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By Jack Beresford
Senior Reporter
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A mom of two has warned fellow parents to check their kids’ bags before going to the airport after a costly mistake involving her son.
Sharon Tang told Newsweek she and her family were due to fly from Changi Airport in Singapore to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in China until an unexpected delay proved costly; very costly, in fact, with Tang describing it as a “$3,000 mistake."
Family holidays are expensive. The Family Travel Association’s 2025 U.S. Family Travel Survey found the average family spends approximately $8,000 on travel a year.
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Missing a plane or failing to board for whatever reason is therefore something best avoided.
Tang chose to share her family’s story in the hopes others might avoid making the same mistake. She has requested that her social media handle and the post detailing her experience be omitted from this story.
Having arrived at the airport tight on time, things seemed to be going smoothly when they cleared immigration.
However, when they got to security and had their bags screened, there was a problem. Security discovered Tang’s son had placed a toy gun in his carry-on hand luggage.
That is something Tang took "full responsibility" for.
"Our son was simply excited about the trip, and we should have checked his bag more carefully," she said. "We are generally aware that security rules are strict, but we didn’t realize that even certain toys could cause issues during screening."
Despite offering to dispose of the toy, they were told that clearance was required from security officers. More than 20 minutes passed with no sign of anyone. When the officers did finally arrive, there was just three minutes left before the gate for their flight closed.
Even then, security was still required to follow procedure. "We understood that the officers were simply doing their job to ensure safety, though I kept pleading for them to speed things up and the airline was trying their best to not close the door for us," Tang added.
Ultimately, she said their hopes of making the flight "slipped away."
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"It was definitely a stressful moment because we realized time was running very tight before boarding," Tang said. "As parents, we also felt responsible because we should have checked our child’s bag more carefully before heading to the airport."
Tang added that the family had to book themselves onto another flight with China Southern Airlines, paying out around $3,000 in the process.
In the meantime, she said her son was "a little confused and upset" at what happened. "After things settled down, we spoke to him calmly and explained why airport security rules are important and that certain items, even toys, can cause issues when traveling," Tang said. "We also reassured him that it wasn’t about blaming him—he was simply excited for the trip."
Though it amounted to a stressful experience at the time, Tang said she is choosing to see it more as a "learning moment" for the family. "We will be more mindful and take a bit more time to go through everyone’s belongings before leaving for the airport," she added. "It was a good reminder for us to slow down, stay organized, and not rush, especially when traveling with young children."
She hopes her experience will encourage others to "double-check your children’s bags."
"Parenting is a journey of learning every day," she said. "Sometimes, the lessons just happen in unexpected places like the airport."
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