 Poster: A snowHead
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Thanks x
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@bobcat, you can prepare as much as you can but in the end becoming a parent and having responsibility for what is initially a totally dependent new-born was like nothing we had ever previously experienced.
It's a bit like stopping at the top of a nasty-looking black slope you have never tried when you aren't sure about the conditions lower down. You either have to commit fully and make the most of what you find, or decide not and go back down the red you have enjoyed many times before.
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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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...and never improve or find out how much fun it is 
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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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| Quote: |
You won't avoid it getting more expensive! Starts with childcare and a travel-cot in parents' room, but soon escalates to include ski lessons, ski hire, lift pass, and then the killer: the restriction to half-term.
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This!! School holidays are what make skiing with children expensive, so as others have said, find ways to make it work before they're school age, and then sell a kidney 
And whilst it's not the pre-children experience of lovely accommodation, nights in the bar / restaurant enjoying apres ski and dinner, it's equally enjoyable, just different. We've preferred to go over Christmas rather than February half term as its actually less busy, and so magical for children.
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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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Not many better feelings than teaching your kids to ski, watching them gain the love of the mountains (and quickly get better than you!)
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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"feel the fear, then do it anyway"
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We didnt ski when the kids were little, I wouldnt pay for them to be in childcare and wouldnt leave them at home. We like sailing so spent our money on summer hols. So we waited till they could ski and when youngest was about 4 we had a week without them, and after that weve been every year. It starts off quite cheaply with cheap lift passes, ski hire etc, then its expensive cos you are stuck with half term, then its more expensive when they become adults.
Both are good skiers. Son keener than daughter. Son is now 6’3 and strong.... he picks me up when I fall 
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Lots of talk about half term. Once ours were of school age, we mostly did Easter - it has loads of benefits :
Cheaper
better weather
longer days
much quieter on the slopes
longer hols, so more chances to find cheap flights
much nicer to drive, it that's your preferred option
easy to find accommodation which doesn't insist on w/e to w/e 7 day trips. Keeps costs down, and 3 or 4 days is often plenty.
We always tried to find somewhere with easy access to swimming pools, walks, toboggans etc as well - treat it more as a holiday than a ski trip.
If you really need a 'proper' ski fix, just go for a few days with mates, don't try and do too much on a family trip.
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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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| pendodave wrote: |
Lots of talk about half term. Once ours were of school age, we mostly did Easter - it has loads of benefits :
Cheaper
better weather
longer days
much quieter on the slopes
longer hols, so more chances to find cheap flights
much nicer to drive, it that's your preferred option
easy to find accommodation which doesn't insist on w/e to w/e 7 day trips. Keeps costs down, and 3 or 4 days is often plenty.
We always tried to find somewhere with easy access to swimming pools, walks, toboggans etc as well - treat it more as a holiday than a ski trip.
If you really need a 'proper' ski fix, just go for a few days with mates, don't try and do too much on a family trip. |
Yes - we did Easter for the first few years when the kids are small.
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foster a child.
take the child skiing.
When back, return child back to foster system.
That way you know one way or another if it works.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Or take @Mr.Egg, he is basically an overgrown child. Although you will need an XXL Baby Bjorn to carry him in
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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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Anything is possible, from giving skiing up for a few years until they're old enough to learn, through to bringing them along on every trip and making suitable arrangements, or simply continuing with your annual adult ski holiday whilst leaving them at home. In our case, my wife and I skied separately with friends/relatives (in term-time) for a few years, leaving the other to take care of the kids at home. Then we joined the school-holiday set and went en famille. I think you'll just have to see how it goes: your annual ski trip will be the least of your concerns re your children.
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If you are thinking of coming skiing, check out Morzine which is a great family resort. If you need childcare check out Altitude Nannies which I run. http://www.altitudenannies.co.uk
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You know it makes sense.
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| FiFi_Trixibell wrote: |
2 days away from heading on our second trip to morzine with our little one who turned 2 at the weekend. Took her almost exactly a year ago as well. The only year I had off was when she was dinky newborn (as she was only about 3 weeks old and the early days were brutal!)
We’ve gone self catering, taken the grandparents for babysitting support and lowered our expectations of mileage/time on skiis. But it’s been magical! Can’t wait to try the little munchkin on some toddler skiis for giggles this time |
Do you have recommended resorts? Looking to do the same.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Welcome to Snowheads, @Schmoyer.  This thread is a couple of years old, but I've just enjoyed reading through it - on a wet, stormy, morning. There is a goldmine of thoughtful and encouraging experience here. Several of the Snowheads who commented are doctors.
