 Poster: A snowHead
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Our advice is spend extra cash on ski mittens. Attach them with some kind of bungy string together and label them (in fact, label everything).
Go to Decathalon and get a few pairs of ski tights (which are like ski socks with the remainder being tights). Mad though it sounds for a boy (they are black), it's easier to ensure boots are comfortable as socks wrinkle and can slip under the ankle but tights don't budge.
Accept that your own ski days will be extremely short.
Give yourself an hour to get him ready each morning. It takes forever. Make sure he has plenty of liquid circa 7am so you can get him on the slopes hydrated but not desparate.
Remember that you don't hang around at nursery in the mornings in the UK - if you are anything like we were it was drop and go, so follow the same pattern after day 1 on your holiday.
Children trip each other up, push each other out of the way and generally take each other out to be first behind the instructor. This is general behaviour which transcends all language barriers. Children are like us on the slopes when in a group - quietly competitive. They are never fussed by it - unlike us when we see it happen to them!
Play it by ear is also good advice.
As we all know, no two children are the same so our experiences may not be remotely relevant to yours... Our son when that age wanted to go up on the chairlift with us all the time in the afternoons(which required carrying him onto the chairlift which was hugely frowned at by the grumpy French lifties - before setting him down firmly next to me and holding my arm across him all the way up) but then he didn't actually want to ski down himself. Going fast down the mountain with Daddy (which actually involved Daddy holding said child in front of him between his legs) was actually what he had in mind, and wanting him to enjoy the snow as much as we did I pandered to this to the detriment of my back. Other parents would brag about their child's progress, but our son was more interested in playing in the snow. After two years like this, on the afternoon of our December holiday aged 6 he ...just skied. I was shocked but apparently this is fairly common. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Our first daughter was introduced to proper snow aged 1. She loved playing in the snow and riding the gondola, but we didn't try her on skis at that stage - didn't see any point. But still a great intro to the environment and she still remembered it the next season.
DSCF2214 by uktrailmonster, on Flickr
DSCF2241 by uktrailmonster, on Flickr
DSCF2387 by uktrailmonster, on Flickr
At 2 we got her on skis for the first time and she took to it pretty well, although her strength, stamina and attention span was only just up to the job. But she mastered the magic carpet (actually she already played on that at 1) and could ski down easy greens, turning and stopping instinctively.
DSCF3214 by uktrailmonster, on Flickr
DSCF3220 by uktrailmonster, on Flickr
IMG_4424 by uktrailmonster, on Flickr
Last season aged 3, she really started getting into skiing. She started right where she left off the previous season as if it was only yesterday, but this time she was much stronger, both physically and mentally. She could manage a good hour a day of actual skiing and by the end she was riding the chairlifts and taking on blue runs with confidence. I was a very proud dad 
DSCF3614 by uktrailmonster, on Flickr
DSCF3671 by uktrailmonster, on Flickr
DSCF3677 by uktrailmonster, on Flickr
DSCF3647 by uktrailmonster, on Flickr
So what did I learn from this experience so far:-
1. Make it fun!
2. Toddlers have a very short attention span. An hour of skiing is a lonnnng time when you're 3.
3. Give up your own time, don't just throw them in the ski school and expect them to get on with it. It's very rewarding and you get to spend quality time together.
4. Don't try to teach. 3 year olds learn by trial and error, not by bend zee knees instructions. They copy you, so ski like you want them to ski and they eventually just do it.
5. Find other activities for them to do in addition to skiing, otherwise they will get bored.
6. Make it fun!
If you go down the self-teaching route (and I do recommend it at age 3) then the following is an excellent resource. I found this method very practical and it worked a treat for us.
http://www.kid-ski.com
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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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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We've got one of these, great for stopping runaways 2 & 3 year olds but even better at lifting them up! They've had a stand at the ski show the last couple of years http://www.nippergrip.com/en
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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The nippergrip is the harness we used. Used the harness a lot more than the reins, it was really good, for lifting them up,and getting a good grip of son when he was on chairlift. We did use the reins a little in his first ski holiday but didnt find them good for helping him turn, but guess people can use them better. Then on his second week that year used them when we were on a trail as I was worried he'd go off the edge! That was a lot to do with me, rather than him as I hate the edges, better now but I was a nightmare skiing on trails when I first started. Needn't have worried as he was very good at getting down the trails, but I'd rather be safe than sorry!
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That nippergrip looks great. I would have bought one of those. Don't think I would have bought an harness. Good pics uktrailmonster,
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One of the best things that I have found for kids that little, was a little cord that hooks the tip of their skis together. It’s a short bungee cord with a c clamp on each end. The best part was all they have to do is spread their legs and they slow down, or stop. It was a bit hard to remove though, he didn’t think he could ski without it. He did fine though, when he had it on he could go down any trail. We did have to be a bit more careful without it.
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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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If you're getting a harness, I recommend the proper kids climbing harnesses. The rock empire apache fits from about 2, and being a climbing harness is properly tested and very robust. We used this with our eldest to take him on chairlifts from age 2, although he didn't start skiing properly until he was about 5. It's also great for rock climbing and hiking on steep slopes.
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Our son first had lessons at 3 and half in Tignes Val Claret, the lessons were through ESF, but there were two Nannies from Crystal in the snow garden. He got his Piou piou badge, could balance on skis but didn't really do a snow plough by the end of the week.
This year he was four and half and we went with Mark Warner (La Plagne) - they used Oxygene ski school. He started in the snow garden (no Nannies to help out), they moved onto the little drag lift and then onto a couple of chair lifts and skiing down some easy blues. On the fifth day the instructor took them to mountain resturant for lunch. We were really impressed with how much our son learnt with Oxygene - when we skied with him on the last day he happily did about 6 blue runs during the morning.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thanks to everybody for the advice, we got back last weekend after a great holiday.
My son seemed to enjoy Piou Piou and went every day, seeming quite upbeat about it when we picked him up. He moaned a bit a couple of mornings, but was fine once we had left him. I think he was helped by the weather, as it was sunny and 15-20 degrees every day, so no standing around getting cold. I don't think he learnt too much, but the ESF staff were all really nice and he's come away with a positive experience which is all I wanted.
We went up the mountain for lunch on a number of days, but he had no interest in skiing with us or showing us what he'd learnt. Instead we spent the afternoons sledging, swimming and snowboarding.
Next year his sister will also be 3, so we could get them private lessons together every day for the same money as ski school, but I think we'll go for ski school again.
Thanks again.
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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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uktrailmonster, great photos.
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doddsie, good to know it went so well and that Piou Piou was a success.  uktrailmonster, those pictures sum up so well the pleasure of introducing a little one to the snow.
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You know it makes sense.
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Like all of us some children (even at a young age) will shiver and turn away from the window when it snows or the wind howls. Others just thrive. I think it is a case of suck it and see. I am sure there are some little people (hate the use of the kids) out there who never never ever like snow or snow sports. They may do a little to please the parents but will be waiting for their teens to voice their dislike vociferously enough that the parents give in and agree perhaps family skiing isnt a great idea. The parents are then to consider themseves for holidays during term time and to find truly family friendsly hols for the whole family.
Its horses for courses
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