No advice for you, I’ve only flown twice. :/ but they really should have, like, a lock box in the cabin that flight attendants can put all personal items in. That way of you’re just traveling with a carry on, you don’t have to choose between bringing an entire bag to check, or just foregoing some small item. Then, no danger, and you don’t have to check a bag. Just give whatever small item it is to flight crew, they keep it in the cabin until you’re disembarking.