 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi Folks,
My name is Neal Collins. I'm Sales & Marketing Director with Directski.com and I need your help.
I'm currently writing some new pages for our website around the area of skiing with families. I've spoken to colleagues who ski with their kids and have got some useful tips for content but I'm along way from finished.
I've a 4 month old baby girl, so I don't have any hands on experience of skiing with kids except being one myself many moons ago and I've also worked as a ski rep but again this was over 15 years ago.
If a friend was to ask you for 1 piece of advice if skiing with kids, what would it be. I'm thinking around the areas of:
- Choosing the right location
- Travelling with children
- What to bring
- Advice on the 1st day
- What to expect
- Younger children vs older children
- What you can expect to get from the holiday
I'm sure there's plenty of other area I haven't considered but hopefully the good people of Snowheads can assist.
Thanks in advance for any help you can offer and I look forward to hearing.
Regards,
Neal
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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My most important tip: Always have an extra pair of gloves for each child in your backpack!
Transfertimes to resort as easy and short as possible
Portable dvdplayers great for journey, and also evenings
Kid sshould know what to expect before going, prepare them that they will do skischool morning and you will pick them up and ski together afternoon
At least you get half day skiing in on your own too
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for babies, take usual familiar baby food from home
Let kids play in snow don't force them to ski all the time
Kids tire quickly
Take the grandparents!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Always always always carry a bar of Milka choc and some handwarmer thingys. When I say carry, I mean put them along with all the other things that OH will ski with on his back 
Strongly agree with Boris that they very often want to play in the snow at the end of the day. That includes collecting very dirty snow from roadside to snowball parents and any other poor sod who happens to be walking by. So make a point of allowing free play in a safe place full of nice deep clean snow!
Don't worry too much about entertaining in the evenings, early bedtimes are easy to come by on ski hols.
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Sunscreen, some old gloves for playing in the snow after skiing (nothing worse than putting damp gloves on the following morning), comfy but sturdy apres-ski boots or shoes, some favourite DVDs from home for the hour before bedtime (chalets often have plenty, but for younger children, a familiar Pingu or similar is good to have), Calpol
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get accommodation as close to the nursery slopes as possible, hopefully where sledging is possible - ideally in an evironment that's away from roads - nothing quite likes being able to sit outside a bar/restaurant at the bottom of the slope watching the setting sun, keeping an eye on the little ones tobogganing up and down the hill. C1650 is very good for this (if you can afford it!). Being able to pop back easily to accommodation is a bonus.
go later in the season when it's generally warmer
Once they are going to ski school on their own then a 'paddington bear' tag (if found please return too) inside the jacket/pocket and some spare euros is a good idea.
Some TO's are ideally setup for kids / some much less so. Pick ones that are known to be good with kids
Expect teenage kids to outski you quite quickly..
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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The absolute must have is that portable DVD player that folks have been going on about for long trips to the alps by car - also a store of kids DVD's to go in them. In an ideal situation this will play through the appt. TV, but watch out as most 12V systems for a car require a costly adaptor to plug into the wall.
Kids like to play in the snow esp. during the time between the last lift and evening meal. An ideal location provides a safe to play in snow area within direct sight of the accommodation so you can be in the appartment having a drink in the warm and still keep an eye on safe proceedings outside.
A family set of 2 way radios is a good reassurance to put in their pockets once they are old enough to use them. Even if they can't bear the feel of the headsets inside their radios, if they do get separated they have the chance to take them out of their pockets and call you. Of course there are limitations on range, but it is better than nothing
Put a card with contact details in their pocket and if necessary any relevant medical info.
Find a way of attaching their gloves to them - some have built in elastic straps that go around their wrists, otherwise there is nothing wrong with the good old elastic through the coat arms approach - loop it through the neck hook on the jacket to stop it getting tangled.
Ditto decent apres ski boots - they don't get much wear out of them, before they are outgrown - ebay does a roaring trade
Its also worth picking a resort with a good eye to location of ski school vs. location of accommodation if you want to drop them back from morning ski school for a quick lunch at the appt to save cash before setting out again in the afternoon. If the appt is uphill from the ski school how long will it take to get back to the appt after collecting them.
