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helene
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| Posted: June 04 2009 at 8:59am | IP Logged
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sigh.......I think we will have to forgo the pool membership this summer. They increased their rates by $100, I have to pay extra because I am a non-resident, and on top of that they charge extra for each child in your family over the allowable 4 kids. I am looking at an expense of over $450!
So my question is...do you think going to the beach about once a week is a safe, do-able alternative? We live 30 minutes away. In many ways it could be a more positive outdoor experience than a concrete man-made pool (trying desperately to look on the bright side here). The sand factor is a big plus for the littles. The waves make it more fun for the older kids. And of course everyone loves all the shell collecting, etc. I have 4 older kids who really can and do help. But I have 5 younger ones who need help.
Has anyone gone to the beach regularly with success? Does it prove to be too much with all the sand, laundry and bathing that needs to happen afterward? Am I dreaming? What safety measures do you use? I would like any advice that might help make this idea a reality for our family. In this economy, our summer will just have to be a bit more "homespun" than usual.
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Mary K
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| Posted: June 04 2009 at 9:30am | IP Logged
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I've never done it (don't live near a beach) but I think it's sounds much better than a pool. Assign a big kid to a little one, you take the baby and have a great time. Maybe the littles could all wear the same color t-shirt or hat. I know someone who uses a sled to pull their gear across the sand.
for sand, baby powder helps take it off before getting in the car.
laundry: no need to wash suits-no chlorine, just hang dry
baths-no chlorine, no baths-just hose down outside (sprinkler play)
Have fun and God bless,
Mary-NY
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Lisbet
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| Posted: June 04 2009 at 10:10am | IP Logged
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we do the pool b/c of swim team we are there anyway - but last year we did the beach a few times here and there to mix things up a bit and it was much more relaxing for me, plus the littles had the sand which kept them out of the water more, easier to watch. i set up my chair, let the big kids go, and the littles played and splashed around me. it was very nice
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Sarah M
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| Posted: June 04 2009 at 10:33am | IP Logged
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I much prefer the beach to the pool. We only get to the pool a few times each summer, but the beach! We do that a few times a week, if we can. The kids entertain themselves for hours on the beach, alternating between water play, sand castle building, and shell collecting.
I'm looking for tips on simplifying the sand issue, but for the most part, I think ithe beach is easier than the pool. I usually just let the kids play in the sprinkler at home afterward, to wash off. Swimsuits/towels get hung in the sun to dry, and washed every once in a while. The toys we bring (for sand play) get rinsed and shaken at the beach (by my oldest and me), and put in a big plastic tub in the trunk. The only real pain is sand in the van. It's hard to de-sand little feet and bodies in the water when you have to walk back over the sand to get to the car  . Still trying to figure that out. I think I'll try the baby powder trick.
Think of it this way- by going to the beach instead of the pool, you're getting nature study and swimming in at the same time! 
(as for safety issues...I only have 3 kids, so I don't have the same circumstances as you do... I'll let mamas of larger families answer that one)
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Michaela
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| Posted: June 04 2009 at 11:54am | IP Logged
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We are at the pool for swim lessons, but I prefer the beach when the weather in nice.
Going to the beach is more work for us because we aren't just staying for an hour like we would at the pool. We are in the hot sun for several hours which requires the sun protection, food and especially enough to drink to prevent dehydration, towels, blanket, and the buckets and shovels....maybe even the sun umbrella to prevent cooking while we are out there.
It's all worth it though!
Everyone helps to get the stuff to the beach. (depending on the beach loading a little wagon works perfectly to transporting it all  )
My children focus most of their time building sand castles and moats. My little one doesn't even go past her waist. Afterward, we load up and I take them to the playground which most of the beaches around here have. The extra sand falls off there. One of our favorite (within 15 minutes) has outdoor showers.
Last week, a friend and her children joined us. She had never taken her children to the beach because of the concern that she couldn't watch them. However, with rules -- they had to stay (play or swim) directly in front of us, not wandering down the beach - she was able to enjoy the outing and told me that she'd like to meet there again.
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Michaela
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pipandpuddy
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| Posted: June 04 2009 at 12:40pm | IP Logged
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We live only 15 minutes from the beach, and we go year round (we live in the tropics). During the summer we go one to two times a week. We keep all our sand toys in a big plastic beach basket (stored in the garage), and the sunscreen is kept in the van. We are at the beach from 7:30 to around 2. I always make sure that the washing machine is empty before I leave, and as soon as we get home everything goes in immediately. We rinse the boogie boards and toys off at the beach, and everyone helps to unload the van as soon as we get home. Everyone then takes a shower (youngest ones first) and puts their swim clothes (board shorts/swim shirts) in the washing machine. We eat lunch at the beach so no one is hungry. Following this routine makes the beach days easy. We have been doing this for years (originally nine children, now down to seven).
While at the beach I sit near the shoreline, and the youngest ones go no deeper than waist deep.
The beach is well worth any irritations (such as sand in the van) that you may have. Each week we see something interesting (sea turtles, jellyfish, eels, sea cucumbers, etc.). My 10-year old even set up a saltwater fishtank using fish that he scooped up at the beach.
Hope this helps. Karen
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Sarah M
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| Posted: June 04 2009 at 5:11pm | IP Logged
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pipandpuddy wrote:
| the youngest ones go no deeper than waist deep. |
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Good point. We have this rule too: the kids are only allowed to get into the water up to their belly buttons, unless I'm in the water with them.
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donnalynn
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| Posted: June 04 2009 at 9:03pm | IP Logged
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I first heard about the baby powder trick here from Elizabeth Foss - it is amazing!
When we get to the car I have the boys sit on the edge of the seat with their feet out - a nice squirt of baby powder helps the sand fall right off.
