Does the annual trip to the beach, feel you with absolute dread? Is it the one thing that you absolutely look forward to but it always ends in a disaster? The answer for pretty much every parent who braves this trip, arrives at the same conclusion, repeating the same thing as they did last year, and probably the year before that! I love my children but never again! Below are 6 essentials you need this summer;
Step one suncream
Suncream is not just for helping you with sun tanning, but it is one of the things parents dread most, it’s messy, you end up smothered, sand sticks to it, the kids will not keep still for it, the list goes on, sun cream has to be the absolute dread of many parents’ trips to the beach. So there are a few tricks that will make your life that much easier when applying it.
Buying a spray bottle of suncream is a much easier way of applying it to children without ending up completely smothered yourself! By applying it before you leave, ensures the suncream will have time to dry. Now of course you will need to reapply this at some stage but taking your children off the beach for some time out of the sun and away from the sand will also give the cream time to dry without the children looking like sand monsters.
Step two activities to do for the journey
Children seem to have the ever-important knack of getting under your skin before you have either pulled the car off the drive, got one foot and half a child on the train, or just wanting to turn the buggy back round after you have walked 3 mins down the road, that really felt like 25 mins. All of these things result in the same ……. Why do I bother?? The truth is although the idea of a day trip with your little darlings seems wonderful, it is most definitely not unless you are organized.
Finding little games they can either do by themselves, sibling or friend is the easiest way to keep them occupied and their mind from wandering and asking the most important question they can and will keep asking “are we there yet “ bringing small light things like a coloring book and pencils will take the edge off their boredom and the wines away from your ears!
Step 3 snacks for your trip
Bringing some small light snacks can save a fortune, it keeps hunger away till it is either meal time or time to get home. Snacks like some packets of raisins, or rice crackers are light to carry and easily eaten, they also don’t go bad in the sun. Having access to something on the healthier side of food, while on the go is always good for growing children.
Bringing snacks will save a lot of money when you are at the beach especially if you are a big family. What you save on snacks can go towards a well-deserved treat for the children. This can be given as a reward for their good behaviour, it may be a treat they are not normally allowed like a bag of candy floss or an ice cream smothered in sprinkles. Rewarding the children for good behaviour at the end of a nice day out gives everybody involved a very good feeling, and the wish to do it again.
Step four something to sit on to avoid losing your belongings
A big beach mat will keep all your belongings in one place, this will keep you organized and able to keep track of all your possessions. And everyone in the group will automatically follow your lead and keep everything in one place.
This means you do not have to be the person who is left to find every item that made its way with you on the family day out. It also means you can get help at the end of the day to pack up!.
Step five a beach game
Bringing an inflatable ball will help occupy the children and even the adults when the boredom starts to set in. Some people are happy to sit in the sun or go for a swim but everybody has a limit where they are no longer able to sit around anymore. For the perfect addition to your outdoor fun, check out the exciting offerings from Splash Sports.
Creating games will take up time but ensures that no bickering will start to happen by giving everyone a role in the game. It is a good way to diffuse what you may be able to feel at the beginning starting to happen. Try putting people into teams, that will help everyone bond and will help everyone with their important life skill lessons.
Step six a good sense of humor
Enjoying your day is as important as everyone else being able to have a good time. Often the person taking charge of a group activity gets all the responsibility and all the stress. Organizing a fun day at the beach is your way of trying to do something fun, nice and to make some good memories.
Keeping your sense of humor throughout the day and trying to ignore the little things that happen will be a perfect way that your day will not get ruined. unless someone is in harm’s way by acting in an unsafe way, then let it go. Your day out should be enjoyed just as much as anyone else’s. So just keep smiling!
Conclusion
Trips out in the summer holidays often result in either being far too stressful or far too expensive, resulting in a very unhappy mummy indeed. So what is the key to a fabulous day out that everyone enjoys? Believe it or not, it is being organized . Planning a simple outing to the beach should not be organized, you may think but with a little bit of careful planning, there is no reason why you can not enjoy the trip and a sneaky bit of sun tanning, as much as the rest of the family do.
