 Poster: A snowHead
|
|
My son will be just short of his third birthday when we go skiing next. He is already at 2 desperate to ski and there will be other children on the trip with us who have just turned 3 going into the ski school. My oldest son has never had his age checked before. The 2 year old looks as old as the other children. Would I be foolish to just say he is 3 because of insurance implications etc? Or shall i just book him in as being 3!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
garethjomo, Not sure where you are going but my experience when I worked with the tiny kids was that a decent percentage of the very small ones (looked smaller than the others by a bit) would answer "THREE" when asked their age - but hold up 2 fingers! I understood it was pretty common for kids not quite 3 to be registered as 3 year olds... (Our ski school insisted on 3 and toilet trained)
On the other hand there is the issue of the releases you will sign...do they mention the age in the release form?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
Was going to book online and it just says. My child is three and not skied before. Click here. Not going till easter next year.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
well from a ski instructor point of view a year here and a year there at this age makes a HUGE difference. Some kids can cope others cant and to be honest in my experience 3 is as young as you want to start them. Physical and mental readiness means that 3 is the youngest. Personally most ski instructors will ask kids their age and if a kid does not 'fit' then they can be asked to leave and no refund given. Very occasionally a kid that does fit will get in just fine but more often than not it would be a problem. If I were you I would put them into snow play and get them used to putting the gear on and walking around and that will be an indictation of whether they really are desperate to ski or just like the idea of it... most kids find the actualities fun but (like adults in many cases) dont appreciate what they will go through in learning to ski and the novelty and fun can turn to tantrums and tears at that age, most so than a 3 / 4 year old who is more used to dealing with 'new' things cause of their experiences at pre-school (if applicable!).
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
garethjomo, can really understand that you want your little one to join in, but I think I'd try to book him (perhaps along with one or two of the other really little ones, so he has some company) into some private lessons. I've seen instructors with some tinies - going with them up drags etc - looks a good way to go.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
Steve Angus, but I think gareth's little one is a month or two different not a year - just short of his birthday when he goes...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We get children that have been booked into group lessons under an older age form time to time and it is normally quite obvious as soon as the lesson starts, even if initially they look older! I would talk to the ski school and perhaps try to get a private lesson first (1 hr will be plenty) and see how he goes, if this is a succsess they you will be able to book him into lessons! 2 is very young to be skiing in a ski school group though!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yes he'll be five weeks short of his third birthday. The lessons are just kindergarten lessons. Playing in snow and skiing through hoops and cones etc. I wouldn't put him skiing around with a ski group at 2!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
garethjomo,
We have a minimum age of 6 for ski school (passport is required - to check age). There is the smurf class for younger children which is more of a learn-as-you-play environment (4yr old to 6). I think all ski schools have this sort of set up maybe under a different name, but basically the same.
I agree with alexchapman and Steve Angus that 2 is maybe a little too young.
It could be that the children would enjoy their time more just being with mum and dad for some fun.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| garethjomo wrote: |
| Yes he'll be five weeks short of his third birthday. The lessons are just kindergarten lessons. Playing in snow and skiing through hoops and cones etc. I wouldn't put him skiing around with a ski group at 2!! |
If it's any help to you in our party last year one of the families was in the same situation, one of the kids had just turned 3 and their kid was a couple of months short. The 2 kids went together to the Piou Piou Club for about 3 afternoons in the week, pretty sure it was fine no questions asked. It was very good, they went to the afternoon sessions which were much, much quieter than the mornings and they enjoyed it and did well. As you say play and familiarisation in the garden, animal pictures, hoops, bells etc. Fine. Also worth considering if it is an ESF school you are looking at you can normally book and pay by the session, so you can 'try' one before you commit. That's what our friends did.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| Wayne wrote: |
garethjomo,
We have a minimum age of 6 for ski school (passport is required - to check age). There is the smurf class for younger children which is more of a learn-as-you-play environment (4yr old to 6). I think all ski schools have this sort of set up maybe under a different name, but basically the same.
I agree with alexchapman and Steve Angus that 2 is maybe a little too young.
It could be that the children would enjoy their time more just being with mum and dad for some fun. |
Wayne, I find this interesting, what do you do with already skiing 4 and 5 year olds then? Put them back in your Smurf class?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
sarah, Thanks Sarah. It's the Piou Piou club he will be in. If they do insist on paperwork saying he's three i just wont take him back the next day which would be just the same if he didn't enjoy it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
sarah, good point. Mine wouldn't have been happy to go to Smurfs either, as they were already skiing around the mountain. They could ski from the top of the Roche de Mio gondola down to Belle Plagne by then.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
| sarah wrote: |
| Wayne, I find this interesting, what do you do with already skiing 4 and 5 year olds then? Put them back in your Smurf class? |
| Megamum wrote: |
| they wouldn't have been happy in Smurf class! |
| Hells Bells wrote: |
| sarah, good point. Mine wouldn't have been happy to go to Smurfs either, |
Oh god, stirred up a hornets nest.
