A Day At The Beach

We’ve discussed in the past how the phrase “sleep like a baby” was definitely coined by a person who has never slept within the same house as a baby. That one’s pretty obvious. But we would argue that to use “a day at the beach” as a metaphor for an easy, breezy outing similarly proves one does not have children.

Now, for the sake of this exercise, let’s imagine you and your kids are staying right on the beach. There’s no packing up the car, no drive, no parking, none of that. You’re in a bungalow or a hotel an easy walk away. Even under these conditions, a day at the beach with children is not “a day at the beach.”

First of all, children of a certain age occupy a world alien to many of us, one in which neither time nor consequences exist. So when you ask something like, “Did you put on sunscreen?” and they answer, “Yes,” they might mean that they’ve rigorously applied sunscreen while you’ve been gathering up all the gear and food and snacks. But they also might mean yes, they have, at various points in their life, used sunscreen, just not today, and furthermore, they see no issue with this at this time, even if it results in an extended period of discomfort.

Best case scenario, you catch this right there before you leave. Second best case scenario, you realize your child is screen-less as you get to the beach, allowing you to apply it there before too much damage is done. Worst case scenario, in your effort to keep account for everything, you don’t realize your kiddo is out there unprotected, and they get a nasty sunburn, which makes everything harder (and also makes you feel like a bad parent) for a week or two.

But we haven’t even gotten past the preparations. Once you arrive, you might have plans to read a book or just relax. Instead, you’ll find yourself managing snacks, hydration, disputes between your children, disputes between your children and other children, an overheated child, an overstimulated child, an understimulated child, a child that just got wrecked by a wave, et cetera.

And if you’re not dealing with those things, that’s even worse. Because then… like, where even is your child?

Oh, and did we mention that the beach, this apparent paradise, is actually a desolate, shadeless sand-scape?

That problem, however, is solvable. You just need one of these Active Era Pop-up Tents. It folds up small, it goes up easy, and its silver lining (by which we mean, a literal lining of silver) provides UPF 50+ UV protection. Which makes it a perfect little chill-out shade spot.

In conclusion: it won’t alleviate all the difficulties of taking your little ones to the beach, but it will help.