1.) Have a shady area:
There are so many reasons to make sure you keep an area shady for the children {and for yourself, as well}. Your children and you need to make sure there is a way to escape from the sun. Of course, we go to the beach to enjoy the rays, but too much sun can be harmful {sunburns, heat rashes, sun poisoning, over heating, etc}. Below are some pictures of suggestions for creating a shady area while you are at the beach. {We opted for 2 good old-fashioned beach umbrellas.}
2.) Have a place the kiddos can nap:
We got extremely lucky on this one with the baby. We would place her in her carrier and lock it into the stroller. We would go down to our spot on the beach, and she would usually nap the entire time we were out there. {I think it was because the sound of the Ocean waves were calming to her.} The canopy on her carrier and stroller come together to created a total shady environment for her. It was so incredibly easy with her. However, the challenge came with my 2 1/2 year old son. 1 of 2 thing would happen each day. 1) He would play the entire time, and then crash when we got back to our room {and nap a solid 2 hours}. 2) He would ask one of us to hold him, and he would fall asleep in our arms. If that happened, we had either a reclining chair or sheet we could lay him on under the shade so he could rest.
3.) Keep plenty of fluids on hand:
There wasn't much of an issue with the baby. You can obviously nurse or give them formula to keep them hydrated well enough. If you are nursing, make sure you drink plenty of water and fluids to ensure enough hydration for your baby. The best idea I found for my toddler was to freeze some Capri Suns or Water bottles. If you let them sit outside for a little while, they will melt enough for your toddler to drink, but remain cool and refreshing. Of course, make sure you take enough for you and your children while you are down by the beach. {Try to keep trips back and forth between your room and the ocean to a minimum for your sanity :) }
4.) Make sure you have some beach-side entertainment:
Luckily, my son LOVED the ocean. I know some toddlers find it overwhelming. My suggestion, have a few things {like a bucket and shovel} they can play with in the sand. One interesting thing I found on Pinterest was to take a small 2-ring pool with you. Put some ocean water in it, and place some toys in it so they can play in the ocean water without the waves. If your baby can sit up on their own, you can even let them play in the pool {and it keeps them in one place}. Obviously, any time your child is around water, you need to keep a very close eye on them to prevent drowning. The place we stayed had a playground right beside the pool. We would let our toddler play on that later in the afternoon, after we had dinner {instead of going back to the beach to play since we were clean}.
5.) Think minimalistic:
Our very first day, my husband and I were loaded down with everything I felt we needed to take down to the beach. {It was like something directly out of a comedy.} Seriously, we took just about everything but the kitchen sink! The next day, my husband and I got smarter. We went though everything and decided exactly what needed to go and what could stay. We cut down what we took down to the beach in half. We even decided to load down the stroller with as much as possible to make transportation much easier. We ended up only taking the absolute necessities:
- sunscreen
- umbrellas
- towels
- sheet
- carrier and stroller
- drinks {and baby bottle}
- 1 back up swimmer diaper
- 2 or 3 diapers for the baby
- very few toys {including my son's boogie-board}
Seriously, this is the most important advice I can give you. Having two extra people with us, gave us the ability to relax more. We could focus our attention to one child at a time, while the grandparents played or kept an eye on the other child. Really, you could take just one extra person {like a friend, aunt, or uncle}. It really is a lifesaver to have at least one extra person with you. It gives you an extra set of hands. My mother-in-law is not a huge fan of getting in the ocean. So, she would stay with the baby girl, while we my father-in-law, husband, and I took my little man into the ocean to play. This little tidbit of information can really make your beach trip super relaxing and successful.
Like I said earlier, don't read all those Pinterest posts and let them freak you out. It truly is possible to have a great beach vacation with a baby or toddler {or in my case, both}. Enjoy your vacation, don't make it a miserable trip. Make many happy memories with your family.
