Vacations with kids can be less than relaxing, so here are some tips to make your beach trip with an infant and a toddler stress-free…or at least a little easier!

Very young children become cranky and uncooperative when they’re tired and hungry.  So make sure they are still getting what they need while you’re at the beach!  We made sure to keep to our regular snack/mealtimes and sleeping schedules to keep both kids as cooperative as possible.  N took her regular 2 to 3 hour afternoon nap each day, and L rested on the couch — and sometimes even fell asleep!  This had the added bonus of keeping us out of the sun during the hottest part of the day.  We went to the beach with my whole family, so at first it was difficult getting everyone on the kids’ early meal schedule — but then we saw how empty all the restaurants were at 5pm, and everyone suddenly became a lot more agreeable.

I know, you’re probably thinking I might be a little confused about where we are and what season it is.  This GENIUS idea came from an old co-worker who shared it with me right before we went on vacation, and it was a lifesaver!  You could spend about $100 on an all-terrain beach wagon to haul all of your stuff down to the water… or you could pull out that plastic sled you bought last winter that didn’t actually get any use because it barely snowed!  This was AWESOME for us.  We could pile almost all of our stuff in it instead of having to carry heavy bags on sunburned shoulders, and it was especially helpful when the sand got too hot for L to walk on.  Plus it fit in our car easily!

I usually make my own baby food for N, but I knew that frozen baby food cubes would be hard to transport to the beach.  I decided that the next best thing to homemade is probably Plum Organics because they use fresh organic produce in their products.*  Plum Organics pouches were PERFECT for the beach because they kept the sand out!  Plus they are way more adventurous in their flavor pairings than I am, so N got to eat fancy food all week.  I tasted some for myself, and they were all delicious.  L also got to try some of their toddler snacks, which made me happy because they were all made with fruits and veggies!

Have you tried this little hack yet?  Baby powder makes the sand brush right off of your skin — perfect for just before snack times or when you’re ready to go back up to the beach house for the day.   Let me tell you, you never realize just how many crevices there are in a baby bum until you try to change a sandy diaper on the beach.  We use this kind of baby powder because it contains no toxic ingredients and is completely safe for our whole family!

I mean, come on…  you’re on vacation!  After those kids go to bed, you’re pretty much stuck in the house.  Treat yourself to a fruity alcoholic beverage so you have the strength to get through the rest of the week at the beach with an infant and a toddler!

So now you know how to survive a trip to the beach… wondering how we got there with our sanity intact?  Check out How to Survive a Road Trip with a Toddler, Best Educational Apps for Toddlers, and My Doodle-y Activity Book.

 

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