 Poster: A snowHead
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I am looking for a bit of help regarding ski schools for young children.
My youngest is 4 in January and we are thinking about putting him into lessons on a dry slope commencing next month to get him used to skis before we go skiing in Europe in January and April.
He was in a Piou Piou club last year for a few days but it was a bit of a struggle as he was really too young and cried quite a bit.
My wife's concern is that if we send him for lessons before we go away, he will be in a group of kids the same age who will never have had skis on before (or ever seen snow before) and will spend the week walking around with one ski on etc., getting used to having skis strapped on to his feet again.
Has anyone been through this situation before and can offer advice ? Would we be as well just leaving the lessons until we go away ?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Joy Zipper wrote: |
I am looking for a bit of help regarding ski schools for young children.
My youngest is 4 in January and we are thinking about putting him into lessons on a dry slope commencing next month to get him used to skis before we go skiing in Europe in January and April.
He was in a Piou Piou club last year for a few days but it was a bit of a struggle as he was really too young and cried quite a bit.
My wife's concern is that if we send him for lessons before we go away, he will be in a group of kids the same age who will never have had skis on before (or ever seen snow before) and will spend the week walking around with one ski on etc., getting used to having skis strapped on to his feet again.
Has anyone been through this situation before and can offer advice ? Would we be as well just leaving the lessons until we go away ? |
Where in the country are you?
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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 experience with young kids (4/5 and 7/ and dry ski slopes is that for little kids they are hard work as overcoming the friction is quite difficult, the equipment for the smallest is often rubbish (no skis <100cm at ours), and everything seems like a lot of effort. My youngest is a decent skier for her age but was unimpressed by the dry slope; by next year I suspect she’ll enjoy it. My eldest is good enough and (just about!) big enough to have fun and now skis weekly on our local slope.
If, instead of spending on dry slope lessons before + group lessons on holiday, you went private for a week @ 2hrs/day on holiday, I suspect your child might learn much faster and, if you can get the right instructor, might also be much happier. Or, as an alternative UK activity, consider ice skating as a great way to introduce kids to very similar movement and balance as skiing (our instructors tell us that they can immediately spot beginner skiers who can already ice skate).
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Get the basics done at the dry slope, definitely. Then, to avoid your littl'un getting put into a group below his 'ability', just do what all the other parents do and tell the ski-school he's skied before. If your son has learned even the basics on the dry slope, I promise you, he won't be the worst in the group by a long way.
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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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Ours had a couple of private lessons at that age on the dry slope. The instructor was fantastic. I think they generally are a the UK ski centres.
I found, through painful experience, the key to skiing with young children is managing expectations. Go in with none and everything positive will be a pleasant surprise. Go in expecting them to love skiing, stay dry and warm, the sun to shine, they show Olympic potential.. etc. etc. and it could well be stressful. Definitely worth doing though and they'll certainly have more fun if they've got past the 'how to stand up on skis' bit on a dry slope before they hit snow.
Just remember that getting a couple of toddlers dressed, out of the house and in the car is stressful so anything you manage on a ski slope/holiday should be seen as a success.
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| PaulC1984 wrote: |
| Joy Zipper wrote: |
I am looking for a bit of help regarding ski schools for young children.
My youngest is 4 in January and we are thinking about putting him into lessons on a dry slope commencing next month to get him used to skis before we go skiing in Europe in January and April.
He was in a Piou Piou club last year for a few days but it was a bit of a struggle as he was really too young and cried quite a bit.
My wife's concern is that if we send him for lessons before we go away, he will be in a group of kids the same age who will never have had skis on before (or ever seen snow before) and will spend the week walking around with one ski on etc., getting used to having skis strapped on to his feet again.
Has anyone been through this situation before and can offer advice ? Would we be as well just leaving the lessons until we go away ? |
Where in the country are you? |
We are in Edinburgh. Looking at Polmont for the lessons as Hillend don't do lessons until 4 years old.
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| cameronphillips2000 wrote: |
Ours had a couple of private lessons at that age on the dry slope. The instructor was fantastic. I think they generally are a the UK ski centres.
I found, through painful experience, the key to skiing with young children is managing expectations. Go in with none and everything positive will be a pleasant surprise. Go in expecting them to love skiing, stay dry and warm, the sun to shine, they show Olympic potential.. etc. etc. and it could well be stressful. Definitely worth doing though and they'll certainly have more fun if they've got past the 'how to stand up on skis' bit on a dry slope before they hit snow.
Just remember that getting a couple of toddlers dressed, out of the house and in the car is stressful so anything you manage on a ski slope/holiday should be seen as a success. |
I hear you Cameron. We have been through it all before with our older boy who is now 6 and has been skiing for two years. The trouble is that our younger one already thinks that he can ski because he sees his older sibling doing so! Having said that, he is keen to learn having spent a lot of time watching his older brother on the piste.
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Ah ok. Tamworth are really good with the kids clubs / lessons. Our little one has just started. The kinders only have 5 per lesson, and after about 8 lessons (each child dependant) they progress into the junior club which is effectively 2hours of free skiing with instructors on hand to teach. It seems to work really well and kids progress very quickly (because they are having fun!) Its a shame your so far away!
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