A Baby and a Beach

Hi M.-We have made many trips to the beach over the years with my now 5 year old boy and 3 year old girl. I have found two things useful: Use a bucket filled with water, sitting on a level surface, such as a boogie board to wash hands and faces before and after snacking when you are actually on the beach. The boogie board is also a great place for the two older kids to sit and snack-up out of the sand, and a level surface lets you stand up drink boxes. Also, the hard surface allows you to easily wipe off any sand that may get on the board-it can also be carried into the ocean, dunked and brought back to you sand free.Use the bucket filled again with water once you are in the parking lot and trying to figure out how to get all the sandy bodies into your car-if you park in a lot with a spigot, you can dunk hands, feet and toys into fresh water. If you have to send your hubby back to the beach for salt water, it will still be better than sand all over the car. Another great tip for getting sand off of wet hands and feet is to pour baby powder on them and rub and the sand comes right off. Okay, so maybe I have more than two tips! As far as the youngest child, I would bring a couple of sheets, they are cooler than blankets, and put one on the floor of a little pop up tent, or wagon. I like a wagon better than a stroller-the wheels are bigger, and they don't turn around in the sand and get stuck.The reason I like the wagon is this, one with big rubber wheels works the best-you can haul all of your beach stuff to the beach in it, then clean it out and put the sheet down inside,lay them inside, out of the sun for a nap, put the handle up against the side and make a tent out of another sheet to let air flow but block the sun. The best part about a wagon is when they get fussy, you can wheel them around or take a walk on the beach to calm them down. Both of my kids still love to ride in our wagon, pulling them in it is such a huge workout for me, too. I have not mentioned the obv. things, sunscreen, surf shirts and hats, water shoes are a must. My husband and I got married on the beach, we love it and try to go a couple of times /year. With a little planning, it is definitely a very fun vacation. Good Luck!!

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Hi M.,

When my kids were young, we took a shower curtain liner (they're cheap and fold up small), dug a swim area under the umbrella and filled it with water for the little one to sit in. On the last day, we threw it away.It was a lot easier than dealing with a blow up pool on the beach.

Also, wear the same sunblock as your kids. (you're going to be covered in it anyway.) We put the sunblock on the kids before we leave the room and then get the spray (aerosol) for on-the-beach touch-ups. You don't have to rub it in and the kids don't mind it as much.

Get the kids the stretchy water shoes that they don't have to take off (so no one's feet get burned and no cuts from shells). They have them at Target, Wal-Mart, etc.

Good luck and enjoy your trip!

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Hi. I took my 3 yr old and my almost one to the beach three years ago. The website below has neat little tents for babies (they fold up nicely)...they even have one for the whole family...click the link below.

http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/thumbnail.jsp?siteId=...

I just kept mine in a light weight material / white long sleeve shirt...and of course, Sunscreen. We always had an umbrella. I hope you have a great time!

K.

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We went to the beach last year with our, then 3 year old and 9 mo. old. We went together with our best friends and rented a beach house. They have a daughter, then in Kindergarten.

The was our first vacation since children and it went very well, so well we are going again this year.

The house allowed flexibility with down time and some cartoons for the kids. They also had the space to play, not being in a hotel room, or having to stay at the beach too long for everyone. We had a private pool and so the kids were able to swim there if they were tired of the sand. We were very flexible with our activities to allow the baby to nap and pretty much he stayed on his home schedule and did well.

The house was only a few yards walk to the actual beach and it made it easy for everyone to be comfortable. We didn't have to worry about one child not getting to have fun if one was tired, etc.

Having the house also saved money and sanity on eating out. We had two night meals out, I think. We bought groceries and cooked and so parents are more relaxed than having to deal with crowds.

The baby actually had some of his morning naps on the beach. I have a small tent, graco, maybe. You can find them online. It folds up into a small bag, easily carried and then pops out quickly.

We had a great time and the kids did, too.

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Hi M.,
We got one of those sun/beach tents for my little one last year when we went to the beach. They are enclosed with a zipper front, and are UV protected. Also, I would keep a hat and UV protected clothing all other times. I think Target sells these little beach/pool outfits with matching hats. Just make sure you keep sunscreen a-coming. Nothing can ruin a beach trip faster than a bad sunburn on a kid!
As for things to do, I would google out beach games and see what you can find. My son loves to beach comb. We take the shells he finds home and put them on display out on our deck. He loves picking the shells up at home exploring them all over again. Also, you can't go wrong with a bucket and some shovels. Good luck!

