My eldest son is 3 and 1/2 and I was wondering if any snowheads had any suggestions or experiences about when to start teaching him to ski?
I would love it if both of my kids grew up to love skiing but at the same time I don't want to be too pushy or put them on skis too early so they end up hating it.
Any advice, experiences ro suggestions are most welcome to help me get started.
Thanks
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Wardster00, Mouth Junior was 3 in December and he had first lessons beginning of January. This is him yesterday skiing with me. He has had an hour a day with an instructor and I would highly recommend private lessons if this is an option for you. The one to one is more focused and geared to their needs.
The emphasis has been on fun and play and he just loves it. This is a great age to learn
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?
My daughter was 4 when whe first went to St Johann, She was OK at standing and turning, but snow plough was a mystery to her and led to some hairy moments, as she would gather speed rather fast, but had no idea how to stop!
The next year at the age of 5 everything fell in to place and she hasn't looked back since. Age 10, she is now a demon skier and snowboarder, and we have only been 4 times in total!
Like you say so long as you aren't too pushy, and they are enjoying it, give it a try. I would suggest letting ski school take the strain of teaching as kids seem more receptive to strangers teaching them that their parents - no idea why!
My little boy is 3 - he's been coming out to the mountains with me since being a few weeks old. He's well away on his skis now and absolutely loves it! Have to drag him in at lunch time and the end of the day!
kyoto49, Re snowplough - I got my boy a little bracket type thing that attaches to the tips of each ski. Every time the legs open it forces the skis into a snowplough and ensures the skis can't cross. Well worth getting IMO - cost around 20 euros.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Wardster00 wrote:
Hi Snowheads,
My eldest son is 3 and 1/2
That's exactly the age my elder daughter first tried skiing. Just an hour a day - that's enough. Very gentle slope, with plenty of run-out. Arms stretched out for balance - aeroplane games. Walking around on the skis, playing catch. Keep it very very simple at first - it's just another activity in the day, and sledding is as much fun (if not more) for a 3-year-old.
Have great fun, Wardster - it's a special time, and kids don't stay that tiny for long!
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Wardster00, what the others said, 3 1/2 is fine, but an hour at a time is enough to start with. Make sure you spend some time skiing on a small slope with them too, so they can show you how well they have done.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Just try and get my lad in after just an hour!! But 10 minutes is enough for some ... for as long or short time as they want without getting tired, bored or cold! Each one's different. Rather than putting a time limit on it.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Joanne Mountainsun and Mouth (gorgeous video, by the way) - your kids can spend weeks out in the mountains. I think it's different for "once a year" guys. My two grandchildren had their first holiday at christmas. the 6 year old (a bit of a wuss) had 3 private lessons of 1 hour, and in the end she did fine, and really felt pleased with herself. The 3.5 year old loved toboganning, and rolling around in the snow. We got him some hired skis, but we didn't push it, and in the end he didn't go - I don't think he could have focussed properly on the same sort lesson but I'm sure that next year he'll be off like a rocket, and much faster than his big sister. Our priority for this year was that they should finish the week wanting to come again - which they did. A 3.5 year old still has quite a lot of the 2 year old about him (well, ours does) and if he'd decided that he hated skiing I think we'd have had it!!
Kids vary so much. Our daughter started at 4, in quite a large class of entirely German speaking kids in Austria - she coped (though they were all smaller than her and she resented being in the babies class and still speaks with utter disdain of having to ski through Mickey Mouse bridges!). In fact all 3 kids that year (the boys were 9 and 11) were in entirely German speaking classes, and they were all OK. All beginners - the 9 year old was with a load of 5 year olds, and actually quite enjoyed all the little dudes, I think. He towered above them! Depends on the weather, too. if it's ferociously cold and/or poor visibility it's a whole different ball game.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
[quoteRe snowplough - I got my boy a little bracket type thing that attaches to the tips of each ski. Every time the legs open it forces the skis into a snowplough and ensures the skis can't cross. Well worth getting IMO - cost around 20 euros.[/quote]
The little bracket thing is called an Edgie Wedgie. They are brilliant! I bought one for my kids when they were learning after I saw a kids ski instructor use one with a kid who was struggling. With this thing clipped to the edges the little boy was easily able to keep up with the rest of the class. I found my kids only needed to use it for a very short time before they got the hang of skiing without it. There after I kept it in my pocket when skiing with the kids when they were very young in case they got into a spot where they lost confidence. Here is a link for one but any good ski shop in resort should have them.
weedram, that does look good - might get one for the grandchildren's next visit!
How does it work when they are walking along on the flat? do you have to take it off then?
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.
