Very young beginners

A snowHead

So I am back (although you didn't miss me I know)

We have been away because there are now 2 more of us in the family, and I have permission to book a 1 week trip in the new year (start small and all that)

However, our new children ( now 5 and 3 ) have never even seen a ski, let alone used one, ours have remained in the loft for 5 years. I don't want them to throw a tantrum just after we arrive in resort and force one of the adults to stay in the hotel/chalet all week. We intend on going with a company who also includes some form of child management, but that is not really the point of my question.

I think it would be sensible to get some gentle lessons in for the small people well in advance, we live just outside Norwich but unfortunately the Norwich dry slope does not accept under 5's, so i seem to be limited to either MK or Hemel snow domes, both of which are a 1.5 hour drive away, something I am happy to drive to perhaps after school for example.

I remember from years ago, some of the instructors were on SH so I really want some guidance of what to book, because I don't really want to do a 3 hour round trip (with 'Wheels on the bus' on repeat) only to get there to discover i have not booked the right thing.

I am really hoping for guidance on ( over the course of several trips obviously) for a 3 and 5 year old
-an introduction (some messing about on sledges or something perhaps??)
-Some short lessons (I imagine up to 30 mins of instruction sandwiched between some messing about in the snow?)
-or whatever you recommend

Does this sort of thing exist? The website simply shows the price for 30 min lessons but i am not sure if I want to book a lesson straight in with ski's on when I don't even think the 3 year old has ever actually seen real snow (I think that is the most depressing thing I have ever written...)

A snowHead

I could not imagine driving 1.5 hrs after school for an activity that they might be too tired to do by the time they get there.

We took our children aged 5 and 3 straight to the alps with Snowbizz. Snowbizz have their own ski school and crèche and were excellent all round. Both children loved their lessons and the crèche was also purpose built and staffed by lovely people. This is going back a number of years but it is a family run company so I doubt much has changed.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Ours were 5 and 3 when they started skiing. Definitely get them used to everything before you go. Spend as much time at a dry slope/fridge as you possibly can - make sure they regard skiing as fun. Half hour private lessons should be available anywhere I would have thought? At our slope we run lessons specifically for 5s and under and they're very popular - seems very odd that Norwich doesn’t do this.

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We've got 2 smalls (maybe not so small now, 6 and nearly 8 ) and we'd done the whole Espirit thing with them since they were born so they were used to the idea from very early on (eldest had his first birthday in the Espirit chalet at Courchevel).

If they've seen snow in the UK before and enjoyed playing in it, then TBH i'd not fret it and just make the lead in to your planned trip as fun as possible, and get them used to getting in and out of their ski gear for pee emergencies (nobody likes pouring pee out of a skiboot) - and putting their mittens on!

As for something like Hemel, don't get hung up on ski lessons as they'll be doing that when they get to the mountain - maybe go for a tubing session there rather than skiing. If you and your OH ski a bit when you're there let the kids watch and they'll soon get the whole monkey-see-monkey-do thing and want to be like mum and dad.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

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Hemel do half an hour private lessons, usually for 3 year olds that will mean getting them on their skis taking them up the magic carpet, getting them down, making it a lot of fun is essential. I have had 3 year olds progress slowly and some fast, and I've had one who would fly down the main slope keeping control of speed and turning well.

I wouldn't go after school if possible, tiredness will pay a large part if they enjoy it or not.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

A mistake I sort of made was thinking that going skiing with young children could be something like the previous adult trips I'd been on. I know we are a bit different because we didn't use any childcare (apart from grandparents first trip) and we taught the kids ourselves. But even so I think a mindset of it's a holiday in the mountains, with snow. And I might get to ski for myself a bit but it's really about making everything work for the kids. From getting them ready in the morning, to keeping them comfortable when out, carrying their gear for them, helping them on and off lifts, to them having fun, etc. As they get older things start to "loosen" up and they can do more things for themselves.

As some others have said I wouldn't be making a 3 hour round trip to a snowdome with a 3 and 5 year old. We live in MK and ours (now 10 and 12) have never been there to ski). We've just been twice a year since they 4 and 3 respectively (with an exception or two).

After all it is free

If Hemel is a flog then I'd just relax and wait until I get the children to the resort.

Ours both started at under 4, and had 3 lessons each at Hemel before their first holiday, plus we take them for 1 or 2 sessions of an hour each January before they go just to get them back into the swing of things.

Lessons at Hemel won't make them competent skiers unless you spend a lot of money and time on it, as both the slope and the lessons are too short for that. What it will do is establish whether they like it or hate it, how quickly they are likely to pick it up, and also get them used to the kit both on them and around them. In 3 lessons, ours were on the bottom half of the main slope and able to use the Poma lifts, which removed one of our worries before we travelled. Once in Austria, they progressed quickly in a group lesson and were able to make it onto the main nursery slopes after 2-3 days, and by the end of the week they were on one of the highest peaks in the area and skiing to the midstation (the lower half was more difficult).

