This is an item I hope you will regard as worthwhile. If you have a young child and a pool, even a wading pool, you must have some way to tell if your child goes near that water when not in the presence of an adult.   Nationwide, over 350 children between the ages of 1-5 drown in backyard pools and buckets each year.

Once your child is mobile, the only way to prevent such an accident from happening is to have your eyes on them at all times.  Makes it kind of hard to take a shower doesn’t it?

Even with a fence around your pool, we know kids can climb. The POOLGUARD Wireless Door Alarm is an inexpensive way to ensure their safety. This model will pass building code inspections thanks to its UL listing and attaches easily to doors or windows. The alarm will sound for five minutes if someone passes through it, and then automatically reset itself.  It also allows for an adult to pass through it without it sounding, thanks to its outdoor wireless transmitter. Even if you don’t have a pool, you’ll know if they’ve left the house.

Give yourself one less thing to worry about this summer. (POOLGUARD also makes a variety of Swimming Pool Alarms as well as well as gate alarms; POOLGUARD Gate Alarm.)

I am the mother of a fair haired, fair skinned boy.

The merest hint of a freckle on his face instills a tiny bit of panic in me.  In retrospect…I cannot comprehend why my friends and I felt the need to slather on baby oil every summer in a race to see which one of us could get the “Hawaiian Tan” first.

Of course we know better now and it’s a good thing, as most of the sun damage we will inherit comes from being exposed to it as children. (I wouldn’t dream of venturing outside without my SPF 40 anymore)

Typically, most kids don’t appreciate this concern and shy away from having their skin greased up every time they venture outside. The aroma of sunscreen is unattractive for some kids, particularly those with allergies or sensitivities to fragrance.

If this situation sounds familiar to you, try California Baby No Fragrance Sunscreen SPF +30. This is a chemical-free sunscreen that needs to be reapplied every time your child wipes it off either by sweating or toweling off after swimming or approx. every 3 hours.

The plus side of this is that it is that because it is a physical sunscreen, it is appropriate for babies over six months of age and can be used as often as needed.

This year round lotion also comes in a bug repellant formula, which contains ingredients such as citronella and pure lemongrass to ward off pesky summer friends.  (California Baby Natural Bug Blend SPF+30)

I just flew back from the beach and boy, am my arms tired!  Not really but my belly was COLD!  I thought the water was supposed to be warm by July.Luckily, our kids were wise enough to bring along their surf shirts to wear as they boogie boarded and frolicked among the chilly ocean waves.  They were the envy of both my sister and me.

We were forced to run up to the boardwalk and purchase ridiculously expensive shirts to wear over our little two-piece numbers, so we cold actually go in the water above our toes.

That’s why I  recommend the L.L.Bean Sun-and Surf Shirt.  This must-have item for the beach or pool is multi-functional, as it not only offers relief from that first blast of cold water lapping up on your kids belly but it also offers UPF+50 sun protection.

We applied sunscreen generously to their faces and arms (not much leg area as they were wearing board shorts) and they happily played by the waters edge, digging castles and moats.  No worries about harmful rays burning them, and they looked like real surfers to boot! The nylon and Lycra material dried quickly, keeping them comfortable between dips.

This is an inexpensive summer purchase that they’ll happily wear and comes in a couple of styles and fashion colors for boys and girls alike.

I live in a place that is warm and sunny most of the year so beach towels are a staple in my household.

Still, every June I get excited to replace last years sun bleached models for some fresh new ones.  That means I usually have to replace about four, as nearly all of them my son and his friends left at the beach, pool or some motel we stayed at.

I’ve observed that most kids don’t mind carrying them to the beach pool etc…  It’s the start of an exciting day.  Coming home is another story.  It’s like dragging a sled to the top of a snow covered hill then whizzing down it, and after six or seven times, no one wants to drag the sled back up the hill.

Same principle.

A cleaver solution to this problem is The Beach Towel Bag By Confetti. This standard size towel, which measures 30 by 60 when open, converts to a cool messenger bag they can wear across their body when it’s time to leave. The fashionable zip around design makes it easier for them to carry the towel home at the end of the day and the novel idea of it will help them remember to bring it home. (Hopefully)

It comes in a couple of different colorful designs, and even has a cute little key chain attached. (Think motel key!)

I listened with amusement to my sister’s horror story of how she schlepped around SIX stores last weekend while sick with the flu, looking for a bathing suit for my 12 year old niece. I didn’t know they had six stores that sold bathing suits!

