If you are a regular traveler, I don’t need to mention the events of Christmas Day.  The good news is a tragedy was averted.  The bad news is that the Transportation Security Administration has tightened the leash.  Some of the things travelers – including traveling families – may experience when traveling into the United states now are:

• Extra screening of checked luggage as well as inspection of carry-on items at the gate;
• Limited carry-ons;
• Pat downs of all passengers at the gate;
• One hour prior to landing, travelers must be seated, with no personal items, carry-on bags, pillows, blankets or ANYTHING on their laps.

You can see why this is a total bummer if you are considering an international trip with your kids.  And I’ve been sad to hear many of my friends say they are reconsidering going overseas this year because of the new regulations.

“What if I can’t give the baby a bottle for his ears on landing?” one asked.  “What do you do with kids on the plane with no activities?” another queried.  And maybe my favorite comment:  “You just know my kid is going to fill his diaper with some kind of  nasty mess at exactly 59 minutes to landing.”

These are all valid concerns.  And the new TSA regulations are a serious inconvenience to many travelers.  But you know what?  Those scenarios were all possibilities even before these new rules.  I’ve run out of bottles on the tail end of a journey and had to let Chet suck my pinky finger for landing.  When seated in a bulkhead row, I had to entertain him with the longest game of peek-a-boo EVAH when I couldn’t get up to our stuff.  And I remember hitting turbulence nearly two hours to approach when Chet’s diaper was leaking a nasty mess.  Sometimes, you just have to grin and bear it.

So bottom line, these new regulations aren’t going to change any of my travel plans and I don’t think they should change yours either.

No matter how you go, traveling with kids is a mess and an inconvenience and requires a little creativity on parents’ parts.  Just ask the mom who has spent hours trying to figure out how to get vomit out of the car upholstery.  It ain’t easy but it’s worth it.

So my advice is this:  study up on the new regulations, organize as well as you can and then prepare to wing it a bit.  There’s no reason to stop traveling.  You may just have to bring a long a little extra creativity and a lot more (somewhat warped) humor.  But who can’t use more of that?

Speaking of somewhat warped humor – since our stateside roadtrip unfortunately introduced Chet to Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the USA,” I bring you my own version – “Phooey on the TSA.”  (C’mon, I had to do something considering it was on a perpetual loop in my head – sing it with me!)

Phooey on the TSA

I queued in line at BHX
with juice boxes and Chet’s blankie-poo
welcome to the land of security excess
will they let me through?

Removed my shoes
and Chet’s belt and my iPhone
Unpacked my laptop and readied for the pat down
This all seems so crazy
Everybody in line seems so angry

Finally make it to the plane with only 10 minutes to spare
Flight attendant’s mean and I’m trying not to care
That’s when Chet refused to sit still
even tho the seatbelt light was on…
even tho the seatbelt light was on…
even tho the seatbelt light was on…

I’m stuck in my seat
And Chet’s really got to pee
But it’s 1 hour ’til touchdown
Noddin’ my head like yeah
Wishin’ for Scotch like yeah
And Chet starts crying
The in-flight movie is gone
And I wonder if we’ll be okay

Waaaaaaaaah, phooey on the TSA
Waaaaaaaaah, phooey on the TSA

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