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Glad to here you are able to go on vacation. buy plenty of sunblock for the kiddies. Re-apply every 2 hours. Get hats with brims as well to keep the sun off their faces. Use a beach umbrella to keep the 3 month old in the shade. have the older babies sit in the shade from time to time as well. make sure they drink plenty of water too. have fun and be safe.

Regards,
D.

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I'm the mother of triplets, and although they are 6 now, I remember those early beach trips when they were babies! First of all, resign yourself to the fact that you probably won't be on the beach longer than 2-3 hours, and forget about taking a book or magazine because you will be on the move constantly! It is a lot of work to get set up on the beach for what is such a short stay! Maybe you will get lucky and the little ones will nap on the beach. We put a hitch-haul trailer on the back of our van and a luggage carrier on the top just to be able to take all the stuff we needed to make it through a week. Some beach houses have cribs and high chairs, and some hotels have portable cribs. Check for those. It will cut down on what you have to take with you (bouncers / pack-n-plays). We took our kids Radio Flyer wagon the first year. Ours didn't have the big wheels, so it was hard to push in the sand but thankfully, there were always friendly people around who were more than glad to help, so you may only want to take a wagon if it has the big wheels. A better option is a beach cart. They sell them at most all of the shops at the beach. I think ours cost $50, but you may be able to find one cheaper on Craigs List or ebay. It works really great for loading in a lot of stuff, and it is collapsable. I have gotten additional use out of mine this year by taking it to consignment sales. For the baby & two year old, you will will want to take a beach cabana - check www.campmor.com, or ebay. They fold down really small, so it too is easy to transport. It makes for a really nice resting spot for sleepy heads! (Take a couple of lightweight baby blankets for them to lay on and to cover them - they will sleep longer, and won't get chilled by the ocean breeze - a baby blanket also folds down smaller, and dries quicker than a beach towel - it will cut down on the number of beach towels you need to pack - those take up most of the space! We always take a beach umbrella, and make sure you get the umbrella stand that screws down into the sand or your umbrella will blow away! I like to use bamboo beach mats under the umbrella because they shake out easier than towels. If you will have a refrigerator/freezer where you are staying, freeze juice / water pouches (I like to take the flavored water pouches to prevent dehydration) - (don't use boxes because they will fall apart in the cooler when they thaw). (If your kids like, and you know they will eat grapes, you can freeze those too.) Once you are set up, pull out the drink pouches, and set them out so that they will be thawed by the time your little ones are ready for a drink. Cheese Nips, pretzels, and snack crackers work well for snacks on the beach. Sun safety: a loose fitting white t-shirt and "wee shades" - look for them at "One Step More" website. They have velco straps that will keep the shades on the kids' heads. If they absolutely won't wear them (many kids won't), make sure you take wide brimed sun bonets, or buy those hats with the flaps in the back (kids necks, backs and shoulders get burned quickly and easily), and a wide enough brim in the front that will shade the eyes and nose. Get some rubber beach sandals/shoes like Crocs that will protect their feet from the hot sand, but can still be rinsed off under the water spicket when you leave the beach. (We've used the water shoes before, but they are hard to get on sandy feet, they take a long time to dry, and it is difficult to get the sand out of them!) Sunscreen: Apply before putting the bathing suit on the children. I like the "BullFrog Kids UV Defender "Surfer Gel". My kids have sensitive skin, and break out to other brands. This gel has worked the best for us. It stays on great, has UVA/UVB protection and is non-irritating (but I still NEVER put sunblock on their hands because they will rub their eyes - and that makes for a very bad scene! - Do get the tops of the feet really well because they will sunburn easily. (you may also want to look for a spray bottle of sunblock to reapply coverage to target areas - it's hard and yucky to try to reapply lotion or gel to sandy skin.) That being said, make sure to pack a bottle of fresh water put some paper towels in a plastic baggie. You may need these to wash lotion or salt water from eyes, or even hands before a snack. Toys! Get a BIG bucket, as well as, some smaller ones or you and your husband will be making endless trips back to the ocean to get water for those sand castles! (Your older child can probably be in charge of carrying this.) My kids like the tower toy too. It has a wheel that turns when you pour water in it. Take some little rubber accessory items like sharks, dragons, fish, mermaids, etc. or plastic toy trucks. This will keep their imagination longer as they build a castle with a mote, a fort, or whatever their thing is! My girls love to pick up seashells! Unfortunately, most of the shells on the beaches where we go are all broken! Take a bag to put those shells in because however ugly they are, the kids will want them. (If you like seashells - the outer banks are the best spot to get the ones that aren't broken into pieces.) A camera is a must too; maybe you can start a vacation scrap book when you get home. I picked up take-out menus, chopsticks, or other things like that everywhere we went on vacation so that we could hopefully put them all in a scrap book (someday :)) Keep a journal of what you do each day, and of anything that was cute or funny because you may not remember when you get home. Taking little ones on vacation is great for them - but a lot of work for the parents! Work or not, it's better than being at home with the same old chores and laundry!! Have fun!