Having fun is the key thing - the lessons were a special day out with their parents (we were on the main slope at the same time as their lessons), they got hot chocolate after the lesson and a pub lunch after that, and we dropped into a swimming pool on the way home, so it became a good day out rather than a boring chore that might result in them having a negative experience. For that reason, join the crowds on Saturday or Sunday - it may be quieter on a weekday evening, but it will be a big rush, the kids will be knackered when they arrive, and even worse when they get home, and there won't be time for anything else.

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We're taking our two (aged 6 and 9) for the first time this season. We took them to Hemel for a lesson last year to see how they fared, and instantly regretted it. One instructor for 8 five year olds essentially meant they spent more time in a heap on the floor (ski's akimbo and no ability to get up). It was literally like watching dominos, as they kept falling into one another. Decided at that point that we were more likely to put them off, so the next lesson will be in resort.

We gave them an option - come skiing or stay at home with Grannie, but if you come skiing then ski-school is not optional. We're hoping that as they've voluntarily signed up, that it'll avoid them trying to get out of ski school.

And after 3 hours of ski-school, the rest of the day is about pure fun. Going sledging, swimming, building snowmen - whatever they want (although obviously we're hoping that by the end of the week that they'll want to ski!)

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

+1 to all the comments about fun. I think it helps to frame trips at this age as winter holidays rather than ski holidays.

Norwich has a course aimed at 5-yr olds. In your position (mine are now 10 and 7, but started at similar ages to yours) I'd put my 5-yr old into the Norwich course and not stress at all about the 3-yr old (maybe take them to watch a bit, and try boots and skis on for fun). Save the cost of driving 3hrs round trip and paying for private instruction at Hemel, and put it towards more fun in resort, better accommodation, private lessons, or something that the 3-yr old might appreciate more like Lego Happy

My experience with our youngest, at 2yr 10months, was that 15-30minutes at a time, in real snow, was enough. We took buckets and spades and a sledge (great with young kids as it enables you to drag all their clobber around) and played, skied a bit, played more etc. She'd make snowcastles for her brother to ski over, we'd make snowcastles for her to ski over (a good way to force her to turn) and generally had a lot of fun. We didn't get so much skiing in on that trip, but it was an investment of our time to ensure we all had a great time and that she, like her brother, really took to skiing. Watching the first proper snowplough stop, the first hockey stop, first successful ascent of a poma etc. are all akin to watching your child's first steps, at least to me, and moments I'm glad I witnessed.

It's worked, we can now take both children almost anywhere - my daughter skied the off-piste descent to Tortin in Verbier this winter, age 6.

snow reports

I can't say we did it right, but I think we got away with it!

We have one child, and perhaps sometimes some of these things are harder as an only child - no familiar face in the group etc.

We booked a trip to Vaujany to take place when he was going to be five and half, and started him off at Milton Keynes for a few weeks of private lessons. Those worked well, but when we got to resort we booked him into ski school (having tried to ask all the right questions). However, when we went to get him he was in tears. He'd felt lost and confused, couldn't understand the instructor and then, seemingly, just was left in a play area for the last part of the lesson. We tried to find out what had happened, but everyone in officialdom just denied all responsibility.

We discussed it as a family, cancelled the ski school, but stumped up some more for private lessons (though not too much more). This worked out much better, though not without a few hiccups.

Five years on, with two further trips to Vaujany (sometimes familiarity helps us as a family), one to Whistler and one to La Thuile, our boy is a keen, capable skier. We are booked to go to La Plagne this Christmas.

@Paul33,

You know it makes sense.

Hi @Paul33, welcome to SH.

I would say that that was one of the things I always liked about Espirit - their ski groups always went out with a member of Espirit Snow Ranger to act as rear-gunner, nose-wiper, emergency toilet-trip overseer, faller-over-picker-upper and glove-finder.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

@foxtrotzulu

A snowHead

lenniem, as recommended above, go with Ski Esprit (as we did).

I'm afraid you made the common mistake of stopping skiing when the kids arrived.
Richard_Sideways got it right. Mine were with us when still breastfeeding.
If you continue, then they just take on snow and cold and the costumes with gloves-and-hats-and-glasses as the norm.
Tantrums of course will occur, but usually sorted with chocolate (I still go round with a large bar of Milk Tray)

And don't think you will just be skiing. Enjoy the snowball fights, the slides, the building snow-houses, tobogganing, and games in the chalet (we took board games and cards, and a teacher friend always organised a "Project" such as Papier-Mâché Pig.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Avoriaz would be high on my list of possible destinations.

First class kids ski school which takes 3 year olds see http://www.avoriaz.com/en/all-about-skiing/3707-2__trashed/childrens-village

The kids ski school is right in the middle of the accommodation. No need schlep across town.

English should be the spoken language in the kids ski school in some groups.

Traffic free resort.

Short transfer from Geneva.

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We've chosen Avoriaz as the resort for the kids first ski hols. It's a short transfer (big plus!!!), ski in ski out, lots of apartments, and Aquariaz for swimming fun if the kids want to do something a bit different.

Ironically we're eyeing PDS Academy as the ski school rather than VdeE, as it has British instructors.

Help!!

Very young beginners

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