I skied once as a 15 year old on a school trip to Norway - absolutely loved it but couldn't afford to go skiing again till I was married with three kids! Nobody in my family went skiing - or sailing - and neither is easy with kids. We took grandma, stayed in a lovely self-catering apartment in a tiny resort in Austria for two weeks, and four of us went off to ski school (in four different classes....) whilst 4 year old stayed with grandma. She did ski school the second week, having watched and plucked up the courage (not a gung-ho child). I still remember the terrible sinking feeling when I handed over a credit card to pay for 4 x two-week lift passes. We rented skis in Ayr, where we were living, and took them wrapped up in an old pink candlewick bedspread. Considerably cheaper than Austria. I suppose we rented boots - I can't remember! I remember taking a pressure cooker, and very carefully thought out ingredients for many of our meals. We always took kids out of school and went in the cheapest early-January weeks. I am now the grandmother and have done it all - airport transfers, chalet maid, child care, unpaid ski instructor and guide. We could never afford the Ski Esprits of this world, but enjoyed entry-level catered chalets when they were older and when I took early retirement we bought an apartment in a French resort. I also dragged them off on sailing holidays, which are even scarier and less comfortable than ski holidays, though we never did anything too adventurous. It's extremely hard work. But then kids ARE hard work, no matter what you do with them. It makes me tired now even to think of some of the things we did when they were little. But so many great memories!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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To be honest you do need some money, but unless on the breadline most could probably prioritise saving for skiing if it brings that much joy. We only did occasional skiing before children (I guess I liked lots of other outdoor hobbies so hard to prioritise). But now I have a child it’s come into its own, & we are planning to go minimum twice this year plus Scotland, it actually feels like a proper family activity that isn’t too dangerous/adult only, they can just about get on with it. Age 0-4 realistically they might just be in childcare a lot but actually that’s been great for us, as family aren’t local & it’s basically been a holiday break for us (we WFH so he’s only in nursery 3 mornings a week during a working week). Suddenly you have 6 full days covered at a resort! Child first had some parent taught lessons at 2 of which he could still go on a magic carpet & down a slope after 4 days. Proper lessons in small groups from 3 & crèche. I’ll await to see what age 4 brings but I’m hopeful there will be good progress after that!
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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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I think 4 is the best age to start - before that it's fun to mess around, but a 4 year old starter will soon catch up with kids who started earlier. I agree about priorities - the difference in cost between a perfectly adequate second hand family car and a new one would easily pay for a good ski holiday. And the cost of a new kitchen would pay for several! I was 72 before I had a new kitchen, by which time we'd had loads of family ski hols.
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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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I recall someone once posted that children should not be skiing until they can carry their own skis.
We never quite managed that: for some years they just carried our poles.
But pam w's suggestion of 4 is a good start.
Daughter started at 4. Younger son, keen not to be left out, started at 3.
Many parents it seems stop skiing when kids arrive. A mistake.
First Granny came with us when mum was still breastfeeding.
Then Ski Esprit. Then we shared childcare with another couple: one couple skied the other nannied, swapping at lunchtime.
We found taking kids to a creche full of strangers didn't work well. Better was Ski Esprit set-up where creche was in the chalet.
Treasure the time you ski with your kids: it goes so quickly.
One minute you are skiing slow to let them keep up, and then suddenly they are whizzing off over the horizon, leaving you anxious.
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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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My advice is honestly, consider whether or not you actually do really want kids or just whether it’s something you are just going along with. That sounds harsh but they really are a game changer. If you could guarantee you’d get the perfect neurotypical child then that’s a different story. But the truth is, that’s by no means guaranteed and a neurodiverse child is more common than you may think.
One of the happiest, wealthiest most conte t people I know decided they didn’t want to go down the kid route and didn’t give into pressure.
That said if you do go kids, from, I think aged 3 they can go into ski school while you take yourself off. You have to be back in time for lunch/pick up obviously so it concentrates the mind. When they’re proficient skiers and you can ski as a family group it’s nice, especially if you’re lucky enough to have easy going kids who are organised and don’t moan about everything . .
In short, it will certainly change your life/skiing/holidays, for sure. Did I mention the increased cost of everything? Our kids are adult now so ski holidays are considerably cheaper and easier these days - not being locked into school holidays for a start!!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| snowymum wrote: |
I appear to be in a minority on Snowheads in that I did not have straightforward pregnancies, an easy time when my first child was born or grandparents to help out on ski holidays.
Whilst our original intention had been to carry on having one ski hol a year as before, we did not properly enjoy ski hols with our children until the youngest was 2. Since then we have had one or two excellent family ski holidays a year and feel very fortunate. |
This is us too ! You’re not alone. We’re using ski famille for the first time this year with our 18 month old. Missed three ski seasons altogether due to covid , pregnancy and then newborn stage. Have lowered my expectations . Hoping just for a few hours skiing a day at best. There are options if you don’t have family support. I’m hoping it’ll work this year but if not , she’ll be in ski school next ski holiday. So all good. The thing I found hardest , is getting my fitness back. Was very fit before pregnancy and cannot get that level back as there’s no time !!
