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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think it’s ok to put kids (4 and 1) into kids club on a ski holiday

508 replies

Needallthesleep · 14/01/2021 13:21

Obviously not this year! Planning for the future.

DH and I love to ski, and given what a shocker this year has been for holidays (plus we have a newborn so not like we can go away anyway) we are planning an epic one next year.

It would be the first time going skiing with our kids, and are planning on putting the 4 year old into ski school and the 1 year old into kids club so we can ski.

For context we are looking at doing 14 nights in a very kid friendly hotel in France with childcare on site. We are planning a 2 week break so that we (and the children) can have some relaxed days together at the pool/sledging and me and DH still get a decent amount of time skiing.

MIL thinks that’s mean. And I am wracked with mum guilt about our plans now. Are my plans unreasonable?

OP posts:
SkiWays · 14/01/2021 16:25

People do it.

I didn't. But it meant we waited til child was 4. Even then they did a short ski school session! But we never did kids clubs in the summer either.

Only you can decide.

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 14/01/2021 16:26

Loads of skiers on here saying their 5/8/10 year old loved it so it's fine. That's not a 1 yr old.

I love skiing. Bloody miss and once DD is big enough to enjoy it as a holiday we will be back like a flash, but at one she would just be really sad in the creche with strangers every day.

Kerry987 · 14/01/2021 16:26

How many hours per day?; Half a day is OK, all day is too much. youngest will still be too little on nappies, bottles, will he be walking?

Pumpertrumper · 14/01/2021 16:26

Agree with other OP.
What’s your plan if 4yo hates ski school and won’t go back after first day? If you’re willing to drag him kicking and screaming then fair enough but I’m guessing from the fact you’re posting about this you aren’t that harsh a parent.

I also wouldn’t put a 1 year old in a kids club all day every day, it’s too young and a bit unfair. I might put a 2-3 year old in and feel fine about it, would depend entirely on the child.

No offence but it sounds like you want a child free holiday. Could any family member look after them for a long weekend? Otherwise I think you need to either find something more child friendly or wait a couple of years x

VenusClapTrap · 14/01/2021 16:26

But be prepared for the possibility that she won’t - this happened to a friend of mine; her son point blank refused to go back to ski school after his first session, and she felt pretty bitter that her husband then got to go off skiing every morning leaving her stuck in the chalet doing child care on her own.

Why would that be the solution rather than them taking turns?!

Well, quite. And I asked her the same question. Something to do with her highly stressed Dh needing the break apparently. 🙄 But my point stands, you need to have a back up plan in case the child hates ski school. It might not be the holiday you hope for.

CheetasOnFajitas · 14/01/2021 16:29

@NoIDontWatchLoveIsland

Loads of skiers on here saying their 5/8/10 year old loved it so it's fine. That's not a 1 yr old.

I love skiing. Bloody miss and once DD is big enough to enjoy it as a holiday we will be back like a flash, but at one she would just be really sad in the creche with strangers every day.

But nobody tries to teach a 1 year old to ski, it’s just childcare with a bit of play in the snow. Yes they don’t know the staff at the start of the holiday but why is that any different from a 1 year -old’s first week in a new nursery? The hours are shorter in fact.
iguanadonna · 14/01/2021 16:30

Depends on the kids. One of mine would have loved it. Also depends on the club. If it turns out they hate it, can always stop.

WilsonMilson · 14/01/2021 16:32

2 weeks is a very long time for a skiing break, even with other activities - also hugely expensive, but that might not be a concern for you.

There is no way I would have left your youngest child at that age. Also, on any ski break I’ve been on, the hotels were not geared up at all for the sort of childcare provision you might find at a usual holiday kids club.

My ds is a teen now, but he hated kids clubs. I left him at one once when he was about 6 and he wasn’t a fan, so he didn’t go back. I’ve always enjoyed time with him on holidays.

Why don’t you make a long ski weekend for you and dh, leave kids with grandparents and then have a more suitable family holiday together another time.

Dontforgetyourbrolly · 14/01/2021 16:33

Sounds like a lit of people here dont ski - the 4 year old is supposed to be in their own skiing lessons.

And it wont hurt to put the baby in a creche for a couple of hours a day , what are you supposed to do? Ski with him on your back.
Parents on mumsnet are never supposed to enjoy themselves , or want to do anything other than hold their babies in their arms for the first 6 years - especially mums !

TatianaBis · 14/01/2021 16:34

@NoIDontWatchLoveIsland

Loads of skiers on here saying their 5/8/10 year old loved it so it's fine. That's not a 1 yr old.

