A Guide to Surviving the Summer with a Small Child

I am a stay-at-home mother, so summer or not, I have a small child around 24/7. Enjoying the time we have together is the best way to survive the summer.

 

Now, when I think about it, there is actually only one thing coming to my mind – the beach. If you have a small child to care for during the summer on Hvar, take her to the beach as much as possible.

 

Many parents will probably disagree with me, but the best place to be when it is too hot outside is the beach. There are some rules to follow, but it is much better and healthier then staying in an air-conditioned space.

So, the way it is working for us at the moment is to run all the necessary errands in the morning. This includes possible shopping for food and cooking lunch. After that we are free to go to the beach. Now, here comes the list of rules I was mentioning before.

1. Sun is your friend if used wisely. Being in the sun is very important for your health and for the health of your child. Skin needs to absorb the rays in order to make vitamin D, which is crucial for your immune system. Depending on the skin tone you may need to be careful with the amount of time you are exposed to sun, but the daily exposure is very beneficial.

2. Take it easy and protect your skin. As we live in Jelsa, we are very fortunate to start exposing our skins to the sun gradually through April and May, so that when the summer comes, enough pigment has been produced to protect us. We do not use sunscreens as I believe they are harmful for our bodies. Instead, if we need little bit help during those first days, we use coconut oil or stay in the sun only for shorter periods and choose a place in the shade.

3. Choose a beach with same shade. There are many beaches in Jelsa suitable for kids, where you can find shade even around noon. Grebisce would probably be the number one beach for little kids, as there is shade under those pine trees and there is plenty of sand to play with if you need your kids to stay out of the water and sun for a moment. But you have other options as well. The beach under the Fontana resort, Mala Milna in Vitarnja and others.

(photo: Ivana Župan)

 

4. Have fun with your kids. While at the beach, do something fun together, Whether it is building a sand fortress or playing catch in the shallow water or looking for the most beautiful stone at the beach or trying to catch a little crab on the rocks. Whatever sound like the most fun to you. Mostly, the little kids like to spend time with their parents, especially if for the main part of the year, they have to be in kindergarten, while parents work. So making it fun for you will make it fun for the kid too.

 

These days, when it is really hot outside, we do go to the beach twice a day only to have lunch in between. Not leaving the beach before 4 pm, as it is too hot anywhere else. Feeding your child healthy food is one of the best ways of having enjoyable summer days. So, stay away from sugar, preservative, gluten and other processed food and use the variety of organic food, that Hvar island is offering.

 

After the temperature is a bit lower in the evening, there are several options. You can go for a walk along the waterfront. (While you are walking, go to the green lighthouse and wait for the seaplane. Watch it land and then take off. It is always interesting, even after the 50th time.) Or let your kids play at the square (Pjaca) as there are always many other kids to play with, or you can visit some of the cultural and non-cultural program that Jelsa and Vrboska (and other towns) are offering (Check our calendar).

 

(photo: Romulić & Stojčić)

 

Visiting the Ateliere Marinka is probably a good idea, if your kids are into making art. We are into performances of any kind, so dancing, singing, folklore –  we will be there. Some of the program starts little bit late for a small child, but leaving them sleep bit longer in the morning the next day will do the trick.