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Skied at almost 5 mths pregnant, I did miss a few seasons, but when the girls were 4 and 5 we started them skiing, now the problem is getting away to ski without them. ( they can fairly cost a package when they become teens )
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| Jonpim wrote: |
But pam w's suggestion of 4 is a good start.
Daughter started at 4. Younger son, keen not to be left out, started at 3.
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This is what I have to think about. My daughter is 26 months, my son is 9 months. We’re giving it a miss this year but determined to at least go next year and use an in-resort creche for mornings at least (they are both in crèche full time here).
When it comes time for learning so ski, should I just wait til both can learn together, or start her off a year earlier? He’s a good bit bigger than she was at the same age so would say that physically he’ll get stronger a bit quicker).
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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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I received an email @Rois1980, from Esprit, to say 2023/2024 season now available to book. When we used them with similar ages kids, booking for the cheapest weeks (those that give free kids places) get booked very quickly. These offers made them not too horrific in prices.
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@Rois1980, next year your daughter will be old enough to start some skiing and will probably enjoy it, but the little one will be too little. It's not really about strength. Most kids will be "strong enough" if they don't have some physical disability. It's more about cognitive and emotional maturity - being able to take instruction, doing what they're told, able to try something which isn't easy or instinctive, not have a tantrum. My daughter was inspired by seeing other little girls her age, at the end of week "ski awards" ceremony (an Austrian thing I think) getting badges. she wanted a badge too. I told her it was very expensive, that I'd hire proper skis and boots for her on the changeover Saturday, and if she didn't wimp or moan EVEN ONCE I'd pay for her to go to ski school for the week. She understood, didn't moan, and got on fine. She was put in the "baby class" with a sweet instructor who spoke English, but was very bored skiing through Donald Duck things. Much happier promoted to the next class up where the instructor spoke no English. She just copied, and I taught her to say "Ich heisse Alex. Ich kann nicht Deutsch" and she would rattle that off and get on with the snowploughing. At the time she was bilingual in standard English and Ayrshire, so she picked up a German phrase quite easily!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Son started just shy of 4 and that worked well.
Daughter did a bit at 2y5m and 2y9m but that was a struggle, was much better at 3y5m.
TR with kid pics when 3y5m and 5y8m respectively
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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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My son started when he was about 4 1/2, he has a early summer birthday and we went at Feb half term the following year.
I would say all the kids in his ski class were the same age or one year more from looking at their height. This was in Obergurgl Austria where classes are all day but always return to town at lunchtime as it's very easy to do this there. My wife was in ski classes too so we all met up for lunch then they went back to classes and I skied on my own, it's a small resort (obergurgl and hochgurgl are connected) and I could make it over to the far side of Hochgurgl and back in time to collect him again later. This seemed to work well in the first year. By the second year we reduced the number of days in ski school to 4 so we could all ski together (slowly !) on two days during the week.
It was a good learning location, one of the reasons I took him there was because that was where I learned to ski as well (though at a later age) and I remember it being good for learning, and lots of kids around.
Also by year 2 he could ski to the Nederhutte and enjoyed standing on the table watching the live band there while my wife and I had a few drinks so an early introduction to apres-ski too
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I was unenthusiastic about having children, partly because of the effect on skiing & waterskiing but my ex & her friends all said I would still be able to ski & just think of my own ski team and boat crew. It was all lies and bad luck.
My three girls are all good people that I am proud of and proud to say they are mine.
Children coming along didn't necessarily end the waterskiing but it made it more hassle than it was worth, I gave up & sold the boat.
My eldest daughter was born with a slight physical disability, she learned to ski to a limited degree and the skiing was excellent therapy for her but she was more interested in horses, as was her twin sister who had no disability but was agonisingly slow on skis.
My youngest daughter is an absolute natural on skis, a real joy to see but after I moved away from her home town she has taken a strong dislike to me and doesn't want to see me never mind come ski with me.
If you are rich enough to cover the cost of skiing with children and are lucky to have children that have the ability and enjoy skiing, there are happy times ahead.
I never spent hours at football matches or the golf course, I just wanted all my me time in one go & go skiing with friends but this was not acceptable.
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You know it makes sense.
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| tangowaggon wrote: |
| I never spent hours at football matches or the golf course, I just wanted all my me time in one go & go skiing with friends but this was not acceptable. |
That sounds kinda sad.
I was a long time batchelor so it was quite tough for me to make the adjustment. I was lucky that my wife both loves the mountains/skiing but also a very devoted/hands on mother. I'm so glad she insisted we ski as a family - so many great memories.
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FAQ