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Hi M. - I agree with all of the recommendations you've received regarding baby pools and tents and keeping the kids covered up with SPF rash guards, etc... All the stuff I would have said. I can highly recommend a great sunscreen - Blue Lizard. It's fantastic. It's non-greasy and really works. It contains both Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide, 10% and 5% respectively - more than any other brand out there. Both are physical barriers, which means they work immediately. It's Australian and is held to their sun protection standards, which are much more rigorous than ours. You can get it at CVS Drugstores or online at www.coolibar.com or www.drugstore.com
Have a great time!!

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Hi M.,

I have a lot of fond memories of the beach off the NC coast with my 2 boys. They are still great beach bums at 12 and 15. But when they were smaller, I enacted some rules about the beach with my kids (and husband, smile!) We got up and got breakfast early enough to get out on the beach by 8:30 so that by the time 11:00 came, we were ready to go in. Then wash off time, lunch, and naps if they were still napping. Fun in the sun and sand wears folks out, so I usually didn't have trouble getting them down. As they grew older, no naps but quiet time playing games or reading books inside, out of the sun. Then around 3:00, out on the beach again until about 6:00. Then wash off time and dinner, walking around the beach town or playing putt-putt, and then bed. The schedule for the kids was necessary (maybe moreso for my children than other people's) and keeping the kids out of the worst part of the UVA and UVB rays during the middle part of the day was important. (The worst time is 10:00 - 3:00.)

Another idea for you is to buy specialty swim shirts for your older kids. They are for being in and out of the water, they breathe and they dry quickly. However, wearing them doesn't negate wearing sunscreen under them. Put the sunscreen on first. That's important because they can still get a sunburn. But those shirts help protect their little shoulders. My sons still like those shirts and wear them in the middle of the day when they are at the beach. And every single night, wash the sunscreen off with soap. Sometimes kids get rashes from sunscreen. My doctor told me never to use last year's product on a small child - this conversation with the doctor came up because my own son got a rash when I put some of my old Coppertone on him. He can use Coppertone now, but then I was very careful about what I bought after his first rash.

Hope these ideas help in addition to the fine ones from the other ladies!

All my best, and have fun at the beach!
D.

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Goodness, thats a handful there. I strongly recomend you take some help first of all,like a nanny. second, all three little ones should be equipped with life jackets, and water wings. Also make sure you coat them really good with some extra good sunblock and make ssure to apply it every thirty minutes, the beach with the sun beating down and reflecting from the water can cause them to burn twice as fast. take plenty of water to drink too. and by all means haaaave fun
M.

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Hi M.,

I am SAHM with three girls 3 years apart and we have been going to the beach with the girls since our first born. After years of do's and don'ts with babies - I believe we have found the formula;

A covered tent is essential for the little one to rest in - one with netting surronding the full tent makes all the difference! Many are sold with only one side netted which will cause your little one to sweat, sweat, sweat! Be sure there is plenty of ventilation on all sides of the tent. Roll down flaps to cover the netting on windy days is helpful as well. We used a larger umbrella to place over the tent for sun protection. A towel underneth the tent and inside will help with the discomfort of sand. The last "must have" is a small baby pool. Filling it with "fresh water" from the rinse spiget was fun for the siblings (anything involving water usually is;)). don't feel you have to overdue these two items in size - the smaller the better. If the wading pool is too big - the bigger siblings want to get in and dirty it all up. You can find a small pool at the dollar store and discard at the end of the trip. The bigger tents are tough to carry up and down to the beach and the bigger the tent the more the older kids want to join the baby for rest time (which we all know never works).

