Renting a beach house with kids..do you get disappointed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Love DCUM. People complaining about vacation. Poor you.

Umm, this forum is about travel and vacation.

[Anonymous]

A traditional beach house vacation is nice, but it’s not the same as a “real” vacation.

We go to the local MD/DE beaches every summer (plus other times throughout the year). It’s a tradition I’ve had since I was a child and it’s an important tradition for my kids.

It’s fun! We eat at the same restaurants and get ice cream at the same places. It’s a comfortable summer tradition.

But it’s not a vacation. In fact, we call it a beach trip.

A vacation involves something new/different. Typically involves a plane and a resort or ship.

And it’s not a vacation if I’m doing laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc.

[Anonymous]

Beach with 2/4 year olds is very different than beach with 7/8 year olds or 14/16 year olds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Anyone feel like beach trips in a rental home with kids are a *ton* of work and not worth it? We went to the mountains this year and it was a much better fit for my family. We didn’t have to pack as much, I could actually relax and not worry about my 4 year old drowning every second we were by water, didn’t have to pack a million things and set up umbrellas and a tent for the day. We did other things like rode horses, paddle boarding with life vests, hikes, and just enjoyed it as much if not more. I love the beach but next time we are going to a resort.

Yes of course resorts are more relaxing. They are also a lot more expensive, as is paying for all food out, and families share a much smaller sleeping space. There are pros and cons.

This. Its not about beach vs mountain, you're comparing rentals to resorts.

FWIW we rent bayfront for our beach vacations. Water is calmer and shallower, and we don't schlep more than a bag of toys and towels. You're making your beach vacation hard on yourself by bringing tents and umbrellas and a million things.

Some of us are very white and need umbrellas!

NP - right! We rent bayfront, too, which helps, but we still can't tolerate all day sun exposure, nor can our fair-complexioned kids. I mean, do you not need water? Snacks? Some people do make things harder for themselves, but parents of very young kids who need to bring lots of stuff to the beach don't meet that description, IMO.

OP, the bayfront made it much easier for us, but really it's about your kids getting older. Ours are 11, 9, and 7 now, and we have SO much fun.

So just don’t stay out all day. Put on sunblock and rash guards and hats and go play and swim for about an hour. Then go back inside the house and do other stuff. Eat. Nap. Go shopping. Then go out again for another hour when the sun is lower. Maybe around three or four. Then you don’t have to take snacks and umbrellas. What’s unpleasant is hauling off that crap and then feeling like you have to stay on the beach for hours and hours. You don’t.

I'm the original PP and this is exactly what I meant. We don't spend 8 hours at the beach that requires a tent, water, food, etc. We do shorter trips where we don't need an umbrella or more than a water bottle and some granola bars. The family we go with is fair skinned, and they just put on sunscreen a couple times, wear rash guards and hats, and can survive 2-3 hours at a time. We usually go to the beach after breakfast and then again in the late afternoon. Sometimes we will go to the ocean beach but it's still a short trip without a ton of stuff.

I agree with people that 8 hours in the sun with 100 lbs of gear is not fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone feel like beach trips in a rental home with kids are a *ton* of work and not worth it? We went to the mountains this year and it was a much better fit for my family. We didn’t have to pack as much, I could actually relax and not worry about my 4 year old drowning every second we were by water, didn’t have to pack a million things and set up umbrellas and a tent for the day. We did other things like rode horses, paddle boarding with life vests, hikes, and just enjoyed it as much if not more. I love the beach but next time we are going to a resort.

Yes of course resorts are more relaxing. They are also a lot more expensive, as is paying for all food out, and families share a much smaller sleeping space. There are pros and cons.

This. Its not about beach vs mountain, you're comparing rentals to resorts.

FWIW we rent bayfront for our beach vacations. Water is calmer and shallower, and we don't schlep more than a bag of toys and towels. You're making your beach vacation hard on yourself by bringing tents and umbrellas and a million things.

Some of us are very white and need umbrellas!

NP - right! We rent bayfront, too, which helps, but we still can't tolerate all day sun exposure, nor can our fair-complexioned kids. I mean, do you not need water? Snacks? Some people do make things harder for themselves, but parents of very young kids who need to bring lots of stuff to the beach don't meet that description, IMO.

OP, the bayfront made it much easier for us, but really it's about your kids getting older. Ours are 11, 9, and 7 now, and we have SO much fun.

So just don’t stay out all day. Put on sunblock and rash guards and hats and go play and swim for about an hour. Then go back inside the house and do other stuff. Eat. Nap. Go shopping. Then go out again for another hour when the sun is lower. Maybe around three or four. Then you don’t have to take snacks and umbrellas. What’s unpleasant is hauling off that crap and then feeling like you have to stay on the beach for hours and hours. You don’t.

