The Beach

We just arrived home from a weeks vacation at the beach. Since Abby was little the beach was a little bit of a struggle. For typical kids learning to walk across the sand can be tough. Tack onto that serious motor delays and balance problems and you have disaster. At four she still can't walk across the sand without falling. This is the first year that we have skipped the stroller on the beach and it was tough for all of us.

The second issue is the boardwalk. For those of us with traditional balance... no problem. For a kid with balance problems... again, disaster. Uneven boards. Some boards go vertical while others run horizontal. There are wall to wall people who might bump into her or brush against her. All of these things are enough to cause falls and bumps and bruises.

The third issue is a new place. Abby does very well in places she is familiar with. Her house. School. My parents. Anywhere she goes frequently she creates motor memory for. She knows her way around and can navigate easily. You put her in a new environment and we have many bumps, bruises and falls.

There are several other obstacles we faced but nothing too serious. As she gets older and can do a better job of figuring out her own needs and obstacles we have an easier time.

Luckily we left our vacation with no serious injuries. No stitches or casts or concussions were experienced. So we'll mark this one as a success!