One thing that is way more complicated than I thought it would be is swim clothes for the little guy.

When I was a kid in the ’80s, boys wore swim suits and no shirts.  Girls wore regular old swim suits that girls wear.  So naturally I have been caught off guard this past year as we get swim clothes for the little guy.  After all, I assumed it would be a cute little swim suit, and that’s all.  Ha!

The thing is, we care a lot more about sun protection now.  It seems that in the era we live in, everything is out to get us -including the sun.  And that means we need to buy SPF shirts for the kids, and preferably a one piece swim garment with a zipper up the front.  3/4 sleeve at least.  Imagine a body suit that surfers wear, then make it of spandex, and you have a good idea of what we are talking about here.  Gender can be indicated by pattern and color, I guess.

Then of course there’s the hats.  Sun hats are probably the second ugliest garment a kid wears.  First most ugly is a sun hat for swimming.  They are also made of spandex, and they have a bit of fabric that hangs down to protect the neck.  I hate them.  And my son hates them too. My wife likes them.

There are plenty of other swimming garments – shoes, gloves and so on.  And there are tons of fun ways to spend your money for pool toys, too.  If you have any money left after buying the swim clothing, that is. 😉