It’s summer, sunny, and 75! Well, more like 105, but the country song tells us “Sunny and 75” is the perfect beach weather, so we’ll go with that. 

Since it’s beach time, there are a few tips I’d love to pass along. I’m no expert, but I’ve taken a kid to the beach starting at 3 months all the way to 3 kids to the beach – 4 yr old, 20 month old, 6 month old. So I’ve learned a few things over the years of traveling to the ocean, ready to make memories and take the perfect beach photos!

Here are my Top Tips for a PERFECT day at the beach:

1. First, take your expectations and lower them.
2. Now, lower them again.
3. They are probably still a little too high, so let’s knock them down one more notch. 
4. There. Now you’re ready. You’re prepared for a full on epic disaster of a week, so anything above that will be a success!
5. Now that your mindset is right, and you’ve accepted that you may not get the most IG worthy family photo with the sunset, you’re just hoping to get a picture at all before a kid drops your phone in the water. And if you do – WIN.
6. You can also now relax and fully enjoy the moment and see success at the beach for what it really is – memory making. Some good, some bad, some hilarious, but all memories you’ll be fond of once the week is over.. or at some point. 
7. Don’t think of a trip to the beach as a vacation. I’m sorry, but it is only a vacation for your children. It is a full on work trip for you and your husband. But it can be a fun trip.. if your mindset is right, and you have a few things to make your life easier. 
8. Bring a babysitter if you can. We have done beach trips with sitters and beach trips without. The trips with sitters make long car rides, nap times, and cranky kids more bearable. This even sets you up to possibly have a date night while the sitter stays home with the kids one night!
9. While I do think the right mindset is the most important thing to bring with you to the perfect beach day, here are a few more tangible items I’ve found to make the day go smooth:
   1. Wagon – you will want something to haul all the things in. Especially with multiple kids, a wagon or something on wheels that can make it through sand is a life saver. You can find lots of options on Amazon, even ones with a cover. This wagon can also double as a bed for baby nap time. Get an attachable fan, hook it to the side, and baby can snooze while the big kids play! 
   2. Shoes with backs – I know, that seems like a no brainer. But when Old Navy has $1.99 flip flops, that seems like the best, cheapest option, right?! WRONG. They come off, kids get mad, sand is hot, and now you have 3 kids that want to be carried along with their 9,782 toys, life jackets, and who knows what else. Personally, I love Natives, and we usually buy the Jefferson style, but the Charley style is great and even cheaper. You can even find them on sale now and then! Walking through hot sand losing shoes is directly proportional to the amount of sanity you lose.
   3. Something to block the sand – Here are a few options, because while babies in sand make cute pictures, it’s actually kind of miserable to fight them for hours keeping them from eating sand. Or if you have more than 1 kid, probably at least 1 of them doesn’t even like the sand touching them! Baby Beach Tent with Pool – Inflatable Splash Mat – Portable Jumper 
   4. Long Sleeve Swimwear – Sure, chunky babies in bikinis are cute. They are also a sunburn waiting to happen and trust me, there’s not a single thing that will go perfect after you sunburn a 1 year old all over her body! This also gives you a chance to lazy parent a little bit, because it’s less places to reapply sunscreen! This one has long sleeves and snaps, so no hassle to go potty/change diaper – Girl’s Swimsuit – you can find these same style swimsuits at Target. Boys long sleeve rash guards are everywhere!
   5. And just a few more basic, but easy to forget essentials – Umbrella, Sunscreen, Goggles, Snacks, Sand toys (check the Dollar Store in your beach town – cheap, and you don’t have to haul them in the car/plane with you!), Sunglasses, Hats for kids (ain’t nobody got time for sunburned scalps!), Foldable beach chairs, Towels (they are actually kind of a waste, but I hate to say go without them.. just expect lots of sand!)
10. HAVE FUN!! Don’t worry about the details. You’ll forget something, FOR SURE. Someone will cry. Someone will hate water. Someone will get sunburned. Be as prepared as you can, then laugh at any chaos that ensues!