Shop around for ski school - prices vary hugely also lesson lengths can vary - a half day lesson of around 3hrs is probably enough for any child - its a good trade off - time to ski by ourselves as adults and family time for the other 1/2 a day
Take buffs/balaclavas for the kids and make sure they can put them on if they don't wear them all day - stick them in their pockets. When the wind gets icy the kids quickly find it as unpleasant as we do, but they don't have the tenacity to stick it out as adults do - something that fits under their helmet close to their face makes a hell of a difference to the time they will then spend out in less than blue sky conditions.
Put a bar of choccy in their pockets, along with a whistle
Show them the piste markers and explain how they work, numbers and left and right colours - develop skiing by marker numbers as an approach to getting the family group down the hill - 'lets all stop at marker 11, who can find it first' approach
Make sure their helmets fit. Some kids have odd shaped heads 
I'm sure I have loads more, but fingers are getting tired!!
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Ship them off with the nanny.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Whitegold, or ski whilst the little dahlings are boarding (school).
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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-Choosing the right location
Checkout the KinderHotels in Austria this is simply a great concept.
All the expats out here swear by them , they are purpose built for exactly what you are trying to give poeple advice on.
They might be a little more expensive up front , but by the time youve paid for all the extras somewhere else, I think youll come out all square.
The just dont do this in France and Switzerland.
Heres what the Telegraph says.
Heres what the Times says.
- Travelling with children
Plug them in, DVD, Nintendo, PSP.
You wont hear another word.
- What to bring
Extra gloves.
Extra Extra Gloves.
- Advice on the 1st day
Hand them over to the Kinder hotel snow school and WALK AWAY.
Come back after lunch and watch from a distance.
- What to expect
A few tears, a few scrapes, but an utterly exhausted child at days end.
- Younger children vs older children
The moutains is no place for a baby. 3 is about the earliest from experience 4 is better.
- What you can expect to get from the holiday
If you go to a kinder hotel, you will get a rest, plenty of time alone, and plenty of fun with your kids.
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Thu 25-06-09 8:20; edited 1 time in total
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| Quote: |
The moutains is no place for a baby.
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No problem brining a baby if you bring a non-skiing nanny / au pair / grandparent with you to babysit. Don't want to miss out on your own skiing!
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You know it makes sense.
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My main tip - research your ski school - especially for younger kids.
Virtually all ski schools offer kids lessons, however my experience has been that there are ski schools that teach skiing to everyone including small kids and then there are ski schools that specialise in teaching small kids to ski. That emphasis is important.
Last year my 4 year learned to ski; First week was in a ski school that seemed to be no more then a place for parents to dump their kids while they went off skiing - X12 4-5 years olds, 3 instructors (who had no real experience or interest in teaching kids) and lots of tears and little progress. After 4 days I pulled her out the class as she was starting to say that she didn't want to learn to ski! Second week I changed ski schools and sent her to a school that specialised in children's classes (in fact they didn't even offer classes for adults) - after X2 days she was skiing down the mountain!
My other tips are to take a portable DVD player, find a resort that has a relatively short flight/transfer, stay as close to ski school as possible and buy second had gear on ebay as they grow out of it so quickly!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Funny how so many tips on here involve portable DVD players. What on earth did kids do before the age of these?!
When I was learning to ski on family ski holidays in the 1980s / 90s no such thing existed, but we managed to amuse ourselves. We made up a club called the "Negnew Club" (guess which resort we went to?!) and invented all sorts of rules and activities for this club, keeping us amused for several hours each evening.
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Poster: A snowHead
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If the mountains is (are?) no place for a baby, how are there any people living there at all?
You may as well say Moscow is no place for a baby. What a daft statement.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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paulio, i suspect he meant a ski holiday is no place for a baby. Unless you are prepared to not ski yourself, or bring someone who can babysit, he's probably right.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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It's still a daft statement.
"Unless you are prepared to do the necessary things that make X possible, X is a bad idea."
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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paulio, have you taken a young baby on a ski holiday then? How was your experience? What tips would you give for skiing holidays with young babies?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Hi Snowheads,
What a response. There is some fantastic practical advice here. Megamum - you've abviously skied a lot with your kids. Great username by the way.
Also some great advice about getting your children settled in ski school. WALK AWAY - probably tough to do but really the only way. My wife teaches 6 and 7 year olds and these were also her words of wisdom.
Can't wait for my 4 month old to grow up so I can take her to the mountains!!
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skihead, what the others said... and welcome to 
To which I might add - consider going to the US or Canada - consistently high quality ski schools with low staff-pupil ratios, a service-orientated ethic, and shared language with the sprogs. It's a long way but worth it.
Personal view - and I now expect incoming flack...!