I love skiing. Bloody miss and once DD is big enough to enjoy it as a holiday we will be back like a flash, but at one she would just be really sad in the creche with strangers every day.

Yep. And children tend to tell their parents what they want to hear.

1 is too young. 14 days is too young.

But once they’re older everyone can crack on.

CheetasOnFajitas · 14/01/2021 16:34

@VenusClapTrap on the holidays we went on the kids go to what is essentially a hotel preschool. Some of the childcare staff take them for their ski lessons, which are run by different teachers and others stay behind to tidy, plan activities etc. If the children don’t take to ski school they can stay in the childcare setting with the staff there, and if they get upset halfway through one of the staff with sit with them at the side until it’s time to go back. This will be discussed with the parents next day to see whether the parents would like them to be encouraged to try again.

taybert · 14/01/2021 16:34

Our youngest was 2 when we first went skiing so too young to ski. He did crèche in the morning and the 4 year old had a mix of ski club and crèche in that time. We picked them up at lunchtime then had the afternoons together sledging, playing in the snow, drinking hot chocolate (and snoozing). It was lovely and it felt very much like a family holiday. We’d often go to the crèche in the afternoon to get sledges etc and he’d want to go back in so he obviously liked it. Everyone had fun. It’s a very small resort so we could ski back in 10 min if there was a problem (there never was).
I suspect some people would accuse me of palming them off etc etc but both my boys (now 6 and 8) will tell you that skiing is their favourite holiday.

Hardbackwriter · 14/01/2021 16:34

Yes they don’t know the staff at the start of the holiday but why is that any different from a 1 year -old’s first week in a new nursery? The hours are shorter in fact.

But a 1 year old's first week in nursery is often not a particularly great time for anyone; it's something you usually push through because you're trying to get them settled there long-term...

SkiWays · 14/01/2021 16:35

I ski but I'll be honest that I don't like a lot of what I see when it comes to kids.

CheetasOnFajitas · 14/01/2021 16:37

@Hardbackwriter

Yes they don’t know the staff at the start of the holiday but why is that any different from a 1 year -old’s first week in a new nursery? The hours are shorter in fact.

But a 1 year old's first week in nursery is often not a particularly great time for anyone; it's something you usually push through because you're trying to get them settled there long-term...

I don’t remember ours being particularly difficult. It’s not a given.
Dontforgetyourbrolly · 14/01/2021 16:38

You want these guys : www.neilson.co.uk/ski/family-ski-holidays

May09Bump · 14/01/2021 16:38

No - we rotated childcare and skied separately. They only went to kids clubs when they could describe any concerns fully to their carers and us.

Worried234 · 14/01/2021 16:40

"...it would be the first time going skiing with our kids..."

But you're not going skiing with your kids. You're going skiing with your husband, amd sticking your kids in a creche.

Stompythedinosaur · 14/01/2021 16:40

My dc wouldn't have been ok being looked after by a stranger at that age.

problembottom · 14/01/2021 16:45

If the kids are happy to go to their school and club then why not? My DD wouldn't have entertained it but they're all different. My friend's baby would be off like a shot, she loves anyone new.

I miss skiing SO much. Thanks Covid. Hopefully we can go again next year when DD is 3.

Hardbackwriter · 14/01/2021 16:47

I don’t remember ours being particularly difficult. It’s not a given.

No, it's not, which is why it would be a gamble rather than an outright bad idea - they might be absolutely fine. But people I know who settled babies into nurseries aged 1 mostly found that it took a good few weeks for them to completely settle, and that's what you're warned to expect.

Littlepaws18 · 14/01/2021 16:54

Noooooooooooo they are far too young!

DianaT1969 · 14/01/2021 16:54

I don't think it's terrible, but if your MIL is happy to have them, why don't you and DH go alone and have a full-on ski holiday? How much fun is it for a 4 and 1 year old to be in strange groups and looked after by strangers?

Ifancysomecake · 14/01/2021 16:54

I think it depends on who you go with. I have done a couple of seasons as a nanny and the company I worked for only employed qualified people, the ones I worked with were brilliant. I had a few friends from different companies and some were awful and didn't really care who they employed just needed the high numbers of staff. X

wixked · 14/01/2021 17:03

Go for it. People don't leave kid in the crèche all day. It usually a morning for 3 hours then all have lunch together. Then back out on the bunny slope to ski with the kids or tubing or whatever they fancy. I'd chose wisely based upon on the staff being qualified.