I'm the original PP and this is exactly what I meant. We don't spend 8 hours at the beach that requires a tent, water, food, etc. We do shorter trips where we don't need an umbrella or more than a water bottle and some granola bars. The family we go with is fair skinned, and they just put on sunscreen a couple times, wear rash guards and hats, and can survive 2-3 hours at a time. We usually go to the beach after breakfast and then again in the late afternoon. Sometimes we will go to the ocean beach but it's still a short trip without a ton of stuff.

I agree with people that 8 hours in the sun with 100 lbs of gear is not fun.

And I’m the PP with fair skin who thinks it’s worth it to bring big things for sun protection. We don’t want to spend our time at the beach an hour at the time. Frankly, walking between beach and house and town, rinsing off and changing to go inside for naps, etc., is just as much work as bringing tents and umbrellas. At least with the latter, we do it at the beginning and end of our beach day and that’s it.

We don’t *have* to stay on the beach all day - but most days, we want to. You don’t *have* to bop back and forth between beach and shopping and naps and lunch - but you want to. See how this works? Different things for different people. But unless you have huge family properties right on the beach, yes, there’s typically going to be work involved somehow. Whether the benefits of the beach offset those trade-offs is up to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone feel like beach trips in a rental home with kids are a *ton* of work and not worth it? We went to the mountains this year and it was a much better fit for my family. We didn’t have to pack as much, I could actually relax and not worry about my 4 year old drowning every second we were by water, didn’t have to pack a million things and set up umbrellas and a tent for the day. We did other things like rode horses, paddle boarding with life vests, hikes, and just enjoyed it as much if not more. I love the beach but next time we are going to a resort.

Yes of course resorts are more relaxing. They are also a lot more expensive, as is paying for all food out, and families share a much smaller sleeping space. There are pros and cons.

This. Its not about beach vs mountain, you're comparing rentals to resorts.

FWIW we rent bayfront for our beach vacations. Water is calmer and shallower, and we don't schlep more than a bag of toys and towels. You're making your beach vacation hard on yourself by bringing tents and umbrellas and a million things.

Some of us are very white and need umbrellas!

NP - right! We rent bayfront, too, which helps, but we still can't tolerate all day sun exposure, nor can our fair-complexioned kids. I mean, do you not need water? Snacks? Some people do make things harder for themselves, but parents of very young kids who need to bring lots of stuff to the beach don't meet that description, IMO.

OP, the bayfront made it much easier for us, but really it's about your kids getting older. Ours are 11, 9, and 7 now, and we have SO much fun.

So just don’t stay out all day. Put on sunblock and rash guards and hats and go play and swim for about an hour. Then go back inside the house and do other stuff. Eat. Nap. Go shopping. Then go out again for another hour when the sun is lower. Maybe around three or four. Then you don’t have to take snacks and umbrellas. What’s unpleasant is hauling off that crap and then feeling like you have to stay on the beach for hours and hours. You don’t.

This - on going when kid is older and also this:

I would not bother going on a beach vacation if we couldn't rent an oceanfront condo/house. This is key. It's the nice flow of going in and out all day, from beach to inside for lunch or whatever, but never feeling as though you've left the beach because of the views, the sound of the waves, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone feel like beach trips in a rental home with kids are a *ton* of work and not worth it? We went to the mountains this year and it was a much better fit for my family. We didn’t have to pack as much, I could actually relax and not worry about my 4 year old drowning every second we were by water, didn’t have to pack a million things and set up umbrellas and a tent for the day. We did other things like rode horses, paddle boarding with life vests, hikes, and just enjoyed it as much if not more. I love the beach but next time we are going to a resort.

Yes of course resorts are more relaxing. They are also a lot more expensive, as is paying for all food out, and families share a much smaller sleeping space. There are pros and cons.

This. Its not about beach vs mountain, you're comparing rentals to resorts.

FWIW we rent bayfront for our beach vacations. Water is calmer and shallower, and we don't schlep more than a bag of toys and towels. You're making your beach vacation hard on yourself by bringing tents and umbrellas and a million things.

Some of us are very white and need umbrellas!

NP - right! We rent bayfront, too, which helps, but we still can't tolerate all day sun exposure, nor can our fair-complexioned kids. I mean, do you not need water? Snacks? Some people do make things harder for themselves, but parents of very young kids who need to bring lots of stuff to the beach don't meet that description, IMO.

OP, the bayfront made it much easier for us, but really it's about your kids getting older. Ours are 11, 9, and 7 now, and we have SO much fun.

So just don’t stay out all day. Put on sunblock and rash guards and hats and go play and swim for about an hour. Then go back inside the house and do other stuff. Eat. Nap. Go shopping. Then go out again for another hour when the sun is lower. Maybe around three or four. Then you don’t have to take snacks and umbrellas. What’s unpleasant is hauling off that crap and then feeling like you have to stay on the beach for hours and hours. You don’t.

