Tips for parents on Maui and Haupia

I have learned a lot about raising a child on a tropical island in the 2 1/2 yrs I've lived on Maui. Some things are common sense and some are unique to my location. Here are some of the most important things I've learned:

1) Baby powder is your best friend at the Beach. 
One of the first things I learned upon moving to Maui is that you always bring baby powder to the beach. It is a miracle at removing sand from tiny bodies. A quick sprinkle will dry any sand stuck to the skin and allow you to dust it away.

2) Regular diapers are better at keeping out sand than swim diapers. 

One of the biggest issues with infants at the beach is the infiltration of sand into everything everywhere. After much trial and error I have found that while swim diapers work great in pools, at the beach they let a tremendous amount of sand into areas you really don't want it. In my experience the slight swelling you get with a regular diaper at the beach is worth the extra protection you get from sand and chaffing . While no diaper will keep out all the sand the slight amount that accumulates with a regular diaper can be easily removed with baby powder (See tip #1)

3) Child safety seats are worth a tax credit. 

If you are making Maui your long term home and have to purchase a child safety seat, always keep your receipt. In Hawaii you can claim a $25 tax credit for child safety seats on your state income taxes each year. Its not much but its worth it. 

4) Always use tear free sunscreen on the face. 

There are a million different types of sunscreen available these days. The best thing I can recommend for children and adults alike is using one of the tear free options on the face. Maui is humid and you sweat a lot. Regular sunscreen will run when mixed with sweat and cause severe burning in the eyes, the tear free option keeps this from happening and you will have much happier outings if you use it.

5) A year pass to the Maui Ocean Center is worth it. 

There aren't many options for entertaining small children on Maui on rainy or high surf days. The Maui Ocean center is a great option in these occasions. Normally I wouldn't recommend year passes for an attraction like this but the Ocean Center is actually highly affordable. First children under 3 are free. For adults a one day pass is $25.95 where as a year pass with unlimited visits is $60, and this is before the generous 20% Kamaaina discount offered to those with a Hawaiian ID. Basically 2 visits will pay for a year pass.Children 3-12 are $18.95 per visit or $47 for an annual pass before discount.   For families of 4 you can get a year pass for 2 adults and 2 children for $175 before discount. Additional children can be added to a family pass for $40. The center has some awesome exhibits and educational programs and an amazing gift shop. For parents of  kids 6-12 I recommend their Sleep with the Sharks sleepovers, an awesome overnight experience for kids where they get to camp out in the shark tunnel. 

One of the other awesome discoveries I've made on Maui is Haupia. Haupia is a traditional Hawaiian coconut pudding that sets up like jello and can be sliced into squares and eaten, poured into a pie shell for pie, or used to make an awesome poke cake. Here is my favorite recipe for it. 

HAUPIA

Ingredients

• 2 cans Coconut Milk
• 2 cups cold water
• 1/2 cup white sugar 
• 1/2 cup organic sugar
• 1 cup cornstarch

Directions

• 1
  Combine the cornstarch and water. Stir until smooth.
• 2
  Add the sugar and coconut milk.
• 3
  Cook over medium low heat until thickened and shiny stirring frequently. If the haupia is grainy, you need to keep cooking the mixture because the fat in the coconut milk has not yet melted. 
• 4 When the haupia has thickened to a custard like consistency pour into a 8x9 baking dish and chill for at least 2hrs in the refrigerator.
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