Sailing with young kids can be great fun, but also can be stressful. Whether you grew up sailing with your family, or if you’re looking to get your own kids out on the water, a little preparation can go a long way. So what follows are eight keys to make sailing easy for you – and the kids!

Feel free to comment with your own kid suggestions!

1. Lifejackets On: This may seem obviously, but get them a comfortable, properly fitting life jacket. Insist that they wear it when they’re on deck underway. And don’t be afraid to wear a lifejacket around them as well, to be a good role model.
2. Set Up A Safe Space: Kids, particularly as they get older, want to have a safe space which is theirs. A private bunk (with lee clothes), and a locker may be all they need to have fun and be able to go to their own private space to read, play games, or just relax. Make sure for younger kids as well you have a safe place for them to sleep. For our 1-year-old, our forward cabin can be completely cushioned, making it a safe and protected area for her to sleep at night.
   

3. Plan Shorter Legs: Think of sailing as a car trip. Kids of all ages (we’re mostly talking about under-10 here) can either be entertained, or entertain themselves – up to a point. But one key is to make sure the legs are kept manageable for both parents and your kids. Personally, I’d plan on no more than an hour or two on the first couple days of the cruise. And make sure the conditions are right, reef early, and generally take it easy.
4. Set the boat up for safety: At a minimum, run netting around on the inside of the lifelines of the boat, and get a harness for the kids – kid-sized – for when it is blowing. Reef early. Avoid exposed passages until you and the family are comfortable handling the boat.
5. Observe the 1:1 Rule: Especially for young kids, making sure you have one adult monitoring each kid keeps the skipper and parents relaxed, and the kids safer. For example, we know one family who has one young daughter. The parents basically treat cruising as single-handing, with the skipper handling all duties, while the first mate watches and entertains their daughter. It can be challenging anchoring and leaving harbors, but if you have the right mind set it is a lot more relaxing.
6. Make Sailing Trips Fun For The Kids: Kids, especially young kids, love the adventure of exploring new areas, landing on beaches, getting into dinghies. So make sure you leave lots of time to do these things. Going into a new town, playing at anchor, all of these take one more importance with young ones.
7. Get An Extra Dinghy: With larger families, getting a second dinghy, or a kayak or other watercraft, can help improve mobility while simplifying the inevitable ‘rescue’ of kids gone awry. I have even heard of one set of parents that tied their young boy’s dinghy to the boat, and encouraged him to row around the boat until he got tired.
8. Get Along Swimmingly: May seem obvious, but make sure all the kids can swim. And give them a reward for achieving this goal. For example, if they’re old enough, consider allowing them to go without a lifejacket when at anchor once they pass a swim test.

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Images courtesy of this thread, user CruisingDad on Sailnet.