Clearing airport security with small kids

This past November I traveled to Dallas with my family for the Thanksgiving holiday. This was my first time traveling as the mom of two. I was very anxious about the whole experience, especially the dreaded “getting through security” adventure. I get antsy when going through security on my own, so you can only imagine the pressure I put on myself when trying to usher two small little travelers along!

Getting ready

I like to think of myself as a highly organized person, especially when I’m traveling. Before walking up to the security checkpoint, I always make sure to get everything ready to go (think George Clooney in Up in the Air) to get through as quickly as possible. So, when traveling with two kids for the first time, I made sure to spend extra time getting their things as organized as possible so we could quickly breeze through security. Did all my planning work?  Yes and no.

Here’s what worked:

• Keep your preschooler in a stroller, even if they are old enough to stand in line next to you. As we all know – you never know how long you’ll have to wait at security – and you don’t want to risk those flailing arms and legs that oh-so-often accompany a meltdown!
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help! I had to go through security on my own. So it was up to me to help the kids take off their shoes, hoist up their bags, and fold up the stroller. Instead of trying to accomplish it all, I swallowed my pride and asked a friendly-looking person nearby to help with my stroller while I dealt with the other things.
• Take off their shoes and jackets in advance – even if that means they’ll be a little cold. You can easily wrap a blanket over their shoulders while waiting in line. This is much easier than having to quickly take everything off at the last-minute.
• Reserve the liquid limitations for the kid’s things, not yours. I made sure to have their medicines, lotions and drinks set aside for the regulated one quart-sized bag. Those are not the items you want to try to buy after going through security, opposed to the drinks and lotions I like to have for myself!

Here’s what I wasn’t prepared for:

• Babies must be taken out of carriers. Even though I was using a cloth sling (with no metal parts), I had to take my baby out of it before walking through the scanner (new TSA rule).  I wasn’t prepared for that and it was quite a pain to take him out at the last minute while trying to hold my three-year-old’s hand at the same time!
• Three-year-olds don’t care about TSA guidelines. My daughter refused to take off her shoes and caused quite a stir because the more I insisted, the more she refused. I should have better prepared her for what to expect at security, and not just what to expect on the plane!

Now keep in mind these are just my tips for passing through airport security with small children. Getting through the actual flight with clean clothes and happy children is a whole ‘nother story!

Amy Turner is VP of Client Strategy for Mom Central, helping brands connect with Moms through cutting-edge social media campaigns. She is also a wife, proud mom of two and devoted owner of a Belgian Malinois. Connect with Amy at Amy@momcentral.com and follow her @amyjo917.

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