I’ve been boating long before I was a Mother, but my experience with kiddos and the lake has given me a leg up when it comes to boating with my own child. Though we have always considered safety important, it’s now paramount to my own boating experience. My on the water happiness is directly connected to the situation I create for my son. Here are a few of my tips for boating with your babies!
- Get the expensive life jacket. The neoprene tends to be softer and the fit is better. They are much more likely to stay content if their life jacket isn’t rubbing their tender skin raw.
- Put them in a long sleeve rash guard and hat. If you’ve ever put sunscreen on a squirmy baby that’s more like a bag of snakes than a human, you know how tough it can be to get full coverage. Cover them up!
- Create a soft place for them to land on your boat. They will inevitably get sleepy and nap so make sure there is a spot out of the sun that you can put them down.
- If anchoring and swimming around is on your usual lake agenda, consider a Maui Mat or Lilly Pad. This doesn’t negate the need for a life jacket, but it does give everyone a way to safely play in and around the water and no one is forced to take turns sitting on the boat to watch baby.
- Make sure all the products used on your boat are non toxic. Hula Boat Care is my go to for a few reasons, but the top of my list is that it is marine and kid friendly so I know for sure that my little guy is safe if exposed to treated areas.
There are so many ways that boating with a baby or toddler can be difficult, but with a little preparation, you can share your love for the water with your mini me.
