Baby at the beach?

[GoddessKristie]

We usually have a beach vacation in May, but this year our youngest will only be 3 months old. I feel like this is a bit young for the beach. Not that a baby shouldn't or can't be on the beach at that age, but just that it might make the beach difficult to enjoy. What age do you think is appropriate?

[cat13]

What is the situation going to be like? Will you be vacationing and have a nearby hotel room? If so, it will be really fun to bring your DC to the beach for a little while, but you'll probably want to time it around naps and be able to leave after an hour or two (or sooner if DC's not into it). I recommend having some kind of tent/shade structure and a lightweight or water sling. Do you have a partner or family that could stay with the other children while you retreat back to the room?

[GoddessKristie]

When we go to the beach we spend most of our time at the beach. We rent a cottage that is accross the street from the beach and walk down right after an early breakfast in the morning. We are at the beach until noon, we come back for lunch and a siesta and then go back to the beach until dinner or do something in town like mini golf or swim at the pool. After dinner we do one of the latter two until time for showers and bed.

It would be DH, DS, DD and I. In the past I have always stayed on the beach or in the shallow water with DS until DH comes and relieves me and I get to go for a swim out in the deeper water. Walking back to the cottage would be possible and reasonable, but I don't relish the idea of hanging out in the cottage with the baby the whole time while everyone else enjoys the beach. Since she'll be too young to even get in the pool there wouldn't be much we could do.

[jocelyndale]

When we took DS to the beach at that age, we went with grandma, who happily held him under an umbrella all day. That allowed me to play in the water. The white noise of the surf would put him to sleep instantly and I'd leave the waves when I needed to nurse him. Boobs insisted before he did--every time.

[cat13]

I think like with any activity with a small baby, you'll have to change your expectations a bit. We go to the beach often, but live nearby so we're never gone for more than a few hours.

I think it depends on your baby's temperment. Some babies are happy to just nap and chill in the sling under the umbrella, and some aren't.

[Peony]

I am at the beach right now with a baby for 2.5 weeks. Like you we spend almost all day on the beach and this is a yearly trip. Well, most of us do. The babe isn't so keen on it so I end up going back and forth from the condo but such is life! This year works, next year will be better, and then the year after that hours be awesome.

[coldandsleepy]

We live about a 10 minutes walk from the beach, and I finally took my younger son (about 2.5 months old) for the first time today.  At this age, it's more about the rest of the family's enjoyment than his.  He didn't dislike it, but I don't think it was more or less exciting for him than anything else if you know what I mean.  He did lie on a towel in the shade and was quite content to just stay there looking around for close to an hour.

One thing to consider at this age is sun exposure.  You shouldn't put sunblock on a young infant (that's what I've always read anyway), so you really need to make a point to keep the baby in the shade, either under an umbrella or in a pop-up tent or under a big, big floppy hat.  Can be kind of a hassle to make sure the baby stays in shade, especially if you're the only adult keeping an eye on older kids.

Personally?  I'd still want to go!  But I love the beach, so I may be biased.  :)