The weather is warming up, the sun isn’t hidden behind a constant cloud cover and your kids are shedding their sweaters the way reptiles shed skin.
Summer is most definitely on its way.
Are you ready for days spent outdoors and poolside? Here are a few tips and tricks to help you make sure you’re ready to take on summer parenting.
Last Year’s Clothing
Get out last year’s summer gear and see if any of the younger kids have grown into older kids’ castoffs. This way you won’t have to spend a ton of money on tank tops, shorts, etc.
NOTE: If you’ve kept these clothes stored in a dark or closed space, take extra precautions to make sure they are truly clean and in good enough shape to touch little ones’ skin. Use a CureUV.com coupon code to get a detection light that you can use to shine on the clothing to make sure that it hasn’t been befouled in any way while in storage (and that a few cycles in the washer have honestly gotten rid of said befoulment).
This Year’s Clothing
Stock up on a few extra bathing suits (it’s rare for a child’s bathing suit to last an entire summer). Make sure you’ve got plenty of loose and breatheable clothing, flip flops, towels, hats and visors on hand to keep your kids comfortable and clothed in and out of the pool (or at the beach). You can save money on these things by shopping online and using promotions like The Land of Nod coupons.
Sunscreen
It’s a universal truth: kids hate wearing sunscreen. It’s goopy and feels heavy on their skin and they’d just as soon burn all summer if it meant they didn’t have to deal with it. That doesn’t mean, though, that they can go without it. Spend some time reading up on the different types of sunscreen available and find one that is unscented and light. Test out a spray or two. Remember to find a sunscreen that is water proof so you don’t have to reapply it every twenty minutes or every time your son or daughter climbs out of the water.
Shades
Hats and visors only do so much. Make sure that you are protecting your children’s’ eyes just as vigorously as you are protecting their skin. Order a few pairs of sunglasses online. If your child already wears regular glasses, talk to the optometrist (or ophthalmologist) about the possibility of switching over to the transition lenses (the kind that stay clear indoors but transform into sunglasses outdoors) for the summer.
Don’t forget to plan for days spent out of the sun as well! Take advantage of summer reading programs at the library and early movie times on those days when the last thing your kids want is to play outside.
Have fun!
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