Mom of 4 Shares Her Clever Beach Trip Hacks & They're Essential for Summer
Going pretty much anywhere with kids can feel like some kind of exhausting and never-ending obstacle course. But sometimes, planning ahead and tweaking your routine can make all the difference between having a memorable family vacation and wanting to turn the car around as soon as you hit the highway. As a mom "four under 4," Heather Smith knows a thing or two about living in organized chaos. It's practically how she gets by these days without losing her mind, and why she's been sharing her simple parenting hacks on TikTok for a while. Recently, Smith took to the platform to share her tried-and-true beach hacks for large families, and parents everywhere are giving her a serious round of applause.
Smith, who goes by feathrheathr on TikTok, first shared the clip April 29.
But now that the school year's winding down and summer is right around the corner, it's been gaining traction again as parents begin to plan beach trips.
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In the clip, Smith outlined several life-saving beach essentials that every parent should know about — and judging by the comments, a lot of people agree with her picks.
First things first? Get yourself a beach wagon.
We know, we know — the thought of lugging around a beach wagon may not sound appealing, but they're actually kind of a lifesaver.
These days, there are lots of lightweight and portable options that can hold a lot of things inside that you'd otherwise be carrying around on your shoulders (including kiddos), and they're easier to pull through the sand than you might think.
If you're heading to the beach without another adult to pitch in, a beach wagon is kind of a must. Plus, if you're worried about storage, most are designed to fold up and stow away easily, so they won't take up too much room at home or in the car.
Other must-haves on Smith's list include water shoes and a waterproof mat.
Whether you're parenting solo for the day or just don't have enough arms to go around, you don't want to be carrying multiple kids through the hot sand all day, Smith explained. Water shoes will help keep their delicate feet safe and protected throughout the day, and they're easy to hose off before you head home.
For the same reason, she suggested investing in a sand and waterproof mat that'll fold up easily. That way, kiddos have a place to spread out when you settle on the beach but it won't have to go straight in the laundry later.
Being smart about sand toys will also relieve some headaches.
Smith suggested limiting the number of toys you bring to the beach, because it'll make things easier to keep track of. Opting for collapsible buckets and other toys whenever possible is also a smart way to go. (Your arms will thank you later.)
Investing in things like quick-dry towels and waterproof zippered bags will help too.
Cutting down on the amount of time it takes for kiddos to dry off is kind of a no-brainer, right? With quick-dry towels, they can towel off in no time at all. Then, once you're ready to change them back into dry clothes and head home, you can stick the wet ones into a waterproof bag to keep things tidy.
Pretty clever, huh?
As for all that pesky sand, Smith has a solution for that as well.
As you might have guessed, it's the ole baby powder trick! But instead of sprinkling it all over her kids' feet and legs, Smith fills the inside of an old sock with the powder and rubs the sock over any areas where stubborn sand is still sticking.
Within a minute or two, her kids are sand-free and ready to hop back into the car.
Although Smith's tips may seem simple, that's kind of the point.
Actually remembering to do all of them by prepping things in advance? Well, that's half the battle.
So far, the video has racked up more than 1.5 million views from TikTok users who discovered at least a few new tips by watching. It also led a lot of people to applaud the mother for how calm, cool, and collected she is about raising four young kids who are so close in age.
"I took one kid to Walmart for 20 minutes today and hated every second," joked one person.
"I can’t understand how you not only did all this, but also found time to record for us," shared another.
"Okay, you’re goals,” declared someone else. “I can’t even go to the beach alone!”
Intrigued? Luckily, Smith has way more where that came from. Check out her TikTok video for more clever beach hacks or visit her TikTok page for other smart parenting tips.
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