valid one before it expires.  Certain countries do require your passport to be valid for a certain amount of time.  For example, Germany - you passport must be valid for 3 months from the date of your DEPARTURE, not date of ENTRY.

I would just get it done all in one go. Best to err on the side of caution really as you never know what may come up or when it may be needed.