We love the beach! We are quite a distance but I have had all ages and stages at the beach.
I think with anything you decide to do regularly - you will develop a rhythm that works - I say go for it.
This past weekend we watched an osprey pluck a fish right out of the ocean - the fish was still wiggling in the birds talons as it flew over back to it's nest.
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Lara Sauer
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| Posted: June 05 2009 at 11:52am | IP Logged
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Darn  ...someone pre-empted my baby powder suggestion.
You won't believe it until you try it! I NEVER go to the beach without it...I value it almost more than sunscreen! 
I also always French braid my daughters hair, because it is beastly to try and comb out hair after a day of having it blow around in the wind.
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lapazfarm
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We are there on a pretty much daily basis (in fact we are on our way there in just a moment). We usually walk (it's only a block away) but will drive if hauling the kayaks. One thing that helps is to always have the beach bag packed with towels and sunscreen,ready to go. That way we can just grab and go. We also each have mesh bags for our own snorkeling gear and another for beach toys for the littles. Mesh bags are great because we can keep our gear sorted (so it is ready to go next time), hose it off in the bag and hang it on the fence to drip dry before bringing it in the house.
To me there are so many advantages to the beach over a pool. We hardly ever go to the pool even though there is a fantastic one in town. Snorkeling gear has been our greatest investment.And the little can play for hours and hours in the shallows or the sand and never fight at all. It really is bliss.
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lapazfarm
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Oh, and I also hang our towels to dry on the fence (very hillbilly of me, I know) before shaking them out, folding them up, and sticking them right back into the beach bag. I take them out to wash only about once a week.Saves water, time, energy, etc.
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helene
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| Posted: June 05 2009 at 2:47pm | IP Logged
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You are all giving me some courage, thank you. Where exactly do you use the powder? Just before entering the car to go home? I agree that a beach offers so much in the way of nature study. Do you actually journal it or do you just casually talk about it and look things up in field guides when you get home?
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Mimip
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Helene,
I am with all these Ladies that all it takes is organization. We usually go at least 3 times a week but it has been raining soooo much lately that we have only gone a couple of times
I pack our bathing suits,rash guards and coveralls right into the beach bag after washing and have a separate bag for the towels; we are like Theresa: we only wash them once a week and hang them to dry the other days. The other great investment we made was a beach cart. It is a mesh basket with large wheels that makes hauling things sooo much easier. We bought ours at Bed Bath & Beyond or one of those types of stores.
My little ones are still young so I really don't make them journal but they certainly talk up a storm about such important things as beach sand, tides and don't forget seaweed!
We love the beach and growing up near the ocean. We are starting Pagoo too this summer!
Go for it and enjoy!
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Mimi
Wife of 16 years to Tom, Mom of DD'00, DD'02, '04(in heaven) DS'05, DS'08 and DS '12
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Lara Sauer
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| Posted: June 05 2009 at 9:11pm | IP Logged
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I used to take the kids to a restroom, if one was provided and remove there swimsuit and powder then down from the shoulders on down. If there was no bathroom, my husband would hold up a towel near our van, and I would strip them down right before they get in the car.
It is amazing how quickly the powder removes the wet sticky sand...I love it for getting the sand off of my feet before I have to put my shoes on!
Great nature study for sure! My kids spend hour searching for shells and tossing jelly fish back into the ocean...
Enjoy!
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KauaiCatholic
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so many good ideas! I can only think of one to add: fill large plastic bottles with water and keep them in the trunk (recycled juice bottles from Costco are our favorites) for a warm rinse-off at the end of the day.
large mesh bags have saved my life. we keep one packed full of beach toys and tatami mats in the carport, and another in the trunk (full of towels, sunscreen, powder, spare clothes). we also take plastic grocery bags for gathering all the wet clothes; keeps the rest of the gear dry on the way home and makes it easier to dump wet stuff straight into the washer or hang on the line.
we have a bumper sticker on our kayak that says "the ocean is our playground." we really should add "classroom" for all the hands-on nature studying we do there!
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 Viviane
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KauaiCatholic
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| Posted: June 06 2009 at 3:09pm | IP Logged
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just thought of something else that saves our beach bacon: rash guards!
those SPF shirts (or rompers for the littles) are worth the investment if you're spending much time in the sun. they drastically reduce the sunscreen time and skin-cancer-fears, and can go all day long, drip dry as needed. they can be prohibitively expensive brand new but shopping around can pay off (we've found great deals on eBay and thrift stores). we have even turned big brother's outgrown shirts into rompers for little sister by sewing the bottom into leg holes and adding snaps.
happy sunning!
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Viviane
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We can do no great things; only small things with great love. -- Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
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helene
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| Posted: June 06 2009 at 7:58pm | IP Logged
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Where do ya'll get your mesh beach bags? They have some lovely ones over at Land of Nod, but I have a feeling they are overpriced.
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KauaiCatholic
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I get ours at Wal-Mart; think they're in the $5 range. (btw, I'm talking about the no-frills types with a shoulder strap, designed for carrying snorkel gear. they may not be beach chic, but boy they can pack a lot and you can carry a toddler at the same time ... 2 key requirements for me.)
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Viviane
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We can do no great things; only small things with great love. -- Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
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lapazfarm
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I got our mesh bags at Boater's World.Drawstring bags with a wide shoulder strap. They were about 5 bucks also.
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Theresa
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LisaD
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| Posted: June 08 2009 at 10:17am | IP Logged
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I can't believe that I have lived my entire life in Southern CA and HI and have never heard of the powder trick! I am adding it to my shopping list now, because if the sun ever comes out again here, we are headed to the beach!!
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4Real Forums : Mothering and Family Life
Topic: beach?
