Going to the beach is different than it used to be with little kids.
It USED to be, we’d have to pack for an entire expedition. Endless supplies - umbrellas, lunch, snacks, drinks, more snacks, sunscreen, a change of clothes, towels, beach toys, buckets, floaties, boogie boards, sweatshirts, and who the hell knows what else. And a wagon to haul it all, if it all even fits.
The beach would be an all day excursion, and the kids would never want to go home. The adults would take turns building sand castles or wading in the water with them. It was an entire to do.
The beach with teenagers is SO different. Even just convincing them to actually GO is the biggest challenge of it all these days. They’re not really into sand castles and whatnot anymore, and Kodiak beaches especially are challenging when water games, boogie boarding and swimming aren’t really an option.
However, it’s also easier, in many ways.
Now, we pack a best friend for each of them (in lieu of toys), lunch, a blanket, and whatever they “feel” like bringing. In today’s case, they armed themselves with airsoft guns, a ball and a baseball bat.
And that was all they needed. They even hauled it all to the beach without me.
Then, I plopped myself on the blanket, opened a book, and completely ignored the boys for two hours. No worrying about water rescues, or even being out of sight. They wandered up and down the beach, shooting rocks, running in and out of the water, and tidepooling and screaming like little girls when little baby halibuts nibbled at their toes.
It’s certainly not as fun an exciting as when they were little, but it’s WAY less stressful, they carry all their own stuff, and there’s no over-tired post-beach meltdowns.
I approve of teenage beach days.
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