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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To take a six month old skiing?

50 replies

curiousgeorgie · 28/08/2013 21:45

I'm not going to ski this time, but my family, husband and 3 year old (ski school) will...

They're wanting to go to Norway over new year when my daughter will be 6 months.

Is it just too cold for her? Is it selfish to want to go on holiday somewhere she'll be uncomfortable perhaps?

My parents are hiring a chalet for the whole family / friends group but my children will be the only kids going.... My DH is totally okay with this and wants to book our flights right now but isn't 6 months to young?

OP posts:

exoticfruits · 29/08/2013 07:52

I agree- the 3yr old is likely to be more difficult. Mine was a doddle as a baby- far more difficult in a French nursery, at almost 3yrs, where he was utterly miserable.

exoticfruits · 29/08/2013 07:54

Mine are all massive skiing fans too, livinginwonderland, so I am glad I persevered ,but it didn't really become easier until they were about 8 yrs.

LolaCrayola · 29/08/2013 07:56

He is taking you to Florida? What have you done to deserve going to that shithole? Lived for too long in an 1950s sitcom?

Gracie990 · 29/08/2013 07:58

Spotty otter do an amazing full down suit for baby.

If they have the correct clothes they are fine.

CoteDAzur · 29/08/2013 08:00

To clarify, the warning was against taking babies directly up to altitudes over 2000m. Staying in Morzine (1000m) and going up to Avoriaz the next day - fine. Staying in Mürren (1650m) and going up to the restaurant up top - again, fine. As long as you give the body a bit of time to adjust, there is no problem. My initial comment was about choosing a resort (i.e. your initial destination, where you will be staying) that is not above 2000m.

marriedinwhiteisback · 29/08/2013 08:47

Won't be a problem - I have a friend who skied regularly with the baby in a back pack thing ( can't remember what they are called ) she was/is a very experienced skier and Swiss.

Montybojangles · 29/08/2013 09:03

I would much prefer Norway in winter to Florida in the summer any day. Way too hot and humid.

Original poster

curiousgeorgie · 29/08/2013 09:22

Lola... I want to go! My 'Good wife' comment was tongue in cheek!

My DD is Disney obsessed and Im really excited to take her.

(it will actually be September rather than midsummer)

OP posts:

massistar · 29/08/2013 09:23

We've always taken our 2 skiing since they were babies. We tend to go in groups though where there are other little ones which alleviates the boredom. We also share a lift pass so one of us skis in the morning and the other in the afternoon. Our 8 year old is a demon and our 4 year old went into ski school just before she turned 4 last year and loved it.

Solasum · 29/08/2013 09:29

Do it!

Esprit have nurseries attached to some of their chalets, just in case you do want to go out for a bit. I am sure some other companies do as well, and it might be possible to book in on a part-time basis if they operate at the resort you are going to. www.espritski.com/

forevergreek · 29/08/2013 09:33

Btw Norway will be far far colder skiing than in say France/ Switzerland, so I would go slightly later ie march rather than January

LIZS · 29/08/2013 09:35

It is fine healthwise but choose the accommodation carefully as you will spend most of the time indoors. Apart from a few hours in the middle of the day it will probably be too cold for her to be outside for long periods, especially at NY when days are short. Bear in mind babies aren't that active so lose a lot of heat quickly and get frustrated by being restricted in bulky layers. How tolerant are the family/friends likely to be towards a potentially teething baby in the night and will they be sufficiently quiet in the evenings to enable you to get the dc to bed. I suspect you'll end up looking after both dc for much of the day as a 3yo won't tolerate the cold and concentrate on ski school for long either even assuming there is a suitable class available.

StuckOnARollercoaster · 29/08/2013 09:37

I'm also happy to see a consensus that it can work really well. After having to have my first season with no snow fix last year because I was pregnant I am looking forward to getting back into the mountains. Those of you that have done a ski trip with a little one - any advice on things that helped? We are just starting to talk about the holiday and I am starting to plan!

badguider · 29/08/2013 09:42

we've been skiing with friends who had an 8mo at the time, it worked well.

i'd say:

make sure your chalet is in a town and not miles away from anywhere on a ski bus so you can take interesting walks from the door.
take a sling/carrier as the buggy will be useless and a 6mo is too small for a sleigh.
MUST take/buy baby sunglasses
make sure the others are all happy to come back to the chalet after skiing for their apres ski and are not going to stay out until dinner! we were all happy to drink wine and eat cake in the chalet before dinner
if it was me/us we'd be taking a FAIR share of the skiing.. my friends shared a pass and swapped at lunchtime doing alternate mornings and afternoons.
our friends hired a big travel cot to keep in the livingroom as a sort of playpen as the floor was hard and slippy tiles and the furniture had sharp edges, the cot/playpen was essential for putting him down to go to the toilet or get outside clothes organised.

badguider · 29/08/2013 09:43

And for those who are going to do a more fair split of skiing - make sure the chalet/hotel is on the piste and its a resort with skiing right down to the bottom not one of those where everyone has to gondola up from the town first as you'll waste far too much time in that queue otherwise.