They finally found a suit that was agreeable for the very picky and somewhat modest girl at store number six.  She liked the suit, but refused to go in the water the next day for some reason, but that’s a whole other story!

The point is everyone needs to feel comfortable in swimwear, especially pre-teen girls. That’s why I recommend the Patagonia Girls Boardie Shorts. This is what my niece ended up choosing and she happily reports they look “Fierce”

These are a great look for all ages and shapes.  The   micro fiber /poly material dries quickly and the hip longer length offers terrific sun protection.  The colorful print allows you to purchase more than one top to wear with them, so you get a variety of different looks.

You can wear suit bottoms under these as well while in the water.  (They also make a great cover-up)

Everyone is happy and I’m just glad I have a boy.

Now, why don’t they have more products like these? It’s one of those questions that breed a whole lot of other ones like: Why do women wear strapless evening gowns to the same events that men wear a suit jacket? Someone is going to have some issues with climate control! Or why is it that they make skimpy bathing suits that fall off if you dare to go in the water?

Getting beyond that it’s always a bit sad to watch a little girl tugging at her swim bottoms as she chases the boys down the beach or racing to get a towel on which to sit so she can play comfortable in scratchy sand. These Patagonia Girls’ Baggies Swim Shorts solve both of those problems.

These swim shorts are both fashionably cool and well made with mesh pockets to flush out water and grit and an abrasion resistant material. The comfortable elastic waistband wicks away moisture preventing a soggy tummy and the light nylon material dries quickly so she can readily wear them off the beach too.

They are available in a cool ocean blue or bright poppy red. I do wish they had a pink and a purple option too. No need to be completely gender neutral!

Before heading to the beach footwear must be considered. Now, that’s obvious of course since we do consider footwear every time we leave the house, even though we often make terrible choices. (Remember those gorgeous 5 inch heels you only wore once?)

If you have children the issue of appropriate footwear multiplies, since children’s’ considerations are different that adults. Will they find the first mud puddle in which to jump? Are they planning to climb on monkey bars? Do their beloved slip-ons still fit? And my favorite, are they the ones that always come untied?

Going to the beach has it’s own set of concerns including realizing that sand can and will get into any shoes worn there. Though the logical choice when going to the pool is flip flops, these rather flimsy shoes work less well at the beach which is why we always wear water shoes.

These Stay-Put water shoes slip on, not easily but snuggly and give added support for walking on sand. They can be worn right into the water which is perfect if you frequent rocky beaches or those wonderful few still left that feature shells.

You can even wear them to and in the pool where they keep hot pavement off tender soles.

It’s almost summer again and time to go on the swimsuit hunt. Unlike shopping for myself, shopping for an infant is way more fun! No worries about saggy stomach or chubby thighs. Shopping for a child’s bathing suit is pure pleasure. There are some cute ones this year too!

When it comes to that first swimsuit, though extra care must be taken since this is the bathing suit in which you’ll have the most number of pictures of your child. Those first years we pull out the camera at every occasion, a habit that unfortunately gets left by the wayside as the years pass.

The Newborn Girl’s Seashell swimsuit is so cute, you’ll want her to wear it as much as possible before she grows! I like the beach print and tiny ruffle and a one piece is so much more manageable, even though diaper changes can be a bit more challenging, at least there are fewer pieces to be always pulling up.

It comes with an embroidered cover-up with a hood, which you’ll want to during those hot afternoons. Infant’s skin is more delicate than adults so both sunscreen and cover-ups are a must.  The price is right, too!

Since we live in a particularly sunny part of the country and near the water, we rarely leave the house without hat and sunscreen. Days at the beach or at the pool however, present another set of problems. Head gear and sunscreen work less well in those wet and wild environments.

When venturing into the water I do lather up my son with sonscreen sunscreen but also outfit him in a full length swimsuit that blocks out some of the harmful rays. I’ve been doing this since he was small, so while I haven’t been able to divulge in the, oh so cute and skimpy, swim suits available, he’s somewhat safer from skin damage.

This UPF50 swim suit from Protect-a-Bub however, combines the best of fashion and function -cute colors and sun protection in one. I’m planning on purchasing two for a summer sure to be spent mostly at the pool. Gas prices as they are these days, its makes little sense to venture too far a field.

My big find this year though is this fantastic beach tent. Though our pool fortunately is surrounded by shady trees, our beach, for obvious reasons, is not. That means every time we venture forth I end up dragging along my beach umbrella and repositioning it every half hour or so as the sun makes its way across the cloudless sky. This cool beach tent will give us instant shade and a great place to eat lunch and play games out of the heat