Tips for skiing with a 4 & 2 year olds!

[Shenanagins]

We're due to go on our first skiing holiday with the kids in March. Both of us are experienced skiers but have no idea what to expect with the kids! The eldest will be in ski school for half a day and the other in a crèche.

Does anyone have any tips on what to expect and what to be prepared for?

Thanks!

[Liara]

The 4 yo should be fine, mine really loved it at that age. At 2 a bit too young, but could have a go with reins if almost 3.

Lots of sledging for the little one, building of snowmen and so on.

Will you have the little one in the creche all day some days so you can ski with the older in the afternoon? If not, I guess you could take it in turns and take care of one of them each, but it is quite fun for a 4yo to ski with both parents.

I have to say that we paid for a few private lessons for ds1 - he came on so much on them and we reaped the benefit in the skiing we could do with him in the afternoon. Ski school is a very slow way of learning, you could be confined to the blue slopes the entire week, which is a bit of a drag.

[Tirfarthoin]

Both mine were a bit older when we first took them and they both had very different reactions. DS1 loved skiing from the very first second he touched the snow and was doing black runs by day five (he was 7 and had half day lessons every day) when he wasn't skiing all he wanted to do was role around in snow. Have a lot of spare kit with you for this eventuality as wet ski gear never seems to be dry by the next day.

DS2 hated snow when we first took him age 2 and refused to leave the chalet for a week. He went to creche . We have just got back from his first real ski trip, age 6. After 10 days in full time ski school, that he loved, he could just about snow plough down a green run. I had to ski with him between my skis for muck of a very easy blue because he had a total panic attack.

DS2 did keep saying that he loved skiing despite his apparent terror so we will try again next year.

[Shenanagins]

Thanks! We have arranged that whilst the eldest is in ski school the youngest will be in crèche to hopefully allow us some time on the slopes.

I'm feeling a bit pessimistic that we will end up carrying lots of equipment and moaning about the pain from ski boots, although that will probably just be me 😄!

[ExitStageLeft]

What a lovely, inclusive family orientated holiday you've got planned.

[sleepwhenidie]

But snarky aren't we Exit? The thing is with skiing, get the kids to learn young (whatever age, a beginner will need to be with a teacher) and if they love it then you have an amazing activity that you can do as a family for many years to come, much less likely that your teens will turn their noses up at those holidays with you . Short term pain for long term gain all round - the kids will most likely be skiing with everyone else within a couple of weeks of lessons.

[sleepwhenidie]

Having said that...my top tip would be to keep your expectations low to avoid disappointment OP . 4yo may love it, but may also hate it. Little one may be very unhappy at going to creche..or might love it . It is a PITA carrying their kit all over the place and it takes ages getting all their layers on - after which you can guarantee they will need the loo . Treat it as an experiment. My real top tip is unless you have a biggish spread of ages between your kids, wait until youngest is 5 before taking them. Then go with at least one other family with kids also beginners. Get them together in a private class (costs about the same as putting them all in ski school). They have much more fun learning together and also easier hanging out together in the evenings. We go with 3 other families, stay in SC accommodation in the same village and pretty much every adult and child has like minded/similar ability 'company' in the group. Kids are super excited to be together and compete. Also avoids the tension in couples where one DP wants to bomb down black runs the whole time and the other prefers a blue and a nice vin chaud .

[Shenanagins]

Thanks sleepwhenidie I suspected that we would need to keep expectations low, thanks for the advice.

exit we are being inclusive, we're taking them with us

[Liara]

Actually I find the skiing holiday the most inclusive, family focussed holiday we have.

Even when ds2 was too young to ski, and we took my mother (who doesn't ski) along with us.

Because the slopes close early, even if you were to do an absolutely full day of skiing without the dc you still get a long evening in which you don't usually do much more than eat and hang out with each other.

And very early on we were doing at least half the day with the dc, as well as taking them sledging, building snowmen and so on.

Currently due to circumstances we get most of our skiing from day trips, but as soon as we are able to our first holiday as a family will definitely be skiing.

[anotherdayanothersquabble]

Carrying stuff - get a back pack with clips on the side and you can put their skis on to it. For the two year old, bring an Ergo baby or similar carrier so you can carry him / her. Put their snow boots in the back pack (along with lots of snacks, colouring pencils, little games while you are waiting for food to arrive, spare gloves - always bring spare gloves!!) and look at getting a large ski bag for both yours and DH's skis and poles then there it is all manageable, to and from the slopes. And always plan enough time to go to the loo just before the ski class starts - thankfully fine have finally grown out of this but DH seems to have retained the habit!!

Have you booked the creche? Ski nannies are fab in my experience. (My children are 6, 9 and 11, we live near the alps and have been skiing with them in various guises since they were 3, 5 and 8).

[Shenanagins]

Will add clips to the list! Have already lost s mitten going from the car to the house tonight (how!!!) so will have loads of these.

I'm really looking forward to playing in the snow with them and taking them sledging but it's all the other stuff that's worrying me.

Crèche is booked but if it's a success we will look into the nannies for the next time.