thebody · 29/08/2013 09:47

well think baby will be fine.

personally I would rather rip off my arm than stay in a chalet while everyone else is out having fun but then I would fucking hate Florida and the Disney shit too.

as long as they all take it in turns to relive you then that would be ok. including your 'ski mad' dh of course.

hatsybatsy · 29/08/2013 09:48

definitely split a ski pass (what's with the being a good wife thing??) - if you can't ski at all you'll go mad.

we did go skiing when our 2 were tiny and we had a miserable time! unless yours are great sleepers, then you'll be the ones getting up early and trying to keep them quiet so they don't wake everyone else up?

and 3 is very very young for ski school - even if you do find one that will take her, be prepared for her to hate it.....

kaosak · 29/08/2013 09:50

We took 8 month old twins to Colorado skiing - bunged them in the creche and skied from dawn till dusk - was fantastic. They love skiing now a decade or so later.

Florida? Give me skiing every day of the week.

forevergreek · 29/08/2013 09:54

Stuck - things that help us

we go with grandparents :) my mother and mil don't ski so look after our 2 roughly 9-12 daily. If you don't have this you could use a crèche or alternate. They usually take them out for 30 mins in snow playing, in to warm up and play (draw/ cars/ books for hour, then they wrap back up and wander through town/ head to restaurant where we all meet for lunch

afternoons we took 3 year old on nursery slopes and youngest played this year, next season they will be almost 3 and almost 4 so will take both on nursery slopes.

don't over do anything. 30 mins out at a time playing is enough when small, go back in and back out later.

babies not walking are great age. You can do lots of après ski with them ( basically sit around drinking hot wine or hot choc)

buy ski wear/ warm things in unisex colours if you plan on more children. Saves a fortune

hotel with pool and childcare/ facilities easiest and restaurant on site if you want. Most will let you hire a baby pram/ tobagan, cot/ anything else so saves taking as ski stuff takes up enough room

buy yourself decent warm snow boots so you keep warm out if they are asleep wrapped in pram and also so you don't slip if out walking with them in arms

if one of you has the baby and other skiing don't stay away too long as jot really fair. Ski an hour, meet up for warm drink , swap if you want or skier heads off again but just an hour to break up the day.

stay somewhere no more than 1 hour drive from airport ( some are 3 hrs and if bad weather this will increase and won't be very fun for you all.

clam · 29/08/2013 09:58

He's "taking" you to Florida? Do you mean you're all going as a family?

VivaLeBeaver · 29/08/2013 09:59

Took dd when she was eight months.
Personally I'd go some where with mark warner or esprit so you can ski.

GraduallyGoingInsane · 29/08/2013 10:00

I spent lots of my younger life in Switzerland, babies are fine at medium altitude but do be careful if you take them higher. One of the resorts near me went up to 2500m at the summit and they wouldn't let you take under 5s up the last lift. I can only assume there must have been justification for that, as it applied to local babies too. I'd try to stay under 2000m personally.

Get good baby thermals - a bulky ski suit is great but its the under layers that make the difference. Baby sunglasses are a must too, and keep the head covered.

From personal experience I'd make sure you have really good grippy shoes. I had the awful experience of slipping on the ice whilst holding DD1 when she was about 1, luckily I fell onto my back and not onto her, otherwise she'd have been so hurt. It made me rethink the footwear in a big way - you can get metal cat tracks that attach to a walking boot which are great.

Also, all our DDs started at 3, so ski schools do take them that young. It was half days for the first couple of years though, so be prepared to have both DC in the afternoons.

Isatdownandwept · 29/08/2013 10:00

Is there a reason for Norway as the destination? I've skied Norway and Sweden as well as across the alps and have to say that the alps will almost certainly be more fun for you. If your toddler doesn't take to ski school you are going to have a tough week - very cold, and fewer alternative activities (the things that are great about Scandinavian alternatives to skiing - ice skating, dog sled rides and those snow quad thingies) wont be suitable activities for you, and it will be so bloody cold compared to the alps.

BTW I took my own baby to Val D'Isere at 3 months and loved it. But I wouldn't have done it with a 3 yo and a baby without serious consideration. You will feel like a Sherpa with hauling stuff round if you are the one collecting from ski school etc.

forevergreek · 29/08/2013 10:00

Oh and ask about sledges and prams available. We skied in Sweden when eldest was 11 months and they had fully padded sledges ( like a carrycot with harness) and they could lay down or sit depending on age. They came with reindeer furs to keep them warm

Liara · 29/08/2013 21:05

Reading the comment about thread about babies in backpacks - please please do not do that.

Regardless of how good the parent is at skiing, there is a very real risk that the baby will get frostbite in its limbs. The parent is moving so gets warm, the babies core is against the parent so stays warm too, but the legs and feet can get very, very cold.

There was an awful case a while ago of a baby that had to have both its legs amputated due to that. Baby's parent was an amazing skier and very dedicated parent, he never had a clue it was happening.

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