It’s 6:00 a.m and the kids are already bouncing off the walls. Why? It’s beach day. Only you’re not so thrilled.
It isn’t because you don’t like the beach, it’s because you have an Instagram account. For months, reel after reel has been convincing you that a rolling beach cart is vital, that sandcastles can only be built with a special kit, and that if you don’t apply sunscreen every two hours, you are endangering your family. You’re the parent, and it’s up to you to keep everyone safe at all times, right?
You run through the day in your mind. Fights over toys, snacks, chairs. Sand in your hair. Sand in your purse. Sand in your car.
The thought creeps in. Maybe filling the kiddie pool in the backyard is just as good?
It’s not. The beach is better.
As a Michigander, you must immerse yourself in nature. It is your right. Your duty. Unfortunately, too many of us resist the great outdoors unless we’re first Saran-wrapped with swim clothing, sun tents, beach blankets, and zinc oxide.
When I was a kid, we would head to the lake with nothing but a faded Lion King towel, a half-bag of sour cream & onion chips, and a slowly deflating River Rat. The best parts were rummaging along the shoreline for sticks and leaves to add to our sandcastlesand chasing seagulls. Maybe we’d see a big dead fish. Riding the waves with your siblings, having your mom judge a handstand contest, munching sandy chips: It was paradise.
Why can’t we just savor the small things without obsessing over the details?
Of course, don’t be foolish. Don’t barbecue your skin on the hottest day of the year. Watch children vigilantly near the water. Never dive in when the red flags are up. Bring sustenance. Drink water. But recognize that you can’t be prepared for everything.
Still, some try to be. I was at the beach with my kids recently, and I noticed another family set up nearby. The kids seemed prepared to investigate an active volcano. Sun shirts. Sun shorts. Bucket hats. Water shoes.
One kid’s hat flew off. He laughed as he chased his little sister around their sandcastle. He hardly noticed his hair playfully dancing in the wind. But his mom was on the case. She made the tackle, pinning him down and tying the hat on even tighter. “Don’t want to get a sunburn!”
Up until a few years ago, only avid surfers spending eight hours in the equatorial sun wore “rash guards” to protect their bodies from board chafing and severe burns. Now, 5 year olds wear them to play in their shady backyards.
Is the sun shirt itself really so terrible? Probably not. But what it represents is annoying — the expectation that the outdoors should only be enjoyed safely, with certain gear and special clothing. We are erecting barriers between us and nature.
Parents have a knack for adding expensive garbage to activities that are perfectly fine and free. Sure, if you’re desperate to blow money on a $250 Shibumi shade, designer sunscreen, and a special waterproof phone pouch, go nuts. But you don’t have to. The beach is free.
No personalized beach toys from Etsy? Grab a plastic bucket and shovel from the backyard. No sub-zero snack cooler? Hit up the party store on the way. No matching beach towels with fun designs? Bath towels do the job.
Once we embrace the fact that no day, event, or outing will ever be perfect, stupid things like forgetting the diaper bag or getting a sunburn start to matter less.
It’s hard to break free of the cult of perfection. But it’s worth it to rip the Band-Aid off, ditch the sun shirt and fancy gear, and enjoy Michigan’s beautiful beaches while leaving some worries behind.
Faye Root is a writer and a homeschooling mother based in Northern Michigan. Follow her on X @littlebayschool.