This - on going when kid is older and also this:

I would not bother going on a beach vacation if we couldn't rent an oceanfront condo/house. This is key. It's the nice flow of going in and out all day, from beach to inside for lunch or whatever, but never feeling as though you've left the beach because of the views, the sound of the waves, etc.

^^To add: And you don't have to pack up all your stuff each time. Just leave it until you are done for the day.

[Anonymous]

I love the beach and so do my kids but I much prefer renting a condo in a beachfront building.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love the beach and so do my kids but I much prefer renting a condo in a beachfront building.

Condos are pretty depressing, though - even the expensive ones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love the beach and so do my kids but I much prefer renting a condo in a beachfront building.

Condos are pretty depressing, though - even the expensive ones.

You must be looking at the wrong condo. We have a favorite in NC that is far from depressing. As I mentioned above, beachfront, short walk to the sand, beach toys/chairs/umbrella supplied. The living space faces the ocean (bedrooms & baths situated toward the back) and you have views all day long. Would not go though if this condo or one similar was not available. Not expensive, we are a family of 3, so we don't need a huge place, just 2 bedrooms and baths.

[Anonymous]

I much prefer resorts. I know it's an added expense but we're usually going 5-6 nights vs 1-2 weeks and it's typically spread out every 12-18 months vs every year during peak summer season. I think for many families it's the tradition and because they're used to doing it there's not as much active thinking involved. But we really like to explore new places every vacation and I enjoy formal dining and someone making me a cocktail.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone feel like beach trips in a rental home with kids are a *ton* of work and not worth it? We went to the mountains this year and it was a much better fit for my family. We didn’t have to pack as much, I could actually relax and not worry about my 4 year old drowning every second we were by water, didn’t have to pack a million things and set up umbrellas and a tent for the day. We did other things like rode horses, paddle boarding with life vests, hikes, and just enjoyed it as much if not more. I love the beach but next time we are going to a resort.

Yes of course resorts are more relaxing. They are also a lot more expensive, as is paying for all food out, and families share a much smaller sleeping space. There are pros and cons.

This. Its not about beach vs mountain, you're comparing rentals to resorts.

FWIW we rent bayfront for our beach vacations. Water is calmer and shallower, and we don't schlep more than a bag of toys and towels. You're making your beach vacation hard on yourself by bringing tents and umbrellas and a million things.

Some of us are very white and need umbrellas!

NP - right! We rent bayfront, too, which helps, but we still can't tolerate all day sun exposure, nor can our fair-complexioned kids. I mean, do you not need water? Snacks? Some people do make things harder for themselves, but parents of very young kids who need to bring lots of stuff to the beach don't meet that description, IMO.

OP, the bayfront made it much easier for us, but really it's about your kids getting older. Ours are 11, 9, and 7 now, and we have SO much fun.

So just don’t stay out all day. Put on sunblock and rash guards and hats and go play and swim for about an hour. Then go back inside the house and do other stuff. Eat. Nap. Go shopping. Then go out again for another hour when the sun is lower. Maybe around three or four. Then you don’t have to take snacks and umbrellas. What’s unpleasant is hauling off that crap and then feeling like you have to stay on the beach for hours and hours. You don’t.

I'm the original PP and this is exactly what I meant. We don't spend 8 hours at the beach that requires a tent, water, food, etc. We do shorter trips where we don't need an umbrella or more than a water bottle and some granola bars. The family we go with is fair skinned, and they just put on sunscreen a couple times, wear rash guards and hats, and can survive 2-3 hours at a time. We usually go to the beach after breakfast and then again in the late afternoon. Sometimes we will go to the ocean beach but it's still a short trip without a ton of stuff.

I agree with people that 8 hours in the sun with 100 lbs of gear is not fun.

And I’m the PP with fair skin who thinks it’s worth it to bring big things for sun protection. We don’t want to spend our time at the beach an hour at the time. Frankly, walking between beach and house and town, rinsing off and changing to go inside for naps, etc., is just as much work as bringing tents and umbrellas. At least with the latter, we do it at the beginning and end of our beach day and that’s it.

We don’t *have* to stay on the beach all day - but most days, we want to. You don’t *have* to bop back and forth between beach and shopping and naps and lunch - but you want to. See how this works? Different things for different people. But unless you have huge family properties right on the beach, yes, there’s typically going to be work involved somehow. Whether the benefits of the beach offset those trade-offs is up to you.

Yeah but this thread isn't about you, it's about OP who said that they don't enjoy schlepping things around and not having fun during a beach rental. So our suggestion to them is to do smaller beach trips that don't require as much gear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone feel like beach trips in a rental home with kids are a *ton* of work and not worth it? We went to the mountains this year and it was a much better fit for my family. We didn’t have to pack as much, I could actually relax and not worry about my 4 year old drowning every second we were by water, didn’t have to pack a million things and set up umbrellas and a tent for the day. We did other things like rode horses, paddle boarding with life vests, hikes, and just enjoyed it as much if not more. I love the beach but next time we are going to a resort.