Hope this helps and enjoy your well deserved vacation!
M.

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the most important thing is to have umbrellas and plenty of sunscreen. we just moved from the beach so i have a little experience. hats and uv protection clothing will also be important. the kids will make their own fun but they won't have any fun if they are sunburned. know when to take breaks from the heat and sun.

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M.,

I have been to the beach with a 1 and 3 year old. We bought a small blow up pool and filled it with buckets everyday. That way the could play in the water and stay right there with us. Sometimes the ocean is a little scare for the little ones. As far as the baby I have seen in a few mail order magazines these things that almost look like beach bassinets with ways to keep them out of the sun and some even had nets that zipped over them for the sand. Hope this helps.

A.

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Remember that the little ones will want to hold and throw the sand. Be prepared with a few essential items:
1)lots of bottled water to rinse out eyes and keep hydrated
2)baby sunblock
3)hats, sunglasses, extra towels
4)pails and shovels

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I have taken my three children to the beach since day one. You will need to get a good sunblock with Titanium Oxide. The recommendation is for 6 months and older, but I have used it on legs and arms only on my 3 month old. Try a small area first for any reaction. A tent of some sort is a must too. We found one that zips around all sides to keep the sand out, but is very breathable. I also like to use a jogging stroller on the beach. It navigates well in the sand, provides shade, and is a great place for naps! As for your older children, I would suggest bathing suits that contain UV protection. Have fun in the sun!

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My family is at Wrightsville Beach every weekend. The sunscreen, rash guard (or swim shirt) and umbrella are the three essentials--the older kids can also play and dig under the cover of the umbrella. For the baby, I also used sunblock sparingly on legs, arms, cheeks, nose, chest, and back from about 3 months of age on. I would cover as much as I could with SPF clothing and a hat, then cover the rest with sunblock.

My family is also a huge fan of the early morning at the beach--before the sun gets too hot. In fact, in the heat of summer, we wake up, pack breakfast to go (raisin bread, fruit, granola bars, yogurt, juice) and are out playing at the beach around 7:30 a.m.! Plus, my husband and I can take turns getting in a little surfing before the water gets too crowded with swimmers. It's a beautiful, quiet time at the beach, and not too uncomfortable for the kids. The other nice time of day at the beach is dinner time--sometimes we head back out for a picnic dinner and evening swim--the one downer is sometimes that's a buggy time depending on the time of year.

For entertainment for your older kids--shovels, buckets--toy construction trucks to "bulldoze" the sand--a kite--we bring a little table that rolls up into a bag and drape a towel over it--cool fort for the kids to hide under and keep cool.

BTW--we always look like we're moving in when we arrive on the beach!!--but we like having what we need to keep everyone happy for several hours.

HTH. L.

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Okay, let me first say - I don't even really like the beach myself, but I go with the rest of my family because they do. Having said that - I took our youngest to the beach when he was only a month old - and I pretty much kept him comfy the same way I keep myself comfy at the beach. We paid for one of the umbrella and chair sets at the beach for the day and then added our own beach mat and soft blankets and sheets for the baby to roll around on. If I remember correctly, I just took a really loose lightweight cover the whole body outfit for him to wear for sun protection. Baby powder in the diaper will help prevent potential irritation from the sand as well. For the older two - maximize their sun protection - and have LOTS of digging and sand toys. We tried to time our beach time to miss the hottest part of the day also - we go out early in the morning - came in from say noon to about 3 or even a little later and then headed back out in the late afternoon. Also, I didn't even bother taking the stroller or the infant carrier to the beach - there is no need to get it all sandy if you don't need to. Hope this helps. Have a great time at the beach.

