How Do I Take My 4-Month-Old To The Beach? Is It Safe?

Being a corporate officer is quite tough, and if you are a mother, then it becomes quite a restless job to maintain work and children. I had been trying to go to Rockway Beach with Lily for a long time, and one day, I got an opportunity. 

But how do I take my 4-month-old to the beach? Is it safe at all? I had no idea. Then, I started asking my colleagues, friends, and neighbors and researched a bit online. And came up with a list of conditions, such as

To do that, first, you have to follow some instructions such as carrying a stroller with all the necessary items, a baby tent with SPF50+ support, a windbreaker, a picnic blanket, a cooler bag filled with necessary food and drink items, fresh water, avoiding direct sunlight contact, and more.

How Do I Take My 4-Month-Old To The Beach With Safety?

There are no certain rules that state the perfect age to take your baby to the beach. Still, the minimum recommended age is 2 months. 

So if you are very keen to take him/her to the beach at 4 months, then you have to follow some instructions and some conditions to prepare. They are

Necessary Items

The very first thing you will need at the beach is a place in the shade to take some rest. As your baby is not aged 6 months or older, sunscreen application is not recommended. 

If you can’t find any shade to take a rest, a beach tent for babies with UV50+ support and a windbreak for privacy would be great. This will also prevent your kid from crawling away far.

So far, arrangements can save your baby from sunburn, but they can not save the vision. You need an extra pair of baby sunglasses for your baby to protect their vision from the sunlight and the reflection from the sand and water.

A picnic blanket is a mandatory item, or else you would have to sit over the hot and cold sand. This item will save your kid from getting stuck in the sand, as they can get upset every time this happens.

A cooling bag to store and keep food & drinks cool is also required. Or else the food you’re planning to bring from home won’t last 1 hour in such hot weather. An emergency medical kit will be a good investment.

Other items such as diapers, wipes, baby pacifiers, favorite toys, and others could be carried with a beach stroller. A mesh bag would be great to keep the beach dust out of your home. 

Dressup On The Beach

Your kid won’t be coming to the sunlight exposure, but still, it requires good attention. You are planning to go to the beach where plenty of warm weather and wind are waiting for you. So if you don’t dress your little star properly, it can be a hectic day and maybe worse, such as sunstroke or something else.

If you want to make the day better by keeping your kid cool at the beach, I have some special tricks that worked superbly for Lily and Max, too.

Though keeping them within the tent is hard, the hot air flow will still be coming to make your kid sweat. So to prevent that, dress them in lightweight fabric with a long-sleeved t-shirt. You can also use a UV suit for your baby that comes in various styles.

How Should I Feed My Baby On The Beach?

There will be so many people enjoying themselves at the beach. And you’re going there with your beloved kid to give him/her the first view of the blue seat in life. Now you have gone there, enjoyed it fully, and are totally fine, but what about feeding your baby?

As your baby is below 6 months,  you are feeding your breast milk. It can be direct feeding or using a bottle in which you stored a little prior to coming. You are looking for something more, right?

Windbreak it is. as I mentioned earlier. It can provide you with the desired support at the beach you’re seeking. You can save yourself from the wind and, at the same time, get some privacy. You can feed your baby intensely, change the dress/diaper, and even can sleep a little.

How Do I Keep My Baby Safe on the Beach?

Mothers are always worried about the safety of their children, no matter how old they grow. You are playing the same role here, I understand. So, to keep your baby safe on the beach, you have to follow some tricks, such as

Safe Distance From The Sea

Here, by safe distance, I meant such a distance that the seawater won’t cover unless it’s a tsunami or something like that. Don’t leave the tent with or without your kid while the tide comes in.

Use Windbreaks From 3 Corners

Using windbreaks from 3 corners will not only stop the wind force but also prevent your kid from crawling out of the tent area. Set the windbreakers from 3 corners in a way that you can easily move out in urgency and have a little bit of view of the sea as well. 

Exploring The Beach

I personally prefer to walk on the beach just before sunset, as the temperature is getting lower. You can do the same with your 4-month-old kid, and you won’t have to worry about sunlight contact or UV protection. 

If you want to commemorate moments as in pictures, I prefer you to wait for your baby to age 6 months. There’s another way to capture those moments. 

You’ll have to capture the photos in the shade, wearing your kid a hat and baby sunglasses. They won’t be enough to satisfy you, but it’s all for the goodness of your baby.   

Always In Supervision

If you are coming with a company to the beach, then supervising your kid would be very easy. Let’s say you’ve gone for a sea bath; your company will take care of your kid. And you can do the same for your company. 

Basically, it’s a cycle where two or more persons serve their common and individual purposes at the same time. Using this technique, you can easily enjoy the sea view, the tide-breaking sound, the breeze, and so on without hampering your kid’s security.

How Can My Baby Sleep At The Beach?

Adopting a new place is always a hard task for babies. If it is about a nap, then convincing them becomes very difficult for parents. 

You may take them in your lap, keeping the head on your shoulder, and try to soothe by singing or humming a sweet song. But all goes in vain just the moment you lie them down. 

Do you know what I did for Lily and Max? I simply scheduled the tour following their sleep cycle. And this really helped me. 

Some Tips

Follow The Weather Forcast

Knowing the weather forecast is always important before you go somewhere, especially with your kid. And if the destination is a sea beach, then it’s a must. It would be an immature step if you go to the sea beach without following the weather news.

At the beach, the weather can be stormy, super hot, or heavy rain, even tidal or kiln, or anything else. Reaching the beach in such a condition is like putting your kid at risk voluntarily. Take time, know the details, and then decide on the trip.

Extra Outfits & Cloths

Though you are carrying enough diapers and wet wipes along, there is still a little chance that you may require some extra clothes and outfits here. Though, in most cases, you don’t use that, it’s always better to stay prepared.

Let’s say you are feeding your child with a bottle, and suddenly, some milk spills over. What would you do then? Or you got wet from a tidal splash, but your baby is crying for your company right then; what would you do then? 

You can keep the extras in the car or in the stroller and use them when needed. 

Avoid Broad Daylight Exposure

Direct sunlight contact is strictly prohibited for 6-month-old or younger kids. It is said that sunlight is spreading UV rays between 10 am and 4 pm, which is very high. +

Rather, you can go to the beach and have fun before or after that time, or else your kid will suffer skin and eye disorders.

 Excess sunlight exposure is harmful for kids aged more than 6 months, too. So, using sunlight protection is a must for babies, too. 

Use Mesh Bags

At the end of the trip, there will be a mess of your baby’s items around. But the point here is wet clothes for you and your company (if any). 

Wet surfaces attract and hold sand very easily, and for that reason, there will be a good chance of beach sand collection. 

A mesh bag here can save you from bringing the sand over your home. All you have to do is put the wet clothes inside the bag and spray it with fresh water. Finally, rinse and dry them all.

Wrapping Up

Taking your beloved baby to the beach for the first time is surely an exciting event. Sea visits at the age of 4 months are quite challenging but not impossible as long as you follow proper instructions.

Remember you’re going with your baby, which requires your wellness to be as important as it is for your child. Have a good day, buddy.

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