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skihead,
| Quote: |
Can't wait for my 4 month old to grow up so I can take her to the mountains!!
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What are you waiting for both my daughters were taken on ski holidays at 3 months old.
However we now have the major downside, they both ski better than their Dad
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I'd be well up for it but not sure about my better half. Too young for creche and we'd probably have to ski on our own if only the 3 of us travelled. ALthough the "bring a granny" advice is good. Hmmmm... Might have to plant a seed soon.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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skihead, your better half is too young for Creche?
Are you sure you want to share that?!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| stoatsbrother wrote: |
skihead, your better half is too young for Creche?
Are you sure you want to share that?! |
Nice!!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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If someone was to ask me for one piece of advice for taking small children skiing it would have to be to lower your expectations - everything takes just a little bit longer than expected and with the amount of equipment needed you can guarantee that something will get lost.
The snow environment is a very different experience for most children, and when the new surroundings are added to different and more restrictive clothes, and a whole group of new people who may not speak their language it is not surprising that some children are overwhelmed. Oh, and then they are expected to learn to ski which can be scary, frustrating, cold, wet, hot, tiring, confusing or uncomfortable, and then Dad and Mum are mad because the parallel turn hasn't been mastered in the first lesson.
Choosing the right location - somewhere that the parent is already familiar with, if possible. A smaller, quieter resort may be better, but it may not have the amenities of the larger areas. A dedicated kids ski school or instructors who specialise in teaching children is usually a good idea.
Travelling with children - check the car seat requirements for airline travel - it varies. Fly business class if at all possible on long haul flights. Pack at leat one change of clothes in the carry on bag - more if the child is prone to spilling or under the age of 3. Pack familiar toys and comfort items (teddies, etc), along with a couple of new things for a distraction. Carry snacks. Let the children run around in the airport. With a baby pack more nappies than you think you need for the actual travelling, but no more toys than you would take on a long car journey or day out. A couple of extra muslins are always useful and two light weight blankets pack easier than one. Have the baby travel in a sleep suit ( with 2 or 3 changes) and take socks, jumpers, hat, coat, mittens to put on later. If using formula feed take the powder and use bottled water - for a few feeds it shouldn't have an adverse effect - or buy the 200ml cartons in Boots after you've gone through security. Most British airports that have Boots sell baby formula pre mixed. Feed the baby on take off and landing to help equalise ear pressure.
What to bring - normal night time stuff. Comfortable clothes rather than dress up stuff. Thick tights (even for boys) to go under trousers when long underwear isn't enough. Layers, lots of layers. Check the fit of gloves and mittens before leaving home and see whether they stay on when wearing the ski jacket or snow suit. Mittens that are too small are worse than those that are too big and most children seem to have too small mittens (or gloves). It's often better to bring 2 sets of ski wear than lots of other apres ski clothes - most kids seem to wear their ski stuff all day and then change straight into their PJs. For a baby bring as many nappies as you think you should - I'd pack 2 days worth and buy the rest even if I couldn't get the brand I wanted. Usual OTC medicines - can be bought but it's better to bring them since you usually need them in the middle of the night. Toys, games etc as necessary. Sunglasses and goggles and high spf broad-spectrum sunscreen (spf 100+ is now available).
1st day - expect everything to take longer than you would wish! If possible find out where you need to be and at what time the night before. Allow at least an hour to get rental equipment (if you can't get it the night before) and then another 1/2 hour for using the potty! Have a planned meeting point in case anyone gets lost - write it down for all the family and use mobile phones. Skiing is all about having fun, so if you can look around and gently get going it will be more fun than rushing and getting stressed and then yelling. Tell any instructors, nannies, nursery staff of any special needs - allergies, preferences, behavioural coping strategies. Most professionals would rather be told your coping strategies than spend half the day figuring out that your child has ADHD and only being able to effectively teach them for half the lesson.
What to expect from a first lesson - a 3 to 6 year old should be comfortable in their boots, be able to stand up and slide, and be attempting to stop. They should try to get up unaided if they fall, and should know how to put their skis on even if they can't manage it.
A 6 to 10 year old should be able to carry some of their equipment, know how to put skis on and off, stand and slide, stopping some of the time, get up unaided after a fall if athletic enough, recognise the Skier's Responsibility Code and use some of it.
A 10 to 13 year old should be able to carry their own equipment, put on their own boots, put skis on and off, stand and slide, stop most of the time, get up unaided if athletic, start turning, use a chair or surface lift mostly unaided, understand the need for the Responsibility Code and how to implement it.
