article- skiing with kids

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Getting the kids skiing can be snow much fun

 

By Heather Burke

 

The ski brochure depicts the cheery family, carving turns together on the sun-soaked slopes. It doesn’t show Dad stuffing skis, piles of poles, bulky boots, and pillowy parkas into the SUV on Friday night. You also don’t see little Katy tangled between Mom’s ski legs, as they slide off the chairlift and down the slippery snow ramp like a human pretzel.

For rookie ski families, heading to the slopes requires courage, stamina and a truckload of gear. However, skiing brings families to the most pinnacle moments together (and those postcard perfect photos).

As a kid, my favorite winter weekends were spent skiing with my parents, brothers, and grandfather. Quickly forgotten is frostbite, only memories of laughter and our mutual love of skiing linger. Today, I cherish similar days on the hill with my own son and daughter, their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

Teaching your kids to ski early on provides them a dynamic winter sport and a lifetime legacy. With a few tips you can be schussing the slopes and sharing tales of triumph with your tribe. Along the way, you may have a few tense times, but that makes conquering the mountains with your kids all the more meaningful.

Advice from someone who has “been there” both as a ski instructor and a parent of two: get professional help. Trust the experts to introduce your child to skiing and riding properly, covering the basics so that you can enjoy quality slope time as a family for years to come.

Ski school (or the more PC term “Snowsports School” to include one and two boarders) traditionally starts children at ages 4 - 6. Snowboarding lessons tend to begin at age 6 or older.

For obvious reasons, most New Hampshire ski resorts require children to be potty trained. Starting your child at age 2 or 3 should strictly be for a photo opportunity, and actual ski time should be short and sweet. Bretton Woods and Gunstock offer a gentle intro with all-day care and just two hours of skiing. For those too young for ski programs, childcare is available at most Granite State ski areas like Sunapee’s Mother Goose.

Ski camp is a tried and true method for your little skier to be with “cool” instructors and peers (a powerful enticement). Here the kids “play games” that cleverly disguise learning. It can be pricey, but encompasses expert technique, safety, and the bonus of making new friends throughout the day, or half-day, either way – worth it.

To help make your child’s adventure on snow smooth, here are a few recommendations: Check with the ski area in advance to reserve ski camp (or childcare), confirm the drop-off and pick-up hours (which may differ from on-snow time), the price, and exactly what is included (i.e.: lunch, equipment). This research can begin on-line, ski areas have top notch web sites, but you will need to speak to a live body to reserve a slot since child: instructor ratios are key.

Prepare your child for their first day. While a Warren Miller movie might be too edgy, showing your wee skier pictures of you skiing, or viewing the National Ski Area Association’s Snowmonsters video which you can link to from Sunapee’s website, will pump them up. Tell your child that they will be with other kids and a teacher for the day. Be enthusiastic, positive energy is contagious. Conversely, if you are anxious, your child may get scared.

Deliver your child to camp in recently inspected equipment or rent (which reduces the amount of gear you have to lug). If you get the chance, familiarize your tyke with the gear prior to their big debut on snow. Our kids loved when Dad pulled them around the carpeted basement in their boots and skis the night before. This improved their dexterity and heightened their enthusiasm.

Bring along a change of clothes, an extra pair of socks and mittens, all of which should be labeled. Waterville and Sunapee websites have helpful “what to pack” checklists.

At the ski school desk, prepare to fill out lengthy forms. If you print out your own standard form of pertinent information, you can use next time. If you plan to ski several days during the winter, look for multi-day coupon books, both Ragged and Tenney offer such savings.

Do everyone a favor by honestly describing your child’s ability level. Crotched Mountain’s website has a checklist to determine your child’s skill level. Resist the urge to push your child into an upper level in hopes they will become the next Bode that much faster. Reality is your wee one may get frustrated.

Say goodbye and go. Hovering and checking up on your child is disruptive to the lesson. Your child is in capable care and the clock is ticking, go make your own turns.

At the end of the session, ask the instructor for a ski report card and find out what they recommend next.

If you want to teach your child on your own, get some gadgets at the ski shop to aid your efforts. “Edgie wedgies”, also known as the “ski bra”, attach to the child’s ski tips, keeping them in a controlled wedge (a.k.a. Pizza pie) formation. Ski harnesses allow you to follow your child and rein in their speed if they insist on bombing straight (a.k.a. French fries). This assumes you can control your own speed, of course.

You do not want to ski behind your child, holding them under the arms sandwiched between your legs, as this will teach them to sit back and fall into your arms at the first sign of trouble. You should foster independent balance, not leaning and clinging. If you must support your child, snow plow beside them, giving them the handle end of your ski poles to hold (not the sharp pointy end).

Skiing with little ones is not about the quantity of runs, or the perfect turn. Early ski days are about giggles and plenty of stops for hot cocoa.

Our daughter thought it was a hoot to wipe out and eat snow at age four. Now ten, she carves the steeps with us, and hits the terrain park with zeal. With a relaxed tempo, your child will love snow sports and discover that you’re a “cool” parent in winter.