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Tips for taking kids skiing

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Gin
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Kids won't drink gin... Try rum in hot chocolates
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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?
I meant for the adults
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@NickyJ, cover it in stickers
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Jonny996 wrote:
@NickyJ, cover it in stickers


My sister is talking about spraying it.
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@cameronphillips2000, @Richard_Sideways, Laughing Laughing Laughing surely wine is more appropriate in France?

@NickyJ I was thinking the same, cheaper to buy a new helmet.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Explore taking a blow up toboggan for informal fun in the evenings. We have in the past and it’s been a highlight. A travel compendium can also provide evening entertainment if that’s your/her thing. It isn’t all about skiing so having other amusement to hand can really help.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
after a few days please don't ski behind them screaming chips or pizza!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Recommendations;

Equipment/Materials (aside from the obvious);
- Glove Inners
- Handwarmers (buy before you go as they're ruinously expensive in resort, very cheap here)
- Face Mask
- Chocolate
- Good goggles for both bright and cloudy conditions
- Laminated card with contact details
- Parental Permission letter (I quite often take my niece and daughter together and immigration DID want to see the letter for my niece)
- Spare shoes for when you, inevitably, end up somewhere else in the resort and are too late to reclaim the ones you left in the rental shop
- Medical Permission letter (can be combined with Parental Permission); you need authority to consent to treatment, transport and to see medical records

Other recommendations;
- Book AFTERNOON ski lessons - avoid the massive rush and stress in the morning, you're on holiday !
- Spare shoes for when you, inevitably, end up somewhere else in the resort and are too late to reclaim the ones you left in the rental shop

Not recommended;

Taking your super-keen and totally fearless 14yo niece off-piste (barely - a between piste run) and having her lose a ski, fall and bruise herself and then tell her mother what great fun it all was and show her the bruises !
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Ski the Net with snowHeads
Quote:

Good goggles for both bright and cloudy conditions

I've been taking my kids and my grandchildren skiing for over 30 years and never yet have any of the little sods had more than one pair of cheap goggles!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
NickyJ wrote:
t4tomo wrote:
Csb123 wrote:
Put aside any ideas of getting on early morning lifts for fresh pistes. The faffage involved in skiing with kids is unbelievable to anyone used to skiing in adult groups.


Dunno about that, mine drag me up for the first lift, they are super keen. Although it’s normally me in the evening asking sure all the gear that needs drying, is drying and not in a pile on the floor somewhere.


Given we are talking about a beginner, then the poster is correct. As you need to get that child Ito their lessons before you can ski yourself.

I guess it is possible to get said child and yourself ready so that the instance they are left in lesson you can ski but we haven’t managed that. We have ended up getting child into lesson then gout our stuff on, this way you are able to help the children with their gear.


I cannot stress strongly enough what a great idea it is to put kids in AFTERNOON ski lessons. Got that tip from an Austrian who pointed out to me that it was mostly the foreigners who were rushing every morning to get their kids to ski school. You have to roust the kid out of bed quite early to be sure of getting there, if they or you forget anything it's a nightmare and then there is usually a lot of standing around waiting for everyone to arrive given the crush and confusion. If you ski with the kid in the morning then you can take things much more easily, you actually end up on the pistes earlier and you know that you've got all the kit ready. I used to go skiing with my kids in the morning, have an early lunch, and then drop them at ski school for the afternoon.

Also, depends on the level, but the best ever trip with kids was when we paired up with three other families and just hired a ski instructor for our kids. Ended up costing about the same as putting them in ski school but it was much more convenient and the kids learned a lot faster that holiday.
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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.
Charliee wrote:
after a few days it is compulsory to ski behind them screaming chips or pizza!


FIFY

Afternoon lessons are not a bad idea to avoid the morning rush/panic but if you go for these ensure they dont tire themselves out in the morning. It can be just as bad to have to coax overtired kids to lessons, tears are not unknown.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Take 6 things to do. 1 each night in the pub. Cheap book. Magazine. Handicraft kit. Available from Wilkinson etc. Mine have loved this. Occupies them for half hr. Costs about a couple of quid each.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
put a note in child's pocket with your address and phone number written on it


Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Mon 11-10-21 21:59; edited 1 time in total
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
...


Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Thu 24-01-19 2:16; edited 1 time in total
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
We now have two sets of gloves and a letter of consent! We fly tomorrow so if we've forget anything its too late now. looks like the weather is on our side and conditions are good. can't wait to share what a winter holiday is all about with her!

Thanks for all the great tips, i shall let you know how we get on next week.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@Russeh, i hope she has an amazing time.
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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?
My advice is that not all ski schools are the same. Our kids hated ESF and the production line approach, but loved it the last 2 years with Sweet in Courcheval and New Gen in Meribel. Both are considerably more expensive than ESF, but if you are having to miss a morning skiing because they don't want to go for lessons it makes the trip easier.

