Here's what you do: go to the beach.

Not in a "take the day off" way. In a "back your car up to the sand, open the trunk, and answer emails while your kid fills a bucket with seawater for the ninth consecutive time" way.

We live near some great beaches and most of us drive past it five days a week without stopping. On random no-school days, it becomes the best coworking space you've never paid a monthly membership for. The wifi is your hotspot. The conference room is your trunk. The childcare is sand.

Here's how to actually make it work.

If you have a truck or SUV, drive to the Venice Pier parking lot off Washington Blvd. Pay the parking fee (currently $5–$15 depending on season and time. Check rates here), and back your car in so the trunk faces the sand.

Pop the trunk. You now have shade, a flat surface, and a direct sightline to your kids. Throw a blanket over the bumper if you want to get fancy. A camp chair behind the car works too.

You're not winning any interior design awards, but you are watching your children and hitting your deadlines at the same time, and that's worth more than any Herman Miller setup.

No truck? A sedan works too. You'll just be more of a "camp chair next to the car" situation instead of a trunk office. Either way, you're parked, you're shaded, and you're here all day because you already paid for parking and that's the kind of sunk cost we honor in this house.

The beach does most of the heavy lifting. Sand is the original open ended toy. But here are a few moves that buy extra time:

Seawater relay. Bring a large plastic storage container (the big ones you might use for holiday decorations). Set it near your car. Give your kids buckets. Tell them to run back and forth to the ocean and fill it up. This is basically crossfit disguised as a game and it will burn an unbelievable amount of energy. If you don't feel like hauling water, park near the beach showers and fill it up there. Now they have a splash station and you didn't even have to get sand in your shoes.

Bring a volleyball. There are public nets on the sand near the pier. Your kids don't need to be good at volleyball. They just need to be busy at volleyball. A ball, a net, and two or more kids will generate at least an hour of entertainment with zero involvement from you.

Pack scooters. When the sand gets old (it will, eventually), pull out the scooters and take a short walk down the boardwalk. Let them ride while you stretch your legs. Walk the pier. Watch the fishermen. Look at the water. Come back. Reset the clock on beach time.

Rent stuff. If you showed up with nothing because this was a last minute decision (respect), the shops (liquor stores) along Washington heading toward the boardwalk sell and rent boogie boards, sand toys, beach chairs etc. Yes, they're priced for tourists. BUT you're a parent who didn't book a camp, and that $12 boogie board is cheaper than the guilt of another ipad marathon.

Do not pack lunch. You're reading this article, which means you're the kind of parent who operates on vibes and last min pivots. Lean in.

Nalu Vida is right there, steps from the pier and the parking lot. Solid burgers, breakfast burritos and pancakes in the morning. Order from the restaurant or order from your phone and make your oldest child go pick it up.

The Whaler has a takeout window. Grab a slice of pizza and keep moving. It's been a Venice institution since the 40s and the pizza through a window move is a beach classic. Quick, cheap, no seating commitment.

Bring more snacks than you think you need (or pick them up when you’re renting the gear) Hungry children are loud (and loud children are the enemy of conference calls).

Got a baby or a toddler? The car is the nap room. Crack the windows, throw up a sunshade, and let them pass out in the car seat while you work. You were prob going to drive around the block three times to get them to sleep anyway.

Run the AC for a few minutes before nap time to cool the car down if it's warm. And obviously, stay with the car. But you knew that.

Let's talk about it. The public restrooms near venice pier are... not it. You know it. We all know it. They're passable when you’re desperate.

For kids: Bring a portable potty. We like the OXO. It folds flat, fits in your trunk or diaper bag, and works as a standalone potty with disposable bags or as a seat on top of public toilets. One critical note: buy the correct refill bags. We tried cheaper third party bags once and ended up with pee all over the back seat. Learn from our mistakes.

For you: Invest in a urination device. Yes, really. They're small, they're cheap and they mean you can use a gross public restroom without actually touching anything. The backpacker guide ranks a bunch of them …the Pibella and SheWee are the top picks. Keep one in your glove box. Beach days, road trips, music festivals, every porta potty situation for the rest of your life.

Because no beach day is complete without it, and your kids will ask.

The honest truth is that ice cream options right by the pier are limited. There's a Cold Stone, which... is fine? But really, if someone could open a proper ice cream shop within walking distance of the pier, we'd be first in line. Consider this a public plea.

Here's the thing about beach/office days: they're not going to be your most productive work day ever. You're going to have sand in your laptop. You're going to mute yourself on a call while yelling "DON'T GO PAST THE TOWER." You're going to eat lunch at 2pm because a small person needed you to evaluate their sand castle for 20 minutes.

But your kid is going to remember it. Not the muted zooms but the ocean part. The running around. Pizza from a window. The fact that you were there, even if you were also technically answering slacks.

And you're going to get through the day without spending $200 on a camp you booked in a panic, without burning PTO, and without relying entirely on screen time to babysit.

You are totally winning! Take the W!

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