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flying with children nowadays..


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I travel with dd7 often and she's never been asked for an id. We just give them her boarding pass along with mine and my id and it's fine. Also, now younger children don't have to take off their shoes for security. I'm not sure what the age cut-off is but your younger two won't have to take them off for sure.

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Not sure if you're looking for additional information on this still, but just in case....

 

1. Everyone 16 and older needs his/her own ID. They often ask younger kids who they're traveling with (ie. point to me and say "who's that?" And my daughter says "my mom"), where they're going, how old they are.

 

2. Kids under 12 no longer have to take off their shoes. Yay!

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At what age do they ask the questions? My dd, who turns 3 in a week, would seriously freak out if someone asked her something (she would, however, cling to my leg and hide behind me).

 

We are flying later this month, for the first time in years.

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DD is 7 and just gets asked her name and age, which she doesn't have problems answering. I don't know what age it starts-she wasn't asked when she was 3 IIRC (and we fly multiple times each year-DD had two frequent flyer cards in her name before she turned 2), but since they keep changing the rules, they might not have asked her had she been 4 then either.

 

If your airport has a full body scanner, they'll send young kids and at least one parent through the metal detector instead. About half the time they send both DH and I through the metal detector with DD, but sometimes he gets pulled to the other line.

 

Children have to walk through the metal detector by themselves, even at very young ages, so if you can, send one parent through or an older child through first, so the younger ones have someone to go with. DD knows to wait by the TSA agent until I get through the detector when she's traveling with just her and me, but if I have someone else to send through first, I still do so, even at 7.

 

If you have a lovey, put it through first and with nothing that might be delayed (no electronics, no purses containing keys and other objects, and so on)-that way it will be on the other side when you get through the metal detectors, instead of having to wait with a panicked child. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for the grandfatherly TSA agent who explained to a toddler DD that he just wanted to take an X-ray and look at Draggy's bones :).-it avoided what I'd feared would be a complete meltdown since at that point in time, separating her from Draggy practically required a crowbar!

 

Be aware that you can't use portable electronics, even in "airplane mode" until a plane is at a cruising altitude, so bring some print books or other quiet activities to do rather than depend on electronics for the first part of the flight.

 

Headphone-type ear protectors are a LOT more comfortable for kids (and adults, IMO) than trying to put in earplugs. DD had hers due to sensory issues, and even though she's nowhere near as sensory avoiding as she was when she was younger, they still serve her quite well on planes. DH and I actually both got sets for ourselves (although ours came from a hardware store, not an OT) because it was so much more comfortable. An added bonus (as DD discovered)-she can put her earbuds (the kid kind that have decibel limits built in) for her iPod in UNDER the ear protectors and hear her music or watch a video on her iPod while not getting the outside sounds, so it's not an either-or.

 

 

Most airlines no longer give parents with young children a set pre-boarding opportunity, but if you're using car seats on the plane, ASK-because while the airline as a company may not feel it's needed, the actual flight crew would MUCH rather let a parent go on early to install that car seat than have the entire family having to stand in the aisle and block traffic while trying to install the thing. We used a car seat until DD outgrew her 5 point, and while it's nice to no longer have it on the plane, it made a major difference for her in comfort.

 

With your baby and 2 yr old, you will be able to bring small amounts of liquids through security, and those are QUITE helpful at take-off and landing. Those little bitty toddler-size juice boxes are perfect for this purpose. Have them separate so you can just pull them out, just like any other liquids/gels.

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When I flew with my daughter (2 at the time, less than a year ago) no one asked her anything and I carried her through the metal detector. Maybe these policies vary by airport? I guess it's possible policies change that fast, but I can't imagine what an airport worker would expect to learn from a 3 year old. My daughter would say her first name and age and "yes, that's my mommy", but then again, if she was scared, she might not say anything at all. And what would that be conclusive of?

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