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Bring a covered portable play-yard. (We had one from Fisher price that was about 3ft round half covered in mesh netting, the other full coverage.), and a portable fan to keep the play-yard from getting too hot. Then we brought a 7 ft canopy for shade, a cooler full of juice boxes and water, a sheet, an inflatable baby pool, a bunch of sand toys (including a bucket for rinsing), sunscreen, hats, 2 towels per kid, diapers, extra clothes, and grocery bags for trash. It is a production to set up, and to leave, but it makes it much easier while you are there! Good luck!!

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I just returned from Cocoa Beach and would recommend lathering them up with sunscreen before you arrive and possibly having them wear a loose shirt for skin coverage. Ideally I would rent a cabanna or a tent to protect them from the sun or go later in the day. Bring lots of pails, and other fun toys and let them get dirty digging in the sun and picking up shells. For the three month old you will need to just keep her covered up or sometimes there are some shady spots. As always it would be fun to take a long stroller ride down the beach with three year old flying a kite. Try not to make it to long of a day.

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When my child was about 3 1/2 months old we broth him to the beach, and we had great time. His doctor recommended me that is mandatory to use sunscreen lotion what does not contain EDTA /forgot what exactly that mean/...there is such in the market even in Wal-Mart.It is also important that all of you should not stay outside after 11 am, you can go back on the beach after 3 pm.The older kids will have great time there, get them a bag with toys for the beach.
Have a wonderful vacation.

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Well sounds like you have your hands full! :)
Well I would first suggest that you just try to relax and have some fun. They are kiddos and not everything is going to go as planned on vacation! I would say for your 3 mth old; make sure you have an umberella, blanket and a bouncy seat or any seat she is comfy in. You will have two very busy toddlers so be sure to take some beach toys and plenty of snacks. Don't forget plenty fo sunscreen.......sunburned babies = cranky babies! Have fun and Try to enjoy!

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Wow! That takes a lot of courage. I personally would not choose the beach because it seems so dangerous--drowning, crowds, sun damage, but maybe I am being paranoid. I would make sure that you are going to a fairly unpopulated spot, that there is a pair of eyes to follow each child around--even small tides can pull little children off their feet quickly so be wary at all times, life jackets seem like a good idea, and lots of baby safe sunscreen. Otherwise buckets, shovels, dumptruck, sifter, water shoes, and a covered area so the baby can be kept out of the sun. Plenty of water. Food in many small packages so that if one set gets too sandy you can move to the next one. They also have sunscreen tshirts that block a lot of sun. Nothing worse than a sunburned baby with a diaper rash!

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Growing up on the coast, we would do all of our trips, errands, etc in the morning when everyone was fresh and happy. Have a nice lunch, go home nap then hit the beach about 3 and stay until the sun goes down. Feed the little ones, then you and you husband eat or hire a sitter and go out.

You will need lots of sunscreen, an unbrella or canopy, a cooler full of juice and fresh cut up fruit, a boucy seat for baby, hats, music, buckets and shovels and balls! You and you husband can take turns up with the 2 toddlers and someone can sit in the shade with baby! Baby powder is the best way to get sand off little hands and feet.

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It just so happens that I lived in Gulf Shores for five years. I saw lots of moms with babies, in fact I had one myself on the beach some. I would suggest renting a large beach umbrella and putting a big floppy hat on the baby. Make sure you use a very high SPF sunscreen on everybody. The sun is a little different there then it is here. You don't realize that it's getting you but then you get home and your burned. I didn't get to take my baby to the beach much because a few months after he was born, Ivan destroyed Gulf Shores and by the time it was rebuilt, he was already walking. We bought a beach umbrella but gave it away when we transferred back up here. Just reapply the sunscreen more often than you would here and keep the little one in the shade as much as possible.

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Ah the fun you will have! Always make sure that the little ones have plenty of sun screen, and keep little hats on their heads, a bonnet or sun hat. The 3 month old you will have to be very careful with, as they can burn very easily.
Keep her in a shaded area at all times, like a playpen with an umbrella to avoid getting any sun on her. She may be too little for sun screen just yet, but ask your doctor before you go. Now the ocean can be pretty rough with the waves coming in and out so pay close attention and always have a hand on your little ones! You'll want to have little buckets and shovels, little ones love to play in the sand. Keep them away from the tide, as they can get swept out. Enjoy your selves and have a good vacation!

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