First put my son on plastic skis at 1 year.Got him proper boots and skis last year, aged 2 3/4. Did the edgie wedgie thing which is good and also a harness system. Got both off ebay. On the baby slopes we did various things to slow him down; between the legs, ski pole across his waist, me skiing backwards and holding his skis in a plow, he loved that as he could pull me hat off and throw it away. By the end of last season he was zooming down nursey slope unaided, though the idea od slowing down was still missing. He could turn to avoid objects.
This season after 2 weeks skiing with mum and dad and a few days in ski school he's doing wonders. Happily ski down any blue slope, good snow ploughs, will follow us, stop when asked, turn to slow, loves powder already! Really amazing how quick they come on. He's now 3 3/4. As others have said take it really slowly to start as in just do an hour or two at a time, they'll let you know when they want more, our son can't get enough skiing in now, he's addicted. Ski school is down to the individual kid and probably what mood they're in. If you turn up at a strange place like a ski resort and dump them at ski school it's all a bit much.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
pam w wrote:
weedram, that does look good - might get one for the grandchildren's next visit!
How does it work when they are walking along on the flat? do you have to take it off then?
When skiing you have one clamp on the tip of each ski.
To release, for walking on the flat or charlifts or with the skis removed for gondolas etc, simply remove the clamp from one tip and put it on the ski with the other clamp - so both clamps are now on one ski as it were. When ready to ski again simply clamp onto both tips again - hey presto perfect snow plough (or pizza, as the kids say these days).
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
As pam w says kids vary hugely, however I think that done right most will enjoy being on skis as early as it's possible to prop them up. Ours started on dry at 3.5 and hit the slopes for the first time at 3.75. Are they any better now at 9 than they would've been had we started them at 5? I don't know, but I don't really think so. Have they had a whale of a time starting young, going to the snowy mountains in foreign lands eating exotic food and meeting new people with mum and dad? Definitely. Also, by starting them off young, we got to get back to skiing earlier and it's given us a family past-time and fun holidays doing things together and great memories. So optimal age for starting to learn, maybe 5 or 6 imho (before that they don't take instruction very well, it's more a case of doing), but optimal age for having fun is another story.
At 3.5 expect that they're likely to need to spend a lot of time not skiing, that most ski schools aren't well set-up for coping with kids of that age, that good set-ups do exist but are not at all cheap, when you ski with them you won't do much skiing, they won't learn all that much in a week, but they'll have a good time if they're not cold, have plenty of time to play and do other things, somebody they like and can understand looks after them, you spend a lot of your own time with them.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
I started at 3 - it's obviously a very good age!
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Quote:
somebody they like and can understand looks after them, you spend a lot of your own time with them.
I think this is the key. It's dead right that for most of us, it's better to have a professional instructor with them when they start - but that's just maybe one hour in the day. There's no substitute for loads of TLC - I think lots of kids just get dumped in ski school because parents want to go skiing, and that's a shame. As Ernst Goldsmith so rightly said, they're not little for long.
As they grow older skiing remains the very best kind of family holiday. Adolescents might be doing four times your speed during the day and God Knows What during the night, but they will still enjoy family holidays (which are, after all, free.....).
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
When they're old enough to buy their own lift pass.
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?
Wardster00, Stuck my little bundle of joy on skis at a dry slope(welwyn garden city) in a kindergarten they ran at about 3 years old he loved it. Have a look at what they do up Hanley duck , it may be a good start.
The usual recomendation is 4 years old but children living in the alps start earlier depending on the child. If your child is keen to have a go, reasonable well developed (strong) then why not give it a go?
Its also important to have a good instructor......ask around for a recomendation for an instructor that is good with small children. you may even get some recomendations on here?
I would recomend putting the ski boots on in the house first, so that its not a totally new experiance. Its also worth thinking about weather your child has been left before, for example at a nursery or creche. It is best to set the experiance up so that its not all new, just the skiing bit!
I hope this helps!
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I've taught a lot of 3-4 year olds, and it definitely depends on the child's development when they can start. Some 4+ year olds just don't have the leg strength or general strength to hold themselves up in a wedge, while some 3 year olds pick it up really fast.
I think the best way to introduce kids to skiing is slowly and focusing on them enjoying it - almost definitely best to do less skiing rather than more too! Much better they finish wanting more than finish tired and grumpy.
I was 3 1/2 when I started and I turned out pretty well I'd say
I'm seeing a big difference with my 12 year younger sister (now 10y). We started with her at 4, but she was too weak/attached to her mother to take even an hour lessons. Nonetheless, my parents tried to push her a bit (ok, too much) and in return, she decided she hated skiing for almost 2 years. At 7, we took a friend of hers with us on the holiday (so she wasn't the only dutch child in her ESF group) and she's been fine ever since.
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Poster: A snowHead
