Tips for a Relaxing Beach Vacation with Kids

Vacation is different after you have children. Gone are the days of late night dinners and sleeping in. Traveling with kids means still waking up early just in a different bed than your own! Yet seeing the experiences of a vacation through the eyes of your child is rewarding in a totally new and still very worthwhile way.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Stearns Puddle Jumpers®. All opinions are 100% mine.

We have maintained our annual beach vacation tradition even now that we've added two little ones to our crew. Every year we travel to the shore for a week and while I can no longer read a book or nap on the beach, we've quickly learned several tips to keep the beach vacation as relaxing as possible for the whole family.

1. Cover the kids up as much as possible!
We have a wiggly and wild toddler with red hair who doesn't often sit still long enough for sunscreen reapplications! We've learned to protect his fair skin with a swimsuit that covers as much as possible while still allowing him to have fun and freedom in the water and sun! As a bonus, he doesn't end up with sand in as many places as before either!

2. When you do need to reapply, set an alarm!
The last thing you want to be doing during a lazy day at the beach is checking the time constantly to remember to reapply the sunscreen. Technology is your friend since you can set an alarm to remind you to slather the kids with more lotion as often as recommended.

3. Remind kids of water safety rules!
The ocean can be deceiving to us all. Kids thinks the small waves are harmless and parents think children are digging in the sand but they can quickly venture out to the sea without warning us. We always review our water safety rules just as if we were spending a day at the pool. Our kids never get into the water without an adult present. We also sit ourselves as close to the lifeguards as possible for an extra set of eyes on our kids.

4. Put the kids in Stearns Puddle Jumpers! 
This is our biggest tip because it's the best protection for water safety for kids. Puddle Jumpers are Coast Guard approved floation devices for kids which are uniquely designed to allow for mobility when swimming yet also keep kids safe.

Before their toes hit the waves, we put the kids in Puddle Jumpers for our own peace of mind. We can relax on vacation knowing that they are wearing Stearns Puddle Jumpers. The floatation devices are easy to get on and off and comfortable during wear.

The kids love the fun animals on the front plus I loved picking out an orange one to match our toddler's hair and pink for our girl! The Puddle Jumpers are available to purchase in a variety of colors and designs directly at StearnsFlotation.com.

We have a few more days left of our beach vacation. While I won't be sleeping in or reading a whole novel on the beach, I know that I'll be a bit more relaxed while the kids splash and play in the waves thanks to Stearns Puddle Jumpers!

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