 Poster: A snowHead
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Our 4 year old daughter is just about to finish her first block of dry slope lessons. This has pretty much involved -
Getting her to balance with hands on knees down gentle slope until coming to stop
Getting her to snowplough with hands on knees to a stop
Getting her to turn body while snowploughing to start a turn
Basically she has managed this and can now turn between cones down a hill and stop. However the lessons are about to end, and I am now left to pick up the teaching part from here on.
So can anyone give me a guide to the next few steps in the learning curve, with some tricks to make her do it. Putting her arms out like a plane and leaning outwards during the turns is something we will continue. But after that we will presumably want her to move towards linking her turns etc.
Any tips would be appreciated. She will do some more lessons next year but I need to keep her interest up until then! And we have a trip to Austria to do (sadly she is not likely to take to ski school, so she will just be skiing with dad).
Many thanks.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Lorenzo wrote: |
And we have a trip to Austria to do (sadly she is not likely to take to ski school, so she will just be skiing with dad).
Many thanks. |
I would then recommend saving your pennies and buying some prviite lessons when on holiday - that'll leave you free to blast and her to get some lessons from a professional instructor, got to be better for her than 'learning from dad' (no offence to dad intended!)
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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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Lorenzo, Possibly you might re-post this in the Bend Ze Knees section of the site as that is where the ski instructors hang out 
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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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Lorenzo, If your daughter has been OK in her dry slope lessons why don't you think she will take to ski school. Both mine started at 4 years old and were quite OK - I know that you know your daughter and I don't, but unless you are certain don't write off trying them with her
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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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Lorenzo, ski school/private lessons
We have a daughter of 6, who started skiing at similar age. Kids will quiet happily do what instructors tell them to do and play merry hell for dad
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Lorenzo wrote: |
| Getting her to turn body while snowploughing to start a turn |
That doesn't sound right. She should be steering with her feet/legs not her body: "point your skis where you want to go". If you initiate a snowplough turn by swinging your body it stores up a lot of problems for the future.
At that age I think the most important thing to focus on is having fun. The technique will follow.
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Try getting her some twin tips, and introducing her to the half pipe. That will keep her interest.
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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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| Quote: |
and I am now left to pick up the teaching part from here on
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why  do they not offer follow on group lessons?
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Putting her arms out like a plane and leaning outwards during the turns is something we will continue
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I personally dont like that drill too much
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Lorenzo,
Probably not what you want to hear but I would not recommend you teach her. despite avery bit of advice you might get here, it won't be enough..Intructors go on courses so a forum won't be enough. Plus once you start "teaching" her, you won't necessarily understand why she can't do something or why she is doing it wrong. This tend to lead to frustration on both sides and might end up putting her off ( I talk from experience here..)
So ski school/private lessons are defo the only real way forward even if you got to cut back on other things.. Otherwise you might do long term damage..
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Lorenzo, I agree that you doing all her teaching might not be a brilliant plan, either for you or for your daughter. But I think there's lots of value in making skiing fun for her when you're out together. Playing animal games (eg pretending to be a bunny and doing little hops, pretending to be an eagle by swooping down and picking up 'food' off the snow [thanks to easiski for that one]), follow-my-leader (so you control speed and line), catch the glove/snowball (she ski towards you and you toss something for her to catch, makes sure she looks forward not at her skis). That might not be teaching per se but it should be fun activities which help develop skills AND enjoyment.
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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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Not sure you should ask adult for pointers on how a kid should ski...so I would keep her in a schooled environment...if you can find one you trust.
Having said that, kids ski naturally at that age and seem to work things out themselves.... as above, make it fun
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Lorenzo, I would follow rob@rar, advise as above. Think it is also worth mentioning that young children often adopt a backwards stance as they do not have the leg strength to keep on the front of the boots. This does not seem to by detrimental to their early development as skiers.
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You know it makes sense.
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| kevinrhead wrote: |
| Lorenzo, I would follow rob@rar, advise as above. Think it is also worth mentioning that young children often adopt a backwards stance as they do not have the leg strength to keep on the front of the boots |
Also due to a slightly different centre of gravity. I've seen too many parents screaming "get forward" at their little kids - quick way to put them off skiing IMO.
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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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Lorenzo, Just out of interest which dry slope? Was thinking of joining Ballahouston but according to them they need to be 6 to get in group lessons, and aged 4 and 5 must take private. Me thinks they are taking the urine just toget extra dosh as my 5 year old has skied one week on snow, but even at that they were insitant on hom taking private lessons.
PS would agree with others that a day or two private tuition will be better than a whole week of ski school - that was certainly the case with my older two kids
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Poster: A snowHead
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Lorenzo, I don't understand why she would have been taught to turn her body into the turn. Daft! Point the skis or the toes, or whatever works but not her body. Why are you going to teach her yourself? She should go to skischool when you're in Austria - half a day or whatever, and in no time you'll be skiing all over the easy runs with her. Children are much better with a non parent. 
