Indonesia
Tips for Stress-Free Vacation on Beach
“It gives me a headache if the baby powder is left behind. It’s not for the baby though (our second kid is now 8 years old), but for the feet. Just before get into the car, apply the powder to the fingers. Check out, the sand come out just like that!” Hani Kusuma Wardhani, Surabaya.
“My husband once was wondering when i brought vinegar to the beach. He just learned the use when our daughter Kintan got stung by a jellyfish. The vinegar helped reducing the pain from the sting. To be more practical, i put the vinegar to a small spray bottle. But if there’s no vinegar around, sea water can help too,” Indah Arsono, Jakarta.
“If the destination is far, and we have to go by plane, i wouldn’t want to be bothered with kids’ toys. My wife usually looks for the cheap ones around the beach. If you have plastic bucket and shovel, that’s it. It’s too expensive to rent from the hotel and we won’t be using it for long. When we are going home on the last day, we give the toys to other family who also have kids and going to the beach,” Andi Apriatna, Makassar.
“I never leave the kids wet for long. When they are done swimming or playing, put them in the shower with fresh water. Otherwise, their skin will sticks and breaks because of the salt water. It also damages the hair, it becomes read, rumpled and ramified. So much for the beauty,” Dewi Mokodongan, Manado.
“Everytime we go to the beach, i always have my favorite bright yellow umbrella with us. My husband usually looks for a spot near something distinguished. For example shower room, life guard post or tire rent. So if the kids play too far, it will be easy for them to find us,” Karina Ariane, Bali.
“I carefully pick time when taking the kids to the beach. It’s better to go earlier, before 11.00 PM or quite late in the afternoon sometimes around 03.00 AM. At first i thought they will play too much and lost track of time, even in the heat. It turns out, the heat makes headache, and not to mention the dazzling sun light. What good is the vacation if we don’t enjoy it?” Yenny Soemarso, Jakarta
“Don’t hesitate with the sunscreen, it’s not enough to apply it only when you are setting off the car. The maximum protection lasts only four hours. Kids’ skin is more sensitive to the sun. So i chose sun screen that protects the skin from UVA and UVB. Kids of 1-10 years old are well adapted to water resistance sun screen SPF 30. Above the age, our skin heath doctor recommend kids to use sun screen with no less than SPF 15,” Ratih Prasetio, Yogyakarta.
“Remember beach, remember walking on or playing with the sand barefoot. My husband always remind me to at least have slippers. Sometimes, sand on the beach can be burning when exposed to the sun light, especially when walking on the asphalt. Ough, it can blistering the feet!” Kristian Natalia Asmara, Surabaya.
“Here is a tip from late grandma. Every time after swimming, wrap the hair with yoghurt for about a half hour before shampoo. The loose and damage hair is back to the smooth, light and shiny hair just like after cream bath. No need to dry it with hair dryer, let it dry up naturally,” Dara Astarina, Sidoarjo.
Before set off, make sure we don’t miss anything, Supermom. We can make a small note just to make sure. Here is the checklist.
Primary
Bag
Flip-flops
Shade/sun glasses
Sun hat
Clothes
Swim suit
Towel
Thin blanket
Equipment
Power bank to recharge battery for camera/HP
Toys
Umbrella
Swimming glasses
Health and Beauty Items
Sunblock or sunscreen
Aloe vera gel
Wet tissue
Body lotion
Comb
Face cleanser
Soap
Shampoo
Tooth brush and paste
Others
Reading stuffs
Healthy snacks
Fresh water for drink
Now, what to do on the beach, Supermom? Which beach is best for vacation? Read here for the info.
HAFIDA INDRAWATI
PHOTOS: THINKSTOCK PHOTOS