Also we have found (and ours are younger) that kids love being kids so snow ball fights, sledding, and generally just playing in the snow is heaps of fun, the skiing for the kids is a bonus
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@NickyJ, i think we're more excited for her Laughing

@FrediKanoute, totally agree, ESF are too hit or miss we learnt that a while ago. we're booked now for a weeks worth of lessons with New Gen Courchevel Cool
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Last week I traveled through immigration at Glasgow airport and they were asking every parent for proof of relationship to their children and handing out cards about human trafficking. So definitely a birth/adoption certificate.
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Russeh wrote:
We now have two sets of gloves and a letter of consent! We fly tomorrow so if we've forget anything its too late now. looks like the weather is on our side and conditions are good. can't wait to share what a winter holiday is all about with her!

Thanks for all the great tips, i shall let you know how we get on next week.


Hope you have an amazing time.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
+1 on afternoon ski lessons. We spend every day in term trying to get them to school on time...much better not to rush when you are on holiday.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Have a super holiday, @Russeh snowHead
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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.
iainm wrote:
+1 on afternoon ski lessons. We spend every day in term trying to get them to school on time...much better not to rush when you are on holiday.


This will obviously depend from child to child then. My daughter especially is much better on mornings, more able to concentrate and follow instructions, after lunch she finds it much harder. Both my children naturally wake somewhere between 6am and 6:30am and as I am up by 6am to get to work this is the time we are all used to getting up and dressed.
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Ski the Net with snowHeads
If you are planning some skiing with her after lessons, we found that our boys loved spending breakfast/lunch going over the lift map and taking turns planning out the route for the next session. We would then let them take the lead on navigation. 5 years later and we are basically just following them round the resort (if we can keep up).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Don't agree with snowdome prior - this can actually put them off in terms of actual skiing and the only benefit is putting boots and skis on - a waste of £ IMHO and far better for you to be the teacher as far as putting on kit is concerned . . .save your hard earned for a kids private lesson when you get there that will have far more value . . .

Gloves - definitely buy spares and / or straps (you can buy cheap camera wrist straps from ebay)

Yellow helmet - nobody wears these so easy to identify from the usual black/white/red variants . . .

Packed lunches = waste of time. Soggy by lunchtime and a pain to use a pack as a beginner . .

Always ski with them in the afternoon . . .they will be desperate to show you their progress - that's why you took them in the first place?
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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.
did a search, and sorry if I missed it, but insurance and I'd go one extra and get the ski pass carte thingy insurance too. Hopefully you'll never need it but worth making sure she's covered.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
#1. Kids are more sensitive to cold, damp, pain, fatigue - you can't become frustrated, you must accept it - it really does hurt more when you are little. Certainly did as I remember.
#2. A chest harness with lifting handle - great for putting them back on their feet, lifting them onto chair lifts, stopping them form sliding under the bar etc
#3. Chocolate - They will soon get tired and refuse to move, start crying etc. A piece of chocolate will buy you enough time to get down. Keep a dozen fun size bars in each pocket.
#4. Toilet - It's hard to cross your legs doing snowplough and it is a nightmare with all the layers and straps etc. Go early and go often.
#5. Keep calm and carry on - they WILL frequently kick off, flip out, throw a tantrum etc. at the drop of a hat (sometimes literally), I can even remember doing it myself - but don't give up because just as quickly it's all forgotten.
#6. Make it fun - let them join in as much as possible - navigation, decisions, jokes, banter etc. - they love to be part of the team and will put up with much more misery that way.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
we're skiing with three kids (4, 6, 13).

Agree on the gloves. Decathlon have silk liners that work well, or have a spare pair, or the warmers.

Take it easy and don't feel you need to push her, it has to be fun.

The ski school with others is a very good idea, especially if it's the same instructor and group for the time she's signed up.

Biggest thing for us is 'crash chocolate'. If you crash ... you get chocolate, preferably on the spot, otherwise to be redeemed later ... it sounds simple but by god it works, even still on our 13 year old (or she could be just playing me along ...)

Nothing that others haven't said already, but just have fun and let her help dictate the pace (or let the ski school do what they do best and enjoy entertaining her outside of that) ... lucky niece btw.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
thanks to @nigelg, this is excellent advice. We took 2 friends of our kids' to the US last summer. We needed a whole raft of paperwork, testimonial letters etc.

As to your OP -- make sure she has comfortable, good quality goggles and gloves that are warm and have long cuffs. Cold hands ruined many a ski session. Help her with boot fit and helmet fit -- make sure both are correct. Don't worry about downtime, new skiers of any age will be wiped out and mellow by 5 p.m...
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I think that it's a wonderful idea (we started both of our children skiing at 4 years old) - but the pre-ski school dash to organise one or more children could perhaps be quite a culture shock for you both if you are not already used to the organisational/emotional/clothing/communications chaos of a normal pre-school routine!
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