I agree this should be in BZK. Can it be moved?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Lorenzo, I had a 4 year old daughter once. She is now 19, loves sking, and goes at Mach 2.
I didn't teach her. She learnt from a Professional.
I agree with the many above who suggested a Private instructor. She will learn far quicker that way.
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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 son started age 2.5 on the snow then age 3 some lessons on the dry slope. At 3.5 he had private lessons on the snow in the morning, -and then follow dad/play games in the afternoon. Dad is a qualified instructor - but did not try and "teach" son at this age - just made it lots of fun - snowballs, jumps, making snowmen, bury dad in the snow anything to keep it fun. This combination of directed learning in the morning and learning through games in the afternoon worked really well (there were games in the morning too).
Main thing is make it fun and find a really good child friendly ski school/instructor.
Kids will learn a lot by just having a go - set a safe environment - make it fun - job done.
Before you know it they will be racing past you going at some hell of a speed either in a snowplough or not and your job will then be how the ???? do I keep up.
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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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My daughter is now 8 and started when she was about 4.
She wouldn't go to ski school, therefore it was either teach her myself or she didn't start.
Perhaps I should have been forceful, but it seems to have worked so far.
She still gets "red fever" (if she sees the red poles on the side of the piste she freezes) the slope can be marked blue and be a similar steepness and she has no problems.
I agree with most, if possible try to get her into ski school.
I agree with easiski, I've not heard of anybody being taught to turn body first.
Perhaps your description is not quite right?
I have heard of an exercise to put hands on alternative knees which transfers the weight from one ski to the other to make the skis turn.
From your description I'd say for the most let her enjoy just practicing skiing around.
I have seen plastic attachments to put on the front of skis to help hold the snowplough, also some type of reigns to stop them heading off but never used these myself.
One technique I have found useful for my daughter and wife is practicing slip sliding:
Stand across the slope edges into the hill, tilt the skis untill they are flat on the snow and slide sideways.
Tilt them back and stop.
This can also be used with transfering the weight forward or back to make the skis start turning.
Its all about having fun, so what ever works for you.
Good Luck what ever you decide 
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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boabski, Bearsden will take them in group lessons from 4.
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Thanks for all the replies - so many and so quickly. You guys, like me, must be hanging around here excitedly waiting for the season!!
To all the folks saying "get her into ski school, most kids are fine", I failed to mention that the first 3 group lessons on dry slope involved her cowering away from the instructor and staring at the other kids with an evil scowl. She is not really a psycho child, but she is very self conscious until she knows she will not make an a**s of herself. After that she took off at a rapid rate and is now amongst the best in the class.
My OP probably sounded like I was taking things too seriously. Having decided that she and I will have to ski together for an hour or two together when we are on hols, I just wanted to see what I should be doing. I guess I will get her a couple of private lessons maybe one at the beginning to see how she reacts to things (she might even want to join a class!) and to find out what she should be practicing.
As for the "turning the body" thing, that is probably my bad description. She was 3 at the time, and learnt to turn by chasing me down the slope, turning herself towards me as she went. After doing that, she got used to using her legs to control things, but at that age there is little point in explaining the technicalities to her in that way at the outset and expecting her to do it.
Many thanks again.
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Lorenzo, I wouldn't worry about teaching her anything, enjoy skiing with your daughter instead, and leave improving her skiing to the experts.
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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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rob@rar, thanks for your "making it fun" advice. That is probably what I should have asked for at the outset!! Good tips.
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boabski, I'm in Perth, so a bit far to travel for you, I guess. If interested though drop me a PM and I can give you the details.
I hunted pretty much every slope in Scotland for somewhere that would let me "have fun" with her by putting her on some skis and pushing her around or down a gentle slope. No-one lets you do that. Snozone at Braehead take them at 3 in group lessons (usually just one or two in group though). We tried it once but then wanted somewhere to practice what we had been shown (rather than paying another lesson fee just to do the same thing again and again).
Now that she is 4 I think there is more choice. The slope at Tillicoultry takes them for lessons at that age.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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"Putting her arms out like a plane and leaning outwards during the turns is something we will continue".
This is quite an old hat way of teaching. As previously mentioned by others I would recommend finding an up to date instructor who will work on steering the skis and most importantly making it fun, fun, fun.
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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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Book more dry ski slope lesons for her, it will improve her confidence. On snow, kids ski club lessons or Kindergarden club. At her age, having fun and onfidence is the most important thing. Ski Instructors who mostly teach kids really know what they are doing. When you ski with your daughter, just let her have fun. Don't worry about technique....it will come suprisingly quickly as she gains in experience and physique.
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FAQ
Great way to keep beginners away from the back seat bad habbit. 
