Preparing 2.5 yr old for security procedures

[KLRI]

We will be flying to Orlando for our upcoming trip and I want to prepare my son for security checks, etc. associated with flying. I was planning to simulate at home a check in and boarding procedure in hopes that he won't be scared or nervous when we actually go, but have a few questions. I know that my husband and I will have to put our carry-ons through the screening machine but will his favorite stuffed animal have to go through as well (I think the answer is yes, but want to confirm)? Will he/we have to take our shoes off? Will the airport screeners ask for him to go through the walk-through scanner (like a doorway) by himself or might he be inspected with a security wand? (I am trying to prepare myself as much as him!) Thanks.

 

[eek40]

Originally posted by KLRI
We will be flying to Orlando for our upcoming trip and I want to prepare my son for security checks, etc. associated with flying. I was planning to simulate at home a check in and boarding procedure in hopes that he won't be scared or nervous when we actually go, but have a few questions. I know that my husband and I will have to put our carry-ons through the screening machine but will his favorite stuffed animal have to go through as well (I think the answer is yes, but want to confirm)? Will he/we have to take our shoes off? Will the airport screeners ask for him to go through the walk-through scanner (like a doorway) by himself or might he be inspected with a security wand? (I am trying to prepare myself as much as him!) Thanks.

KLRI... heres what I know. Yes the stuffed animal with have to go thru the machine, they might ask to take off shoes(this is sometimes random or sometimes always), he will have to walk thru the scanner by his self, and if they need to they will security wand him. They are really good about helping out with children so you shouldnt have any trouble.
Aimee

 

[BevS97]

yes his teddy will have to go through, so you are right to prepare him for that. There was an hysterical child at security last week, who didn't understand why she had to give up her dolly for it to be 'eaten' by the big machine.

Since my dd could walk through, she was walked through the doorway on her own, one of us goes first, then she walks, then the other follows, so she isn't on her own.
If you have a stroller it will be wanded.
When my dd was a baby and in the stroller, I think it was handchecked while she sat in it, but it's a long time ago (pre 9.11) so that may have changed.

My dd was also asked to remove her shoes on one flight (we all were), but it hasn't happened on all flights.
When we flew through Miami, our tickets were marked for extra security (it'sa random check thing), and she had to stand alone while they wanded her and checked her shoes, I was allowed to be near her, but not touching. She was 4 1/2 and is a fairly experienced traveller, but she was not too comfortable with that. I don't know if they would do that to a 2 year old, but I wouldn't put it past them.


bev

Bev

 

[laughinplace199]

This past October, my DD 3 had to walk through the "doorway" scanner by herself. I was allowed to carry my DS 1 because he was not yet walking. We had to put everything through the screening machines, including stuffed animals and strollers. They also manually inspected the car seats. We did not have to take our shoes off and no one used a wand on us.

Only you know what is best for your child as far as how to prepare him for these kinds of things. Every child is different, but my daughter would have been scared if I had explained the security procedures ahead of time. We explained it briefly the day before our trip and she did fine. For her, too much information would have allowed her very vivid imagination to conjure up things to worry about.

Have a wonderful trip!!

 

[tricia]

Last time I flew with DS, then 22 months, I would walk through the scanner first and leave him with DH. Now I never "beep", so after that I would go back through and pick up DS and carry him through. Then we would wait for DH cause he has a prosthetic arm and shoulder and always takes forever.

When we were at MCO last time they told me the shoe thing depended on what type of shoes you were wearing, that it was not just random.

 

[Kermit]

When my sister (who is now 25) was little, she had a stuffed dog that she carried everywhere. She threw a fit at the airport one time when they tried to take it from her. We couldn't convince her to put it on the belt because she couldn't see where he was going, and we couldn't convince her that it would come out the other side. The security guard finally decided it was okay to just pat the dog down to make sure nothing was in it. I'm sure he figured that my mom was too busy taking car of us to hijack the plane. But they probably can't be as understanding these days.

 

[RKC]

Last Sept. at MCO, on our way home from WDW, they made me hold my 1yo DS through the scanner first, then walk through myself. I mean really!!! Was I going to put a weapon in a babies diaper?!?! Actually he did that himself a little while later, LOL .

 

[mylilnikita]

My daughter had just turned 4 last year when I took her on a 2 day cruise. I knew we had to go through metal detectors and there would be scanners. I tried to make it like a game. Except, I didn't think about her stuffed kitty-fluffy. The woman asked if she could hold fluffy, and my daughter shook her head no. I almost died right there. I explained to my daughter that the woman had to make sure that fluffy was well enough for the trip, then she handed over fluffy. And this wasn't even at an airport it was the port where the ship was leaving from, which was near where we live.
So now, with the upcoming Disney World Mommy and daughter trip in November, we are flying to Florida-she has never been on a plane. So I have been playing airport security, even down to the taking the shoes off- I explain that they want to make sure her feet aren't stinky for the plane. I know I am bad, but how can I explain, we have to do all these things because some crazy people took our planes with our people on them and used them as weapons. Then we play getting on the plane and the old turbulence ride, and hopefully the trip will be a success. Good luck.

 

[MrsPete]

I don't think the security procedures are anything that would scare kids -- at least, I don't believe mine would have been scared. I think sometimes we can make things worse by planting ideas in kids' minds.

I would try to arrive early so that you're not crowded or rushed.

 

[thumperjr9]

I also don't think that security procedures will actually scare a 2.5 year old. However, I would prepare him for having a toy or stuffed animal taken away. On our last trip my DS-3 was carrying a tiny plastic Buzz toy, in fact it was so small I forgot he even had it.
Well, a little tired and out of sorts form a week in Disney he didn't react very well when they asked for it to put through the scanner, and it was to late for me to explain that he would get it right back. However, you can take comfort in knowing that if your son reacts the same way you probably won't have to worry about getting him to walk through the scanner on his own. They just let me carry my kicking, screaming child through!!!