If you are renting a beach house why in the world do you have a tent? We go to the beach and kids play in water and sand. Sure an umbrella for adults is helpful but you could get in water too.

Get a wagon for the beach. And puddle jumper to wear when they are near water.

I’m sure the mountain is lovely, but kids love the beach and in crazy hot weather there is nothing better.

For red headed kids and fair parents. We have one of those shibumi shades. They are so much lighter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone feel like beach trips in a rental home with kids are a *ton* of work and not worth it? We went to the mountains this year and it was a much better fit for my family. We didn’t have to pack as much, I could actually relax and not worry about my 4 year old drowning every second we were by water, didn’t have to pack a million things and set up umbrellas and a tent for the day. We did other things like rode horses, paddle boarding with life vests, hikes, and just enjoyed it as much if not more. I love the beach but next time we are going to a resort.

Yes of course resorts are more relaxing. They are also a lot more expensive, as is paying for all food out, and families share a much smaller sleeping space. There are pros and cons.

This. Its not about beach vs mountain, you're comparing rentals to resorts.

FWIW we rent bayfront for our beach vacations. Water is calmer and shallower, and we don't schlep more than a bag of toys and towels. You're making your beach vacation hard on yourself by bringing tents and umbrellas and a million things.

Some of us are very white and need umbrellas!

NP - right! We rent bayfront, too, which helps, but we still can't tolerate all day sun exposure, nor can our fair-complexioned kids. I mean, do you not need water? Snacks? Some people do make things harder for themselves, but parents of very young kids who need to bring lots of stuff to the beach don't meet that description, IMO.

OP, the bayfront made it much easier for us, but really it's about your kids getting older. Ours are 11, 9, and 7 now, and we have SO much fun.

So just don’t stay out all day. Put on sunblock and rash guards and hats and go play and swim for about an hour. Then go back inside the house and do other stuff. Eat. Nap. Go shopping. Then go out again for another hour when the sun is lower. Maybe around three or four. Then you don’t have to take snacks and umbrellas. What’s unpleasant is hauling off that crap and then feeling like you have to stay on the beach for hours and hours. You don’t.

I'm the original PP and this is exactly what I meant. We don't spend 8 hours at the beach that requires a tent, water, food, etc. We do shorter trips where we don't need an umbrella or more than a water bottle and some granola bars. The family we go with is fair skinned, and they just put on sunscreen a couple times, wear rash guards and hats, and can survive 2-3 hours at a time. We usually go to the beach after breakfast and then again in the late afternoon. Sometimes we will go to the ocean beach but it's still a short trip without a ton of stuff.

I agree with people that 8 hours in the sun with 100 lbs of gear is not fun.

And I’m the PP with fair skin who thinks it’s worth it to bring big things for sun protection. We don’t want to spend our time at the beach an hour at the time. Frankly, walking between beach and house and town, rinsing off and changing to go inside for naps, etc., is just as much work as bringing tents and umbrellas. At least with the latter, we do it at the beginning and end of our beach day and that’s it.

We don’t *have* to stay on the beach all day - but most days, we want to. You don’t *have* to bop back and forth between beach and shopping and naps and lunch - but you want to. See how this works? Different things for different people. But unless you have huge family properties right on the beach, yes, there’s typically going to be work involved somehow. Whether the benefits of the beach offset those trade-offs is up to you.

Yeah but this thread isn't about you, it's about OP who said that they don't enjoy schlepping things around and not having fun during a beach rental. So our suggestion to them is to do smaller beach trips that don't require as much gear.

Yeah but you’re missing the point that your proposed solution, multiple shorter trips to the beach daily, interspersed with things like naps and shopping, are no less work than schlepping a bunch of stuff to the beach in the morning and then home in late afternoon. Your suggestion means multiple showers and clothing changes daily, not to mention wrangling your kids in shops. I’ve done it both ways with little kids; both require work, just of a different nature. So, sure, the OP might find that way more appealing, but that doesn’t mean it’s less work. For that, you shell out for a resort.

[Anonymous]

I did the beach rental once when my child was 6 yrs old, and said never again. Far too much work, even with family to help out. So many things to bring and keep up with.

Ever since that trip, we only book resorts now. That is a true vacation with relaxation. They have everything you need and want, and are right on the beach. Umbrella and chairs already set up for you, friendly people bringing you food and libations. Movie nights in the pool for the kids, smores on the beach, night beach walks and stargazing while listening to the waves. Kids club, resort activities, Free bike rentals and workout rooms.

I could never go back to a do-it-yourself beach rental. No thanks.