Skiing and mild cerebral palsy...

[madwomanintheattic]

go on then, tell me your best ideas how to get a wobbly 5yo moving in the snow. we've done the sledging etc etc, and she's had skis on and been held upright by daddy (between his legs to stop her skis wandering) whilst sliding down the nursery slopes... but this year she wants to do it herself...
we're thinking ski toggle to connect her tips, and putting her on reins (we've still got some from when the other two were tiny tots)
dh is an extremely competent skier (was an army instructor in a former life lol) but there's a big difference between squaddies and wobbly kids...
all ideas welcome!

[sinclair]

Not quite the same as learning diffs as well as mobility issues, but DD who has Down Syndrome has for the past 2 holidays had a private instructor running at the same time as other kids in party are in lessons. Both times we talked to ski school well in advance and set it all up - we had a disastrous experience in Switzerland the year before (she was 7) so tried France last year and it worked brilliantly. It is eye wateringly expensive but we took the view that this was the only way she would learn and mentally put the DLA money towards it.

The first week she had the clip on the skis at the front for most of the week and looked like she would never get her balance - by the end of the second she was confidently doing turns and coming down blues unaided (but very very slowly) She is 9 this year and we are doing the same again - hoping this is the last year and that next year she will be able to join a group.

DD wasn't that interested at 5 - brilliant that yours wants to learn, that is more than half the battle.

[madwomanintheattic]

sinclair, that's fabulous! thanks for sharing that - (hadn't thought of mentally clocking up the DLA either lol - the amount of stuff that it allegedly pays for is unbelievable if only! but yes, it doesn't make it seem quite so expensive...)

i've managed to get in contact with the adaptive program co-ordinator in the resort who is going to give me a call over the weekend and discuss dd2 and sort out some lessons. fingers crossed she does as well as your dd! you've made my morning now!

we've had our fair share of disastrous experiences too lol - but usually in terms of childcare in ski resorts, even if it has been set up months in advance with full details (and paying a fortune for the privilege...) that DLA again

well, fingers crossed!

[sinclair]

Agree on the childcare too. Our best experiences (when not me on phone to ESF in rusty French) are with smaller companies who really seem to go the extra mile to help. We went with Family Ski to Ardent last Easter and they were fab - they had experience of children with DS before so were well up for making it work for us. We also have never had a bad time at Snowfocus (small owner-operated chalets in Chatel).

When are you going (and it's not Ste Foy at half term by any chance?)

[madwomanintheattic]

no, we're off to banff - we lived out there for a few years (ds1 was born there) so we have a soft spot for the place. we've tried the big companies in various european resorts, but it doesn't quite seem to work out, so we've just booked flights and are diy'ing this time... good to know there are smaller companies that work well though - will bookmark those for next time!
Enjoy your hol though!