#ForMommies:Tips for Taking Baby to the Beach

A day at the beach takes on an entirely new meaning when you have a baby. No more laying out in the sun and enjoying the cool breeze from the ocean. Now your time is spent playing with your little one and watching them enjoy all of the great things that the beach has to offer. Although you can’t relax as much as you did before the baby, the beach is still just as fun… if not more!

Give Them Shelter

The beach is both hot and sunny and you want to make sure that your baby has a place to go to to get away from the sun to cool off. We love to bring a small tent for Avery so that she can enjoy her time there by herself, but that I can also go in there if I need to. It's also a great place for her to nap to keep her out of the hot sun.

Keep Them Entertained

The beach has so much within itself to keep the little ones entertained, but sometimes you want to relax and enjoy your time without running back and forth to the water. Bring a lot of beach toys for you little one to play with. The more toys you bring, the longer you keep them entertained without having to run out to let them play in the ocean.

Let Them Take a Seat

Before Avery could sit up on her own, this Bumbo was the greatest thing that we brought with us to the beach. We spent a lot of time at the beach last summer and this thing held up to every single trip. It was great to let her see the ocean and her big sister playing. It also made her feel like she was involved in all of the fun.

Have Them Explore Their Surroundings

Avery was terrified of the beach. The sound of the waves crashing made her cry, she didn't want her feet to touch the sand, and it caused me to have to hold her the entire time we were at the beach. Over time I learned that the most important thing to help her get over her fear was to let her explore. She got her hands in the sand while sitting on a towel. I brought her with me to the water and I got in. Once she saw all of the things that we were doing, she slowing started to try them for herself. It was fun letting her do it all on her own and watch her get over her fear to really have fun at the beach.

Get in the Sand Both Avery and Harlan used to be scared of touching the sand, but now once they got used to it, we love to show her just how much fun the beach can be. My husband is great with both girls and loves building sand castles and different stuff in the sand. They love playing in the sand now and look forward to going because they know they can build cool things with daddy.

Take Pictures

Some of my favorite memories of both girls are when we have spent time at the beach. I love looking back at them and seeing just how much they have grown. Bring your camera with you to the beach and document the moments. Make sure that you bring sealed plastic bags with you to protect your camera from the water and sand. Take candid shots so that you can remember them in their element. You will love looking back at them when they are older and remembering how little and cute they were all sandy.

Forget the Stroller

A stroller might sound nice on the beach, but I can tell you from experience that it is a pain in to push in the sand. If your baby won't sleep on a towel under the tent, then just bring the carrier for her to sleep in. After our first failed attempt to bring the stroller out, we just carried Avery in the carrier and set it down on the blanket for when she needed to take a nap. It worked out better than trying to push the stroller in the sand and she slept well.

Read more Baby Tips like this at babble.com

#formommies