I have a summer baby, so I spent the first 3 or 4 months of his life trying to keep him cool and comfortable when the heat and humidity were busting down our door. Now that he’s just shy of 13 months, he wants to be nowhere else but outside. We are on the go. All. The. Time. Pools, parks, playgrounds and play dates. In an effort to keep him busy … and keep myself sane, I once again consulted my fellow moms for their best survive-the-summer tips to help you enjoy the sunshine with your little ones.
Here are 11 summer survival tips from Cincinnati parents:
Surviving the Pool or Beach:
- 1. Baby hates the beach? Bring a small blow up pool (we found one for $9 and it is the perfect 2’ x 2’ size.) Our son hated the sand so this worked perfectly for us. We put it under an umbrella and he happily splashed around for 3 hours instead of 30 minutes.
- 2. Baby powder will remove sand in seconds. We tried it and it works like a charm. Meltdown averted!
- 3. Multi-baby mama: looking for a way to enjoy the pool with a toddler and a new baby? Load up on sunscreen and strap on one of these mesh waterproof baby wraps and both babes can enjoy cooling off with a dip in the pool.
Baby Pool Blues:
- 4. Purchase an inexpensive outdoor furniture cover or tarp to cover your baby pool overnight. No more dumping and refilling every day!
- 5. In our house, and apparently lots of my mom friends’ houses, we occasionally do what I like to call a “Hillbilly Bathtub.” If the water in the pool was refilled that day, we bust out the baby wash and our little guy gets a bath and gets to splash in the pool at the same time. Two birds – one stone, my friends.
Rain Rain Go Away:
- 6. Spread out a blanket in the garage and bring out toys, books and board games. Everybody gets some fresh air and summer storms don’t seem so scary.
All Day Active:
- 7. Keep a stocked diaper caddy in the back of your car and pack it like you would a diaper bag. Anything you’ll need, plus a couple swim diapers in case you come across an unexpected water play opportunity, an extra set of clothes for you and for the kids, and of course SNACKS.
- 8. Pack a backpack cooler or large lunch box with everybody’s lunch, snacks, sippy cups and water for mom + a couple extra snacks just in case.
Beating the Heat:
- 9. If we’re out at the zoo or somewhere where the sun in simply inescapable, I pack our stroller (or infant carseat when he was really tiny) with ice packs to keep him cool. Don’t have ice packs or need something a little more pliable but inexpensive? I’ve also used popsicles! The colored-push-up kind in the plastic tube we all ate as kids are GREAT substitutes and they’re reusable! Just put them in a Ziploc bag to prevent leaks.
- 10. Freeze yogurt tubes for a healthier-than-ice-cream snack that is sure to cool off sweaty kids.
- 11. Let the kids “paint” your house – give them a couple old paint brushes and a bucket of cold water and let them paint the house, the driveway, each other, who cares! It’s only water and they’ll feel like grownups.
About Emily:
Emily grew up just north of Cincinnati in Hamilton, OH and now lives in Western Hills with her husband Jim, their son James and their lunatic yellow lab, Rosey. Emily graduated from Xavier University (Go Muskies!), and is now a stay at home mom after working in marketing and promotions for local radio and TV stations.
Emily spends most of her free time visiting the manatees (James’ favorite) at the Cincinnati Zoo, shopping at local antique shops, or singing Beatles songs with James who typically just stares at her like she’s crazy. Emily hopes one day he’ll join in but for now she enjoys his giggles. She also enjoys photography and has quickly turned into a Pure Barre addict while trying to melt away the daily milkshakes she consumed while pregnant. So far it’s going well, but Skyline frequently gets in the way.
Emily loves to write and is looking forward to connecting with other Moms in Cincinnati while writing for Cincinnati Parent.