Conference moira::parenting

    If your nine month old uses a pacifier, bring it.  When we went to the
    beach with a nine month old, the pacifier stayed in, the sand stayed
    out.
    
    This was also a nice trick when s/he wanted to see what magazines were
    really made of.  Whenever my son had a magazine to tear apart (great
    fun for him), he also had the pacifier.
    
    Another trick for the beach, bring a small inflatable pool, fill it
    with water at the beach.  Provides great entertainment without the
    worry of a big wave carrying your child away.

    When Angeline does have a pacifier in her mouth (very rare these
    days) and she wants something else in there, she just turns her
    head and spits out the pacifier.  Not a deterrant in any way for
    her.   ESPECIALLY, when it comes to magazines and paper.  
    
    If a baby does get sand in their mouth, will they generally continue
    to eat it?  Not that I'd condone eating sand, but if they got it in
    once and it was gross, would they keep at it? 
    
    I'm brought to mind of my neice who constantly wanted to get at the
    cabinet with the potatoes and put a raw potato in her mouth.  My sister
    got sick of fighting with her and one day let her get one.  The taste
    was enough for my neice to determine she didn't want those potatoes
    anymore.
    
    But I've never really heard a comparative story with sand.
    
    							cj *->

	Depends on the baby...

	Andrew ate sand at the beach two weeks ago, and I washed it
	out.  That stopped him for a while, but he tried again a little
	while later.  It's gross to me, but it probably won't kill him.

	This past weekend, he sampled the sand in our sandbox.  Probably
	just checking to see if it was anymore appetizing than the
	stuff at the beach ;-)

	Karen

	PS - My husband usually digs a big hole in the sand right in
	front of our blanket.  We started this when Emily was 14 months
	old, and it kept her busy for hours (climb in, climb out, bring
	in toys, bring them out...)  Both kids still enjoy it!

    Beach sand is probably pretty tasty, with all that salt in it!  I used
    a flexible pet enclosure when David was at the cruising stage, with a
    blanket under it and an umbrella over it.  We sat very close to him so
    he didn't feel like he was being left out. Lots of toys, some water to
    pour into and out of several large buckets, and he was fine.  I'm sure
    he ate some sand.  At that age he ate everything, regardless of how it
    tasted.  Wish I could say that now (he's 5) : )
    Sarah

    Oh Karen!
    
    You just reminded me!  My brother used to dig a hole and put a
    bucket or even something the size of a dish bucket in the sand
    so the rim was level with the sand.  Then he'd fill the bucket
    with water.  My neice, and then later my nephew, used to just
    sit and play for hours with the water and floating toys, etc..
    
    						cj *->

    Good luck trying to keep your kid confined! I never could keep my kids
    on a blanket or in a playpen, especially at the beach (too much too do
    & look at). I've done the dig-a-hole thing and that works well (doesn't
    require any add'l stuff to lug to the beach either); My kids were the
    one or two tastes of sand and that's it type, so I never lugged
    anything but the bare necessities. In response to your request for 
    ideas, though, here are some other things I've seen at the beach that 
    you might consider: portacrib, expanding gate  (made into circle, with 
    or without a quilt on the sand (can also be used in very low water for
    splashing fun!). 

	Since this note is talking about kids at the beach, I
	thought I'd add one more observation.

	My kids seem to get RAVENOUS at the beach.  They'll eat
	almost anything (Emily's first week at the beach, she 
	ate PB & J one day and tuna fish the next - two things she
	never eats now!) and lots of it.  Pack lots of food and 
	drink - if you keep it in a cooler, you can save whatever
	doesn't get eaten.

	Karen

David was a _major_ sand-eater.  Not a problem going in, but the 
post-digestion results were not a lot of fun.  
Sand scratches :^(.  
Cleanups had to be done with petroleum jelly (creams just seemed to make it 
worse.
He learned eventually - unfortunately he then "progressed" to eating 
plasticine, play doh, crayons and (non-toxic) paint (off the brush sometimes). 
We could always tell what colour paints they'd been using at day-care.
This went on 'til he was about 4.

Have fun!

Chele

    Some kids just seem to like it ... there are 3 kids at Jonathan's
    daycare that chomp on handfuls of sand, whenever they have the
    opportunity.  It does show up in the diapers later (ouch!), but nothing
    seems to be stopping them from eating it.  
    
    Yech!

	Seems my Andrew hasn't learned his lesson yet, either.

	When I got home yesterday, he was playing in the sandbox
	with Dad and Emily, and when I went to kiss him, he had
	a mouthful of sand.  Daddy said, "Yes, he's sampled it about
	3 times today."

	Andrew just looked at me and said, "Water"  (because I usually
	take some water and wash it off for him).

    Just a reminder, sand, such as sand from a back yard
    sand box can be contaminated with cat-poop.  This can
    introduce larve into your child's digestive track. 
    My cousin got some form of worms (there are MANY types),
    from this type of activity.  She was mis-diagnosed with
    an appendicitis.  The worm(s) were found during the 
    operation.  The pain was similiar to appendicitis.
    
    New subject:  I put my 7-8 month old in a walker at the
    beach.  He couldn't move due to the sand and couldn't
    eat the sand.  After I saw a tampex applicator wash up
    on shore, I just didn't want to let him crawl around.
    
    Have I grossed anyone out yet?  :-)

    Helpful hint for baby beach goers (and adults) - bring baby powder to
    brush off the sand sticking to your feet, legs, wherever.  Works great.
    
    Julie
    

    
    Well we went and had a great time.. Thanks to the wadding pool
    tip - that worked great!
    
    He loved the beach and miracles of miracles he didnt eat the sand.
    I also feed him just as we arrived so he was not hungry....
    
    He loved crawling in and out of the pool, sitting on the edge of
    the shore..Of course he was covered with sand and I had to watch
    his eyes but he kept his pacifier in and did not eat any..My daughter 
    (3 1/2) loved the pool to since this year she decided she did not
    like the noise of the waves..so she collected shells and
    washed them in the pool..
    
    Thanks for all the tips!
    

    Regarding the baby powder, also use it to sprinkle down the front and
    back of bathing suits.  Helps cut down on chafing and dries the skin a
    little faster.  Funny, I never used it on our feet!!!  I'll have to try
    that one, too : )
    Sarah

   re: baby powder...
   
   This is just the engineer in me, but I have to ask... is it better
   if applied before getting wet/sandy or after?  Thanks.
   
   just wondering,
   
   - Tom
   

    After.  You know that sandpaper effect of the drying bathingsuit with a
    full load of sand in all the cracks and crevices?  Liberal dose of
    babypowder helps dry the skin and loosen the sand, letting it slide out
    and soothing the skin at the same time.  
    Sarah