As you might have guessed from some of the photos we have put up on
our articles, we have kids and we go to the beach with our kids.
Three little girls go with us to be exact. We are living proof that
going to the beach does not have to stop when you have kids. Yes, it
gets a little bit more challenging and takes a bit of planing ahead—especially with little kids—but its completely doable.
Here are a few
things we have learned.
First off, please use sun screen. I have to put this one first
because we lived in Florida and have seen people that have had a bit
too much sun over the years. Buy a good, kid-friendly lotion. Even on
those semi foggy/cloudy days remember to us it. Be smart. Maybe even
think about getting one of those cheesy umbrellas for the beach. Even
older kids like to sit and relax for a bit under one of these. If you
are like us though and do not bring a lot of things down to the beach,
make sure you at least have your sunscreen and maybe some hats for the
little ones. Wetsuits are great to keep the sun off the kids too.
With our cold water around here, a kid's wetsuit is a good purchase.
Check out craigslist first and then a local surfshop for one.
Next, don't bring too many toys for the kids. I have learned over
the past few years that usually my kids have the most fun at the beach
just running around in ankle deep water, not sitting on the sand with
a dozen toys, playing something they could have played at home. A
bucket and shovel are fun, and if you want to bring toys, maybe make
sure your kids are the ones dragging everything down to the beach.
Then they will think about what they are bringing down since they are
the ones carrying everything. Buckets can be used for many things—like collecting shells and making sand castles. Shovels can be used
for digging up fun treasure and making a whole big enough for your
toddler to sit in.
Another thing I have learned over the past couple of years is that
the beach has sand! So yes, your kids are going to get dirty.
And from what we have seen, the dirtier they are when they are done,
the more fun they had at the beach! Thats what hoses and bathtubs are
for. The sand around here is really fun to play in. Sand dunes are the
best to slide down, roll down, fall down . . . you name it! And if you
don't want to have wet kids after the beach, the sand is a good
distraction. (Watch out for those crazy snowy plovers though - give them their space.) Plus,
if you are like our family, when dad's surfing and the kids are still
too young to be trusted by water, then sand and the sand hills are the
best place to play. You can see your hubby pull a big air, but also
watch your kids playing in the sand.
Finally, since it is the beach and it has sand, it also
has water. This can be very scary at first. I am blessed with two
girls who play really well together and help watch each other. But
at the same time, I am always watching them when they are by the
ocean. They enjoy running back and forth when the tide comes and goes, and
splashing each other, but they know the dangers of going too far into
the water. They cannot swim well yet (both are under the age of 6).
If this is something thats hard for you to deal with, put your kid in a life-jacket and let them get their feet
wet.
Teach your children the dangers of the ocean, but make sure
you balance it out with the joys. If you are like most people around here, you really
enjoy it the ocean. So teach your children to enjoy it at a young age by
letting them get in it a little bit. Teach them water safety. There
are some great kid-friendly beaches around here that even have small creeks
kids can play in for hours. The water will barely go up to their
knees in the deep part. These little creeks are great to play in with
a boogy board and a wet suit! Also the bay is a fun place for kids and so is south side of the Rock. Both of these have small beaches
with small or no waves in them.
