 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi Everyone - this is my first post so apologies if it is in the wrong place (If it is please let me know and I'll move it) 
At what age would a child be able to start to get something out of a ski season in terms of actually skiing?
I am considering a ski season with my son and wife. We'd like to go once our son is ready to start skiing - he is currently 10 months old (birthday is start of November) so it will be a few years yet.
I guess it depends on the specific child but any advice or shared wisdom would be great.
Also any pointers on choosing a resort (or suggestions) would be very welcome - my wife is a fluent German speaker so we were considering looking at Austria but are open to anywhere.
Thanks, Henry
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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An interesting idea. The optimum age for kids to learn a second language seems to be between 2 and 4, and at the younger age they can pick up extraordinarily fast. I'd be tempted to home in on that, rather than the skiing. If you go somewhere of a reasonable size so there are local nurseries/kindergartens etc he can attend, he should have a great time.
If your wife is a native speaker of German would he be growing up bilingual anyway? If so, might be worth going somewhere you can all learn a new language!
In terms of actual skiing 4 would be better than 2, obviously - but a 4 year old will miss familiar friends and routines a lot more than a 2 year old would.
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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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4 years is the minimum age to start, depending also on a child - unless you put on ski boots from the age of 3 and yor son is really strong  many resorts has free beginner drags -in AT look at Alpbach, France - Morzine or any other smaller resort
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Henwc, all the Salzburger resorts have free passes for under 6s and I believe many of the Tirolean ones do as well. Seasonal rents in resorts are expensive but if you move slightly away from the lifts they can be considerably cheaper. The Kindergartens start their ski lessons with the local children in the winter after they start, so rising 4 for the main part. I've taken groups with 3 years who play part of the day and slide around using magic carpets, carousels, etc all within the safety of the children's ski kindergarten. They also have warm rooms where they can withdraw for naps or if the weather is too much for them sometimes on the same site or sometimes in a nearby lift building for example. The ski instructors who work with these youngsters are mostly trained nursery nurses as well as instructors.
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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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if you move slightly away from the lifts they can be considerably cheaper.
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you will have a car, presumably, and from the point of view of becoming involved in a local community it would probably be better to be away from the "front de neige" anyway.
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| pam w wrote: |
| An interesting idea. The optimum age for kids to learn a second language seems to be between 2 and 4, and at the younger age they can pick up extraordinarily fast. I'd be tempted to home in on that, rather than the skiing. |
Brilliant idea!
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| If your wife is a native speaker of German would he be growing up bilingual anyway? If so, might be worth going somewhere you can all learn a new language! |
Even with both parents speaking a second language, often times the kid's still not all that fluent in that second language. Having only one parent speaking that language probably won't do all that much good to even get him started. But putting the kid in that environment for a few months? That will do wonders to get him started "native"!
Personally, I place more value on fluent in one language over being mediocra in 2.
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| In terms of actual skiing 4 would be better than 2, obviously - but a 4 year old will miss familiar friends and routines a lot more than a 2 year old would. |
Even at 4, he probably won't be doing all that much skiing. Maybe better to just do week long holidays and get him started but do the season when he's old enough to ski A LOT.
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Thanks for the great advice everyone, Sue my wife learnt German as an English native and we don't speak it at home so Austria might give a good balance (although we are both keen to learn another language) - plenty to think about - will certainly think about the wider experience (language, culture etc.) for him than just the skiing - it sounds like a full on season for him is a long while off but something a bit broader would be positive - I might have a look at short term jobs in Zurich and or Munich to see if anything fits
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