Baby on a beach disaster

[DisneyGirl2387]

We are on holiday with our inlaws and decided to make an impromptu visit to the beach this morning. We knew it would be both lovely and stressful with a 8 month old, pushchair and a FIL registered disabled on a mobility scooter! We are first time parents and prepared for the beach as best we could with what we had. It is our first holiday with a baby in the middle of this heatwave. Within 1 second of being on the beach our DS had sand in his mouth, hands, feet and all over his face (as to be expected I suppose). We had fun playing but kept it short as no umbrella, windbreak etc. We found it really difficult to clean DS after getting so mucky. The tide was out and where we are there were warnings not to go near the sea due to muddy sink holes! DS got very upset and we had to do the best we could in the blazing sun with the cleanup. Anyway in a few weeks time we are going away again to the beach (just us 3) and I want to be better prepared. For all of you seasoned beach goers what can I do/take to make it less stressful on the beach? Any tips would be greatly received. Thank you! DS is currently fast asleep in his car seat covered in sand!

It was easier for us. Ds's had been at nursery part time so learnt not to eat sand early on in one of those tiny sand pits.

Plus tents are fab.

In the early days I'd just view beach as a quick visit, not for too long.

Freeze water bottles. They can be used as ice packs, then cold water to drink!
We have a sand-free mat - it's great. You can use on its own or under another blanket or towels. Seems to make it much less sandy!

I haven't read all the comments so apologies if this has been said before, but I saw an excellent tip once whereby you use a cotton fitted sheet (any size but king would fit all 3 of you), put something heavy in each corner (facing upwards) and you have a perfect cotton playpen on the sand!

I knew it would be Weston Super Mud!

Don't bother with loads of blankets, camping chairs for adults and a blanket for baby - fitted sheet technique listed earlier. Take a small blow up paddling pool (or inflatable boat) and a bucket, get water from the sea and add to pool for splashing in. Take a picnic breakfast and go early, avoiding the crowds and the midday heat.

We live by a lovely beach and apart from our first attempt which ended up with a mouthful of sand we didn't go for a 'day on the beach' until Dd was much older. Although our beach had a paddlingpool /splash park as well.

DD is 11 now and I have waterproof carseat covers, we never bother getting changed and just drive the 5 mins home in our wetsuits. Won't be comfortable if you have a long drive though.

My tip trick especially for a mobile baby is to dig a big hole for them to sit jt... sounds awful but my boys have loved it when we do this, it stops any great escape attempts and entertains them for hours

Oh, watershoes are an absolute must if going along the shoreline, the pain a weaver fish can cause if stood on is underestimated and its really not worth it when you can pick up water shoes so cheaply.

Yes we went with a small paddling pool at this age, and yes to the all in one suit so no sand in nappy.

Talc gets wet sand off. Don't do it on the face though.

Oh god I remember DD at around that age at the beach just shoveling in mouthfuls of sand. So gross!

Beach is much more enjoyable once they can walk. And more again once they’re fully potty trained and can swim better and also don’t run away from you every 2 min.

My tip is put the sun cream on at home. Then it’s dried by the time you get there and doesn’t get sand stuck to it. And don’t stay too long. Accept sand will be everywhere

What’s with the obsession with dusting off sand? And need for talcum powder? It’s a beach, it’s Sandy, that’s surely the point!!!

And I reckon all this talcum powder can’t be great for the marine life.
Sand will drop off once it’s dry. Bit if role modelling to show you aren’t bothered. And embrace the Sandy car and backpacks, I secretly love a wee reminder of happy beach days.

I do agree with the pop up beach shelter, lots of water to hose down hands and faces (and bits!) and keeping it fairly short the first times.

You can take a small inflatable pool ;) and fill it up with sea water

We took DS to the beach when he was 15 months. Sat him in a pop-up beach tent and he was miserable and hated it! Then I dipped his toes in the freezing cold sea and he (understandably) hated that too and cried. We gave up and went home!

I’m hoping to try again next year when he’s a bit older and will hopefully appreciate it more

Well it’s not super fun to go to a beach where you’re not allowed to go near the sea!

@Toolateplanting

What’s with the obsession with dusting off sand? And need for talcum powder? It’s a beach, it’s Sandy, that’s surely the point!!!

And I reckon all this talcum powder can’t be great for the marine life.
Sand will drop off once it’s dry. Bit if role modelling to show you aren’t bothered. And embrace the Sandy car and backpacks, I secretly love a wee reminder of happy beach days.

I do agree with the pop up beach shelter, lots of water to hose down hands and faces (and bits!) and keeping it fairly short the first times.

I suppose your are right there regarding talc but sometimes can be very handy to have especially for babies, The sand may fall of but it can be very gritty and moaning wet or Sandy children in a car on the journey home no thank you. I miss the beach days too!

Weston?

www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/american-tiktok-influencer-visits-weston-5550431

But better than its neighbour Burnham-on-Sea. My in-laws used to live there and OH and I called it the "Dogshit capital of England" - seriously grim.

Just saw this
www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/somerset-beaches-you-should-never-1863272