Top Ten Tips for skiing with your kids

fannymagee

Thanks Olaola for the suggestion for this thread- great idea!

My number one piece of advice: don't be fooled- it doesn't matter how experienced you are, skiing with your own kids is VERY different to skiing with other people's. I found that out the hard way! ;-)

Anyone who has survived this learning curve, please feel free to add your Top Ten Tips for those facing into it. It's brilliant- best thing EVER once they become competent, but the first few days are tough while they're getting the hang of it. Hang in there!

Here's my Top Ten:

1- Make sure they're toilet trained
2- Get gloves with wrist straps
3- No poles for as long as humanly possible
4- DO NOT watch them in Kinderland. They'll kick up blue murder, and it's hard, but you have to be really reassuring and leave them to it, they will not progress while you're watching.
4b- They will be out of Kinderland after 4 days. Even if they're the slowest learner in the class, they WILL get there. Trust them, stay positive and hang in there.
5- DO NOT go on a lift with your own child until you have your nerves under control. It's terrifying when they're tiny, don't quite reach the bar & have big weights strapped to their feet. Fear is contagious, and they won't thank you for it ;-)
6- Let them sleep in their undergarments for the next day.
6a- Bathing and hair-washing is unnecessary in the mountains. Everything is self-cleaning ;-)
7- Wear layers, but no hoodies. They're bulky & get wet and are generally a pain.
7a- Remember to keep braces on the OUTSIDE of the layers, otherwise going to the toilet is a nightmare.
8- Goggles, not sunglasses.
9- No onesies. SO uncool in Kinderland, and a nightmare in the toilets.
10- TIP THEIR SKI INSTRUCTOR!! Kids instructors work hardest for least money, and get less tips. They are generally amazing. If you are happy with how they have looked after your child, TIP THEM! Every little helps

So there ya go- if you have packed for, planned and executed a ski trip with kids, please add your own Top Ten. We'll have a mine of info before long.

Happy skiing everyone! :-)

dzer2

It helps if the child is in creche even for one day a week.

Make the occasion fun don't be afraid of falling in front of them.

Most tourist boards have a list of qualified nannies. So if your child is very young these nannies will pick them up for a half day.

Leave all instruction to the ski schools and let the kiddies show you in the evening.

After dropping at the ski school leave as quickly as possible even if the child is crying as the ski instructors are excellent and a re used to this after about an hour they will have everyone joining in.

olaola

Great tips! And tbh, I wouldn't have thought of ANY of those things. Hopefully this time in a year or two we'll be bringing the wee man.

zagmund

#11 - bring "emergency" chocolate & other stuff. Send them out with some stuff that's easy to access and bite size in their pockets. That way they can give themselves a little energy boost if they start getting hungry and it's an hour to lunch. And they can share their new best friend they meet in ski school. We found dried apple/banana was good. It doesn't get smushed when they fall over.

#12 - tell them never to take their gloves off on a ski lift. May be moot if #2 is followed, but you would be surprised how many gloves you see in the snow underneath the lifts.

#13 - until they are competent, they must do whatever the instructor tells them and not go off on a solo run. My kids still remember the guy in their class from a few years back who tried to do a trick one afternoon after lunch while waiting for the class to get together. Or possibly it was the skidoo ambulance that was needed to bring him to hospital. Just like in school at home - do what the teacher tells you.

#14 - the buzz you get when you come across your kids class by chance on the slopes later in the week is pretty hard to beat.

#15 - give Almdudler a shot if in Austria. It's impossible to describe in terms that most non-Austrians will understand. Like trying to describe red lemonade to a non-Irish person. Except Almdudler is much nicer. Much. Kids (mine anyway) love it, and it's a nice refreshing drink for adults too.

I don't get the whole thing with some parents who are unable to leave their kids in ski school without a big production (and tears on both sides). As mentioned above, the people who are looking after them are doing this *every single week*. I think you'll find they know how to work with kids, distract them, get them interested, get them moving. The one thing that throws a spanner in the works is when the parents continue to hang around and get the kids attention. Best thing is to drop them off, wish them well, go for a ski. Chances are that by the time you go up the lift and ski back down your kids will still be in the same place anyway so you can still sneak a quick peek.

I'm possibly still stuck in 1980s ski safety - no hoodies, no scarves, no dangly things that might catch in other dangly things. Keep the clothing simple.