These are base expectations, and are only a guide. All children develop differently and will advance at different rates.
Younger children vs older children - younger children will benefit more from a private lesson that can move at their pace. Teens and pre-teens will prefer a social group setting as long as it doesn't make them stand out (any decent instructor should be able to handle the varying needs of a group). Younger children get tired and hungry which is detrimental to their performance so an instructor that understands that breaks are important is essential. If you pay for a 3 hour lesson for your 4 year old expect them to take a break.
What you can expect to get from your holiday - some time to ski without the children, but not too much. A lot of laughter, giggles, smiles, and a few tears. Maybe a few dinners out without the children if you can find a decent babysitter. Some one saying "That was the best ever holiday. When can we go again?". A 2 year old who wants her own skis and boots and then wears them in the living room everyday for the entire summer. A 5 year old who misses his ski instructor so much that you take her to Hawaii for a month so he can be with her!
Neal, if you need anything else you can PM me and I'll be happy to reply - I'm a qualified Norland Nanny and also a PSIA L2 Ski Instructor. I've travelled with children all over the world and I specialise in teaching 2 to 8 year olds to ski in private lessons.
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stoatsbrother, finally, somebody recommends the US - thank-you!
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You know it makes sense.
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skihead, depends on the age group too.
Are we talking toddlers or older children.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I honestly don't think it is that complicated when taking kids. There are 3 distinct bands IMHO:
1) The child is young and needs constant care and supervision and may try a bit of sliding
2) the child is learning to ski and can play unsupervised
3) You can no longer keep up with the little barstewards
All have different challenges.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Frosty the Snowman, I heard Graham say much the same thing about basher's 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| lizski wrote: |
| Portable dvdplayers great for journey |
it always makes me sad when i see these in cars or on any journey, what ever happened to games of I Spy, and songs, and beating up your sister??! 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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barry, our boys look wistfully at other cars who have these. Though they bring their Nintendo DS's for the drive, I look at it as a chance to have a break from this sort of stuff and I think they generally agree with me and appreciate them once home again 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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beanie1, no. But I will.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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On our 6 hour drives to Scotland we love those DVD's.
Anything for a peaceful trip, and it means I only have to stop for petrol.
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With a bit of ingenuity you can also rig up the PS3 to play in car using the DVD screens 
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barry, We have an 11 hour flight and then usually a connecting flight and then the transfer--- would not make it without DVD players! I agree that they shouldnt watch too much, but after a full active day on slopes its not too bad to watch one dvd, calms them down for bed!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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DVD players are so last year... Get them their own ipod Nanos/touchs - preferably as a present from a relly - then they can have films, music, a few games, and less clutter in the car/plane.
We have crossed the pond 9 times with sprog 1 and 7 times with sprog 2. Not an issue.
Wearing Barf proof clothes and having spares is a help too.
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Mosha Marc, Crikey - your kids have got tough bladders!! That's another tip - watch the intake of liquid on the journey - it certainly needs to be enough, but if they are bored, they will drink for something to do and then you are forever stopping. Also when you do stop for petrol insist that do go and try to 'wring one out' otherwise they will only want to 10 mins down the road.
I've done the alps when the kids were relatively young (from about 3+) - I guess I'm up to about 6 trips with them now - if you do it without DVD's consider driving overnight - you might have a problem with your own tiredness on the first day (so its a trade-off), but children will (and in my experience do) sleep in the car for numerous hours leaving (sometimes as long as 8 hours eith mine) you free to drive. However, this year we did it through the day and slept in a motel overnight close to resort to get in a first day skiing - then the DVD cam into its own.
OK so we managed before they were invented and of course none of us had them on long car journeys as kids, but hey! for the odd one off uses for longer car drives, if the technology exists why not take advantage of the benefit now you can get it.
I can't run to any other system, but my prized possession for them is a 4" double screen DVD player from Argos on a special (4 per branch job) about 5 years ago. We got caught once in the hellhole that was the A500 once as part of a total 10hr journey back from Anglesey one year - during that hold-up there was a clear difference between the relatively calm car where the kids were ensconced with DVD's and those that were the 'have nots' - its like my satnav (something I swore I'd never have, but is another truely wonderful gadget for the lone driving I now do) worth every penny if you can possible run to something like a DVD system or the modern equivalent.
skihead,
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FAQ
