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The family conunndrum

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
We see lots of tiny people skiing with parents or grandparents, in our area. Some certainly don't look more than 3 and I did see one tot who didn't look much more than 15 months, on a kind of scooter thing, being wheeled along by an instructor, last month. I'd never seen anything like it - she was standing up, holding onto a rigid handle (like on a scooter) and she looked extremely happy. I'd be interested to know what the contraption was.

What Layne says (and other SHs with small kids have said) suggests that it takes a lot of patience and parents who not only have the ability but are also willing to devote a great deal of time to getting the kids going. Many parents (understandably) want to maximise their own ski time and then probably get impatient and take the kids onto much too difficult slopes, too soon. We see a fair bit of that too, often with much less competent parents - the parents you see with kids who are clearly struggling on harder slopes often seem to be pretty incompetent skiers themselves.

I also see quite a lot of parents just skiing along with child between their legs. They are clearly competent skiers and the kids are enjoying it - but I do wonder sometimes how much they're learning, as they lean back into daddy's supporting hands.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Quote:
I also see quite a lot of parents just skiing along with child between their legs. They are clearly competent skiers and the kids are enjoying it - but I do wonder sometimes how much they're learning, as they lean back into daddy's supporting hands.


I am pretty tall (6'4'', 1m96) so for me this is quite hard work. It was easier for the wife. Anyway, we made this a relatively short phase with our two. It gives them a feel for it but as you say it's limited in what they learn and they will lean on you. So we got them "on the pole" fairly quickly and went back through the legs when it got a bit steep or they got very tired. When I have more time I may start a new thread on the subject.
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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?
Quote:

When I have more time I may start a new thread on the subject.

I think that would be very helpful. My grandchildren (eldest 7 and about to have her second little batch of private lessons - cautious learner, youngest 13 months) will be spending a lot of time with us over the next few years. They will have lessons - we know a lovely instructor who has just the right balance of kindness and looking the other way sometimes when they are struggling to get up. But that leaves lots of time to ski with us - and I'm sure there are better and worse ways of doing it.

Kids vary so much. The eldest was very cautious child, hated toboganning (though very happy to pull teddy around). The youngest adored toboganning at Christmas - wheeee!
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there have been some threads about this before, but there's always something - and someone - new. The more ideas the better. And photos, please! I just love watching the littlies out on the slopes - comes of being a grandma, I suppose.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Blert596
Sorry just caught this thread.
Myself, wife & son were all new to skiing before we first went as a family but I talked them in to it and found the success you are looking for.

I think what makes it for us is that we go at Christmas (we don;t have a large family to visit nor are we close to them, so the timing suits us) and we managed to find a fantastic family run catered chalet, which is the real key to our success.

Regardsless of ski area this makes it a brilliant choice for my wife - as she doesn;t have to cook, there are other ladies with children that she can chat / shop / ski with.
The same goes for my son, who is gauranteed snow at Christmas, a large Christams tree & loads of children to mix with.
I have a great time as I don;t have to wash up & there are other excellent skiers I can ski and have a few beers after with.

We also get 4 days guided skiing with the chalet owners (who run the chalet to ensure we get the most out of our holidays)

This all adds up to 8 days of outdoors fun, often in the sun, in the mountains and evenings by the fire with fantastic food and some great strangers that have become great friends - much better than festering in doors in front of the tv watching re-runs and the odd 70's "blockbuster"......

We found the chalet on the web and phoned to discuss on a few occasions to be confident that it was for us and as a result we travel independantly.

It has been so good we have returned 6 years in a row and my son now skis with us adults.

We started by taking lessons at our local dry slope, our son did several weeks ski camp spread over various school holidays prior to our first year and then we all did morning lessons with ESF once on holiday - dropping out of lessons when we felt confident to.

It has proven such a success that it is our main holiday of the year and we wouldn;t swap it for 2 weeks in the sun anywhere.

To our son Christmas is skiing in the snow - much to my mother-in-laws disgust, but hearing him tell his school mates about his Christmas memories is fab, it has given him a lot of confidence and fantastic fond memories of Christmas & growing up.

I hope you find what you are looking for.
All the best
Noisey
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noisey, snowHead great to hear that. Sounds a winning formula.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
pam w wrote:
noisey, snowHead great to hear that. Sounds a winning formula.


Pam - We think so, Thanks.
so much so to ensure my wife continues to enjoy I have managed to get here some 1 to 1 lessons at Tamworth as she lost her confidence when another skier took her out last April and she didn;t manage to regain her confidence over Christmas.

I think she has fallen into the 1/2 snow plough / 1/2 parallel thing that tends to have her sitting back too far & not in control - hence she panics, snowploughs and makes things worse.

Luckily when I phoned the instructor she immediately realised what I could see and diagnosed it straight away and she has spoken with my wife , who is now confident that it will be worth it. It will also mean that my son & I can have a few evenings skiing at Tamworth throughout the year.

Whilst we are sneaking away for a boy's week away over Easter, it will not be the same without the whole family - can;t wait until Christmas again... Little Angel Little Angel

Noisey
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