I wouldn't quite agree with #5 - don't go on any lift with any child (or any old dear - you know the type) until you are confident you can get them off at the top. It's pretty simple once you get the hang of it - just give them a push from behind (in a straight line unless you like crashing) once you get to the top and they go shooting off ahead of you. Normally the lift operators will be watching for issues with young kids in a class anyway.

fannymagee

zagmund wrote: »

#11 - bring "emergency" chocolate & other stuff. Send them out with some stuff that's easy to access and bite size in their pockets. That way they can give themselves a little energy boost if they start getting hungry and it's an hour to lunch. And they can share their new best friend they meet in ski school. We found dried apple/banana was good. It doesn't get smushed when they fall over.

#12 - tell them never to take their gloves off on a ski lift. May be moot if #2 is followed, but you would be surprised how many gloves you see in the snow underneath the lifts.

#13 - until they are competent, they must do whatever the instructor tells them and not go off on a solo run. My kids still remember the guy in their class from a few years back who tried to do a trick one afternoon after lunch while waiting for the class to get together. Or possibly it was the skidoo ambulance that was needed to bring him to hospital. Just like in school at home - do what the teacher tells you.

#14 - the buzz you get when you come across your kids class by chance on the slopes later in the week is pretty hard to beat.

#15 - give Almdudler a shot if in Austria. It's impossible to describe in terms that most non-Austrians will understand. Like trying to describe red lemonade to a non-Irish person. Except Almdudler is much nicer. Much. Kids (mine anyway) love it, and it's a nice refreshing drink for adults too.

I don't get the whole thing with some parents who are unable to leave their kids in ski school without a big production (and tears on both sides). As mentioned above, the people who are looking after them are doing this *every single week*. I think you'll find they know how to work with kids, distract them, get them interested, get them moving. The one thing that throws a spanner in the works is when the parents continue to hang around and get the kids attention. Best thing is to drop them off, wish them well, go for a ski. Chances are that by the time you go up the lift and ski back down your kids will still be in the same place anyway so you can still sneak a quick peek.

I'm possibly still stuck in 1980s ski safety - no hoodies, no scarves, no dangly things that might catch in other dangly things. Keep the clothing simple.

I wouldn't quite agree with #5 - don't go on any lift with any child (or any old dear - you know the type) until you are confident you can get them off at the top. It's pretty simple once you get the hang of it - just give them a push from behind (in a straight line unless you like crashing) once you get to the top and they go shooting off ahead of you. Normally the lift operators will be watching for issues with young kids in a class anyway.

100% agree on the Almdudler! We had tears once in Munich airport because I couldn't explain how the invisible border between Austria & Germany meant that "one last Almdudler" just wasn't possible!

Re: number 5: sorry I probably wasn't clear enough that I was writing that from the perspective of a competent skier, very experienced in skiing with other people's kids. My point was that you can't underestimate how different it is when you ski with your OWN kids. Suddenly everything is 100% more dangerous, and worst case scenarios seem like the only possible outcome. I was SHOCKED by this!! I am absolutely not an over-protective parent, but those feckin ski-lifts gave me the willies big time, to the extent that for the duration of my son's first ski trip I sent him with other people & I took other kids. I got over it quick enough once he became more competent, but the first few lift journeys were dire. Just sharing my experience so others might be forewarned

olaola

Brought the wee man out on a hike today, all wrapped up. He seems to love it, slept for most of it. So the cold doesn't seem to bother him Bodes well, I hope!

MadsL

I fashioned a harness for my four year old back in the day from a climbing sling and a couple of caribiners. (She's nearly 18 now :eek:)

These handles are great for assisting kids on/off lifts and just generally manhandling them when they are on the snow.

Also have a quiver of gloves or mittens. Mittens are WAY warmer than gloves, but listen to your kid - if it is a warm day they may be overheated in the mittens.

MadsL

fannymagee wrote: »

3- No poles for as long as humanly possible

I sincerely wish all instructors were to follow this with adults. I skied Ruidoso, NM at Christmas and the amount of Texan newbs who nearly rotorouted my nostrils with pole tips was quite unimpressive.

<controversial>
90% of all skiers haven't a clue how to use poles
</controversial>

As a ski-boarder I have completely abandoned poles, the sheer joy of sking on/off lifts without having to mess with poles is great.

fannymagee

Olaola: AWWWWWW!!! So gorgeous!!

MadsL: Haha love the controversy, you're dead right

fannymagee

Also, agree re: mittens, not only for warmth but also because its enough hassle getting the thumb into mittens, the thoughts of having to position 8 other fingers into gloves would drive anyone demented