Posted by Breanna Brower

Top 6 Tips For a Beach Day with a Baby

Beach days before having a baby meant complete relaxation. Entire beach vacations were spent catching up on some reading while kicked back in a beach chair without a worry in the world and maybe even a drink in your hand to top it off. With a new little one in tow, planning a vacation in general is usually a much different story. It may not be quite as carefree as prior vacations, but it doesn't have to be any less fun! Here are some tips on how to have an awesome beach day with your baby!

To nap, or not to nap?

If your baby usually naps during the time you'll be at the beach and you'd rather skip the "I missed my usual naptime" meltdown, make sure you're prepared! Come equipped with a pop-up tent and a "lovey" of some sort. Whether your little one prefers a blanket or their favorite stuffed animal, keeping the naptime routine as normal as possible will help them catch some z's which makes everyone's day a little easier. Just make sure whatever you bring can be washed once you get back to your vacation rental.

Setting up camp

A day at the beach with a baby

Instead of bringing a single beach chair and a towel, itgoes without saying that you'll need a bit more equipment. To keep the sun andheat exposure to a minimum, the pop-up tent or shelter previously mentioned, anumbrella or two, and a large blanket or sheet should do the trick.

If you have older children who will be playing in the surf,it's always a good idea to set up camp near a lifeguard stand for two reasons;one being the obvious reason that the lifeguard has a better line of view justin case there is an emergency, and two, once you're in the water for a while,the current can carry you a little bit to the left or right of where you got inwithout you noticing. Being near the lifeguard stand makes it easier to befound just in case.

If you are travelling with very small babies or a lot of younger kids, it may be easier to head soundside instead of to the ocean. Jockey's Ridge State Park has a sound access in Nags Head that's perfect for families with lots of small kiddos. There aren't waves like on the oceanside, so the water is calm and shallow, which makes it safer for them and can help put your nerves at ease.

De-sanding

A day at the beach with a baby

Bring baby powder! This common household item holds a dualpurpose on the beach. Instead of trying to wipe the sand off your baby ortoddler's skin (not a great feeling and not very effective), let the water dryoff your kiddos skin and sprinkle a liberal amount of baby powder on the sand.The powder will soak up most of the remaining water making it much easier towipe the sand off.

Unless you enjoy vacuuming copious amounts of sand from your car's seats and carpets, keep a soft-bristled broom on hand to wipe down chairs, coolers, and feet that collected sand during your beach day.

Clothing change

Bring a change of dry clothes (underwear included) for young children, as well as plastic bags to contain the leftover sand and water from their beach clothes. Use the baby powder trick to get rid of any sand still clung to their skin before getting them dressed. They'll be much more comfortable which is a win for everyone. Just be sure to bring plastic bags to put wet clothes in.

Lunch time