DS refuses to go into the sea

[kozachka]

This is a minor b!tch but still. We flew all the way to Hawaii, I've researched the best beaches for DS and he is refusing so much as to get his feet wet in the sea. And keeps begging to go to the pool. We might have stayed in San Diego and save ourselves the flight time and expense.

Our hotel (which had great reviews on Tripadvisor but I am underimpressed with) does not have the best of pools since I was looking for hotel with a better beach/sborkeling. And waves have been too big these couple days that we've been here, except at the so called Baby Beach.

[luvmypeanut]

I'm so sorry to hear this since I know you researched your holiday well. I don't have any good tips for you but I'll tell you that ds doesn't like the water at all, pool or beach, but will eventually venture down to the water's edge after a while playing on the sand. Sometimes it takes forcing them to go to the beach and once they're there they really enjoy it. I've started taking a few of his Take Along Thomas trains and he loves to bury them and make tracks for them in the sand. Then I can move him closer and closer to the wet sand without him noticing.

I hope the rest of your holiday is fun and that you're enjoying yourselves regardless.

[maestramommy]

Elena, are you staying in Maui? We went to the baby beach, and it was fantastic! So gentle! I would keep trying there. Hope your DS gets his sea legs soon!

[Melanie]

My son was the same way until just last summer. Now he loves it. He would sit happily in the sand and play while Grandma would fetch buckets of water for his castles. I'd just give him time.

[Pennylane]

My dc aren't crazy about getting in the ocean either but I love to sit on the beach. The past 2 years we have gone, I take a blow up pool and put it on the beach and they have a blast. Carrying water from the ocean, playing in the sand. Every year they seem to get a little braver too!

Hope the rest of your trip goes well.

Ann

[kozachka]

Thank you for commisserating with me, ladies. Wanted to give you an update.

We negotiated with DS and spent some time by the pool where he 'snorkeled' and pretty much learned how to swim underwater and some time on the beach where he was digging for pirate treasure ;). We spent 5 days in Maui in Ka'anapali and 5 days in Oahu in Waikiki where we were joined by MIL and her long-term live-in BF who DS thinks of as GF. He tried to get DS to go into the water but it did not work. On the last day we were sitting by the particularly shallow part of Waikiki beach and DS was miserable and complained how hot he was. DH and I carried him into the water and left him to stand knee deep. Initially DS got upset but than realized there were no waves, current or sharks and started enjoying it. Within 15 minutes he was snorkeling and happy as a fish. Wish we did it few days earlier.

This morning DS was crying on the way to preschool and asking to go back to Hawaii and California or at least Florida. Worst case stay home.