 

[Donald Doc]

My opinion:
If you over think the whole process, you may make it worse. Kind of like a shot, the anticipation is worse than the actual event!

As long as you are calm & cooperative with the security people your child will have nothing to fear. There will be so much going on around you to distract your child there will be no time to be scared!

My older DD is frightened easily. On our last trip; two weeks before her third birthday, we made no comments about security. She watched in amazement as our bags went through security. My DW went through and my DD walked through alone. It was over before she had a chance to realize what was going on. To ease the process (for the kids), my wife went through quickly with just the two girls, and I struggled with all the carry-ons and car seats.

N.B.: I always remove loose change, my belt, cell phone and stick it into a carry-on to avoid having to slow down. This may help your cause. Make it quick and painless.

 

[TerriBelle]

When my twin boys saw the security "doorway", they said "Look! It's the door like in Monster Inc.

 

[Jordan's MOM]

I agree on two things. First don't make a big deal out of it and second, try to make it a game. For a 2 year old, you can not make them understand that it is a security measure and trying to do so would just confuse and might even frighten them. I like the idea of the kitty doing though to make sure it is well. Another idea is to tell her it is the beeper and lets see who will be lucky enough to make it beep. Someone near by will have something in their pocket that it will beep on. Bet it will be my DH. Anyway. She will be happy to have her turn to make it beep and will give her animal a turn on the "special animal beeper bed" to see if it will beep. That way also if it would beep on her or anyone in your party, she will be trilled, not frightened. You also have not told her anything that is not true. It is a beeper. Just don't tell her yet why it beeps. Bet she does fine.


Jordans' mom

 

[KLRI]

Thanks for all of the great responses. In truth, I suppose I am the one who is most nervous! I have envisioned a scenario where we are separated and he is alone outside of our reach and frightened. I think we can do as much as possible to make that less likely by following these suggestions and he will probably take everything in stride. Thank you.

 

[BevS97]

I have envisioned a scenario where we are separated and he is alone outside of our reach and frightened.

I can promise you that at no time will he be alone, the only thing he is likely to encounter that he might not like, is putting his toy through the x-ray machine, I doubt that anything else will phase him.

Bev

 

[momoftwins]

We flew Southwest this past April to Disneyland from Rhode Island. For my son, I packed the type of pants that the pant leg zips off in order to make the pants into shorts. Anyway, on the outgoing flight, he wore a pair of those type of pants. The alarm went off after he walked thru security. The seam where the zipper is located covers the zipper so you can not see it.

Anyway, he looked very scared since the alarm had just gone off and two of the screeners kind of rushed towards him. He went to run to me, but they stopped him. I calmly told him to stay where he was since I had figured out it was the zipper around the legs that set off the alarm. The screeners let me lift up the seam of his pants leg, they rescanned him and sure enough this was the problem.

He was 6 yrs old at the time, but it was enough to frighten him. Luckily, he was old enough to listen to me without panicing. About a week before the flight, I explained to both my children what would happen at the airport so they would not be scared.

So just a heads up when you are dressing your kids.

 

[llp479]

I agree with momoftwins, beware of your child's clothes. My DH and I had a huge arguement in January because he insisted my DD's belt wouldn't set off the scanner. Well, guess who was right - ME! My poor dd was wanded, had to take off her shoes, turn down her waistband, etc. She's 8, and we travel quite frequently, so she didn't freak out. I was probably more of the freak show because I was FUMING mad at my DH. Only consolation was he set it off with his belt too!

On another trip, my twin dds' tennis shoes set it off. Still don't know what was in them, but they went off when they were wanded. Now, I basically strip everyone to go through security - no shoes, belts, hair barretts, etc. Every thing goes into the cute litttle basket to go through the scanner. Actually, most of it is in the carry-on and doesn't come out until we're through security.

 

[laurie31]

Oooh! Hair barrettes! I wouldn't have thought of them! Thanks for the heads-up! Both my dd's have waist-length hair. It will be elastic "schrunchies" for the airport!

Laurie

 

[NotUrsula]

I had an "incident" a while back where I was told to leave DS standing alone, and I flat refused. (This was at DEN.)

Normally, our rule is that one of the adults goes through first, and after that person clears completely through, then the other parent will send the bags through and then guide the child. That way, if one parent is pulled aside for a detailed search, the other parent will be able to remain with the child.

In this case, there was no line at security, and the officers INSISTED that I could not hang back until DH was completely finished; they seemed to think that was suspicious behaviour. Sure enough, he got pulled out for a detailed search behind the barrier. As I went through with DS, DS cleared with no problem, but they wanted to search me. I told them politely that I would be happy to cooperate just as soon as they cleared DH, or that they could do the search with DS present, but that I would not leave my child unattended. They threatened me with arrest if I did not come immediately, without DS. Luckily, DH was cleared through just as they were calling someone to come arrest me for resisting the search. It turned out that the issue was the underwire in my bra.

BTW, if the stroller will fit through the scanner when folded, you will be asked to fold it and send it through. If it won't fit, they will wand it, but anything hanging on it or in the basket will have to be taken out and scanned separately. Bottom line is, get rid of all the bits and pieces of metal before you reach security, either on your selves or on your stroller. I slip my shoes off and send them through in the carry-on; less hassle.

 

[casmanuel]

We had a very traumatic event during a screening of my family of 6 about a year ago. Not unlike NotUrsula's experience. Since the feds took over screening (private companies used to do it) I have noticed a major improvement in the way all people, including families, are handled. We recently took a trip, and they processed my family of 6, including 2 toddlers, professionallyj, efficiently, and curteously. The difference was dramatic.