I love this picture because it reminds me how far I’ve come as a parent. When we took my first son to the beach when he was an infant, we hovered over him the entire time to make sure he didn’t eat sand or get wet from the ocean.
With my third son, we stripped him down to his diaper and let him explore the sand on his own. He loved crawling around and feeling the texture of the sand – and yes, he ate a little. It’s such a great reminder to me of how much I’ve let go of controlling everything and let kids be kids.
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Tracey Black is the founder and editor-in-chief for Don't Mess with Mama, the sassy mom's guide to parenting, green living and travel. She is a regular contributor to Redbook's Mamarama blog, and a social media strategist working with eco-friendly brands such as Stonyfield, Juice Beauty and others. She has three boys and lives in San Diego, Calif.
