 Poster: A snowHead
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Sorry to say this but most of the problems I see every week during the season with kids (young and older) in ski school are created by parents. (please please please turn up on time to collect your kids after the class)
I fully understand that parents will want to;
* Have their kids learn to ski
* Get the kids to a level where they can ski around the resort with the family group
* Get rid of the kids for a while, whilst they go off and have a ski/have a coffee/etc
OK then (from my book of how to make yourself unpopular on a ski forum) to all parents, please take these points on-board:
* You "and" your kids are on holiday, it's not a training course
* Your kids "will" learn to ski if you just put them in a ski school and leave them alone
* Your kids have plenty of time to learn to ski; they don't "have" to be able to ski XYZ run this year, they'll be able to do it next year or the following year or maybe in 10 years.
* It's a holiday
* You are not meant to be your kid's best mate (whatever the TV AM tells you), they should prefer skiing with other people their age, size, ability
* Not all kids will become excellent skiers, but if you give them time to learn in a ski class most of them will become OK
* Most kids will become better skiers then their parents ever were (except for 3 lads in Val D'I ??)
* Remember that the ski instructor has trained for years so they know more about teaching your kids to ski than you do
* Kids bend really well - they are supposed to be mad (so were you at that age), so if they trash out a few times, relax
* You main job when you take your kids on a ski holiday is to keep them as safe as possible.
* If your kids tells you they want private lessons, get them a job for a year before they go and let them pay for it themself
* Never ever use the word Dynamics when talking about ski school, other than in the phrase Wayne’s 1st Law of Ski School Class Dynamics. If you haven’t found out who the class nutter is by the 3rd day, it’s you.
* It really doesn’t matter if your kids can’t ski with style or good technique
* Kids want to be able to show you (mum and dad) how good they are. So when they do, “be impressed”. Don’t pick up on any faults they have, that’s my job.
I can teach anyone to ski. Simple fact. Not so simple fact is that I can teach anyone to ski up to the level that they are able to attain which is governed by not only physical ability and mental pre-disposition but by a zillion other factors. This applies to kids as well as adults..
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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snowymum, of course younger kids can play and interact, however in my (limited) experience, in a ski class environment (which is well outside their comfort zone) the younger kids don't really play and interact - expecially when in multi-national groups where a variety of languages are being spoken and also where they are not with friends/family (which I accept would changes the dynamic)...
Interestingly my daughter (when she was still under 5) was happy to play with other kids in the nursery for 15 mins before the class started etc, but when fully kitted out (including helmet, goggles etc) she became much more reserved...
My youngest is currently 2 and my plan for when she is around 4 is to start her off with 2 or 3 private lessons (just to get her some basic confidence) and then put her into classes...
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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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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Wayne
"* Your kids "will" learn to ski if you just put them in a ski school and leave them alone "
I think this is true for 5 yrs up but not 3 yr olds. I don't think my daughter learned much if anything in piou piou at 3 1/2 - too many children, not much of a slope, too much time waiting around getting cold.
I also don't think the very small 4/5 yr old children are that safe on chairlifts in the set ups when the ski school go up one at a time with complete strangers. I was quite relieved that my daughter was in a group small enough that the group plus instructor fitted on a six man chair.
Other than that I agree that parents should let the instructors get on with their job, and the parents should keep out the way. We have had very positive experiences with childrens group lessons apart from the piou piou one.
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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,
Kids of 3 year old ain't meant to be taught to ski. They are just there to have fun on skis in a learning enviroment and by doing that they will learn to ski.
Spent a happy half hour this year with a bunch of 3 and 4 year olds. We made animal shapes in the snow and then walked, skidded, slided, fell, jumped etc all over em. After this we went off down a blue run looking for shadows to ski, jump, walk, etc over. At the end of it the kids could all turn left and right (and squash elephants  )
Can't comment on how other ski schools do it but I thnk it's about standard all over
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Wayne - your 3/4 yr old class sounds great but the ESF piou piou club in la rosiere eucharts was nothing like this.
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Fernie runs "ski and play" out of the daycare for 3-5 year olds - which actually mixes elements of group and privates, actually. Instructors have a max of 3 kids on the magic carpet or poma, max of 2 on chairs (for safety). Runs from 9-4 with instructors encouraged to keep kids outside as much as poss, but can come in whenever. Tends to run as an hour in, hour out, and does work really well for balancing skiing and keeping kids happy. It's actually amazingly cheap too (I think $80 a day?) considering the time and attention kids get.
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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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snowymum, why on earth would you be more worried about your 4/5 year old going up a chair with a single helpful stranger than going up "all together" on a 6 man, ie up to 3 seats away from a responsible adult 
Even if I can fit a whole group of 5 year olds on a chair together I will nearly alway rope in the nearest language-relevant adult to take a couple, that way every little-un can be lifted on/off or restrained as necessary. Adults fall off lifts and 5 yo's will try it.....
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gilo, And why would snowymum be spying on the instructor to know what happens on chairs, just let them get on with teaching.
I get asked to take really small kids on chairs fairly often, the instructors know me and know that I'm a club coach, a parent wouldn't know that.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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1556garyt, aha there's the nub! a good group will involve the instructor keeping kids IN their comfort zone but playing little games etc where they don't realise they are developing new skills. and if it is "especially when in multi-national groups where a variety of languages are being spoken" you just need a more appropriate group.......
Finally if all you parents have gotten your kids to 5/6yo and they still don't socialise well in groups maybe it's time to stop "protecting" them and let someone else have a go at developing them  (ducks and runs for cover)
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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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Yes
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gilo - my daughter was the smallest in her group so I expect she went next to the instructor to be lifted on and off. No - I did not stop to watch what happened. Most of the time they used a six man bubble anyway.
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You know it makes sense.
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I took my daughter (aged 9) to Andorra where she enrolled in a group lesson. She gave up after 3 days. She was left behind as she progressed a little slower. She was left in tears at the bottom of a lift whilst the instructor and remainder of the group sailed up the hill.
It completely ruined her holiday.
By the end of the week she could snow plough and that was it.
She has since had three one hour lessons at Tamworth snowdome and is now at the their recreational standard. I will never put her in a group again, one on one seems better for her.
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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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snowymum, one instructor and five under-5s on a six-man bubble? That's a recipe for disaster and lawsuits! I've only ever seen seen kids that young being uplifted one at a time next to whichever adult is next in the lift line who is happy to ride with them. At a push I've seen instructors with one child either side of them on the lift, but no more than that.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| snowymum, one instructor and five under-5s on a six-man bubble? That's a recipe for disaster and lawsuits! |
I think Bubble refers to a six man cable car
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Wayne wrote: |
| rob@rar wrote: |
| snowymum, one instructor and five under-5s on a six-man bubble? That's a recipe for disaster and lawsuits! |
I think Bubble refers to a six man cable car |
Ah, a gondola. That makes sense! I'd be scared to death if I had five toddlers on a chairlift with me.
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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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sorry I did mean gondola and the children were 5.
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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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there were also only 3/4 children plus instructor.
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FAQ
ggggggrrrrrrrraaaaahhhhhh.... "TO Ski Guides" (string em all up I say 
