 Poster: A snowHead
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I am trying to work out what the best balance will be (cost v benefit) for my two girls for our up coming trip and would appreciate peoples' opinions. M is 6 and came away with her 1* after her Christmas trip (but probably would have passed the test when we arrived) and E is 5 and passed the Flocon test. M really didn't seem to do well in a group lesson - she got knocked over by other kids in the group, started to get left behind as her confidence was knocked and her technique looked worse (to my admittedly untrained eye) as the week went on rather than much better. E doesn't want to be left in a big group on her own - she wants to ski with me!
I am left thinking that they are both going to be much better off with private tuition - but then I have to be mindful of the pennies so can't just book hours and hours of lessons. So to my question - do you think they would get anything from having lessons together? Obvs M has more skiing hours under her belt but I can't help thinking that having a little sister holding her back somewhat would get some of the bad habits that have started to creep in sorted out before they become embedded.... and and in real ski experience there is less than a weeks skiing between them. I took them both to open practice at the weekend at Sandown and my 5 yr old definitely has brakes and steering capability (this is a big improvement from pre-holiday!!).
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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katedenhaag, it sounds like they'd enjoy lessons together - especially as the little one is doing well. If big sis has taken a bit of a confidence knock, it would do her good (as long as little sis doesn't overtake her, of course).
Maybe three 1.5 hour lessons early in the week, then ski together?
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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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katedenhaag, Do they have any lessons or a children's club at Sandown Park ?
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katedenhaag, Do you have a slope nearby that you could get lessons in UK? If so would highly recommend getting lessons in UK.
I've never found ski school that great for my 3 (only exception being Stuben last year because class sizes were so small). If you don't mind skiing at the kids pace then I would ski with them but certianly get a private lesson for day/half day. I geniunly think they get more from one private than a whole week in ski school. You just need to watch ski school with loads of 4-6 year olds in them - complete waste of time. Instructor spends most of time picking kids up off ground rather than skiing.
We're just back from a week in Kappl which is widely regarded as one of Austria's best family resorts and prides itself in the ski school area. I would have been one hellofapissedoff parent had I put our youngest (age 6) in. On average 10 kids per class. We skied as a family the whole week, with the exception of a 2 hour private lesson for youngest on day two. On day 3 he was skiing down parts of blacks with us  . By the end of the week we saw the class he would probably have been in and they were just slowly winding down blues.
I had to take our middle child oput of an Italian ski school class as a) only English speaking kid in class of 12, b) instructor spoke Italian 100% of time with only the odd OK Rebecca? thrown in and c) she was in tears one day as we passed as she was left at the end and did not know what she was supposed to be doing. In fairness to the ski school, she was allowed to have two private lessons for an hour after we complained and came on much better.
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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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katedenhaag, where are you going? find a nice independent ski-school, where they teach in english, with small group sizes. As you've already worked out private lessons would be great but will be pricy for children at their level. a good ski school class will mean they will improve AND have fun. If they're happy together that's great but lots of children I've met seem to enjoy going off with their direct peers (age and/or level). then you can all ski together in the afternoons.
For honesty's sake I must declare an interest: I work in "a nice independent ski-school, where they teach in english, with small group sizes" 
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Thanks for your thoughts - I have already booked one lesson each for them at Sandown and will try and squeeze another in before we go (they are just half hour lessons but this is quite good in a way as gives them stuff to practice when we go solo in open practice and then have another top-up). I was over-ruled at Christmas and they were in an ESF ski-school as my friend that we went with was happiest following the same scheme that her daughter had used before... her daughter actually did quite well in the same class so just shows that there is no one size fits all solution. I would have picked the 'nice independent ski-school' at Christmas!
We are off to Andorra to stay with friends who live near Arcalis - don't think there is a choice of ski schools as is quite small. Last year my friend went up and booked lessons for me with a specific instructor whom she trusted and I am sure she will do the same this year for us... as E is only 5 I have a feeling her only option will be the Snow Garden which she wouldn't tolerate (and neither would I in her shoes!!) so I will stick to the private lesson route for this trip. We can all have lessons at the same time and then ski together the rest of the time (just hope dh and I can keep up with the kids!!)... if it isn't too bonkers for them to be together then that doubles the number of lessons that are practical.
M turns 7 over half-term and is itching to come back and join the ski club at Sandown.... she will def out-ski all of us come next Christmas!!
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