I think maybe you're assuming that smurf club members don't ski around the area. Of course they do and there are different grades.
But IMO kids of 2 3 4 5 should not be in standard ski school (regardless of the aspirations of their parents), they should be playing (and learning) in the snow with other kids their age. It's meant to be a holiday.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
Wayne, Perhaps that's the case where you teach, but from what I've seen first in Switzerland and then in France many young children seem to do very well in ski school for lessons of 2-3 hrs in length with a break in the middle. Mine started in Switzerland - the age taken was at the descretion of the ski school boss, but he would give them all a try. Once they had a tick from the ski garden in their book, they were allowed in a proper class - they then moved a week at a time to a slope with a Poma and then finally onto the T bar and finally the chair in the third week - this accessed all the necessary lift skills and gave greater access to the mountain. There were many sub 5 year olds (a fair proportion at sub 4 years) on the Poma lift, and all on the Poma and higher took part in the formal end of week races. It's not necessarily a parental aspiration, quite often its what the kids themselves ask for and IME they do very well at it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
| garethjomo wrote: |
| My son will be just short of his third birthday when we go skiing next. He is already at 2 desperate to ski and there will be other children on the trip with us who have just turned 3 going into the ski school. My oldest son has never had his age checked before. The 2 year old looks as old as the other children. Would I be foolish to just say he is 3 because of insurance implications etc? Or shall i just book him in as being 3! |
If they are over 2 years and 182 days old, then you can round it up to 3 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
| Wayne wrote: |
| sarah wrote: |
| Wayne, I find this interesting, what do you do with already skiing 4 and 5 year olds then? Put them back in your Smurf class? |
| Megamum wrote: |
| they wouldn't have been happy in Smurf class! |
| Hells Bells wrote: |
| sarah, good point. Mine wouldn't have been happy to go to Smurfs either, |
Oh god, stirred up a hornets nest.
I think maybe you're assuming that smurf club members don't ski around the area. Of course they do and there are different grades.
But IMO kids of 2 3 4 5 should not be in standard ski school (regardless of the aspirations of their parents), they should be playing (and learning) in the snow with other kids their age. It's meant to be a holiday. |
Thanks, Wayne! No hornets nest from me! Your Smurf class sounds fine but is not the norm. Most 'bunny' classes for 4-6 year olds IME do not ski out of the garden and are not divided into grades. It is difficult if you are the parent of a competently skiing 4-6 year old to find a good ski school who will recognise and accommodate this. Lots of other Snowheads have been in this situation too. Those which have accommodated my 'underage' son successfully are Snowbizz ski school- Puy St Vincent, Magic Ski Academy -LaTania, European Ski School-Les Deux Alpes and Apeak Ski School -Montgenevre. All are member schools of the Ecole de Ski Internationale. Hope this is useful to someone 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
| Quote: |
Most 'bunny' classes for 4-6 year olds IME do not ski out of the garden and are not divided into grades.
|
I don't recognise this description in relation to ESF in our area where we see big classes of very littlies round the mountain. 4 years and above progress entirely according to their ability in a formal series of steps - starting with Ourson (which means controlled snow plough turns on an easy slope) right up to pretty flash. Our neighbours, who live in Geneva, have three girls, the youngest of which is very keen and very good. She was 7 last winter, by which time she was by far the tiniest in a class doing lots of stars, can't remember which. My 6 year old grand-daughter, total beginner, had 4 one-hour private lessons last winter, with ESI, starting in the "garden". She's a well co-ordinated and very timid child, and wouldn't go up the chairlift on the third lesson, as the instructor wanted, though we did persuade her to have a go on the last lesson (nice long green slope down, which she loved). However, though she was ploughing every now and then, and did very well on the straight section where she could just slide, she wasn't ploughing consistently and we were very impressed that she didn't get the "badge" saying that she was, just a sort of "baby" one, which she was quite happy with. If she'd been willing to do the chairlift when first suggested, she'd have made much better progress, but as Wayne says, it's a holiday (though she enjoyed the chairlift lesson much more - I went with them with a couple of cameras and she's terribly proud of the absolutely terrible video I took).
It's not standard throughout France - at least, the levels are, but not ages. Many only do "proper" lessons for 5 years and over. So if wanting little ones to do "proper" ski school, do your homework!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
) - they wouldn't have been happy in Smurf class!
