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

[Needallthesleep]

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?

Personally I think 1 is too young, I dont think I'd put a non verbal child in a club that way they can tell you if something is off.

I also think 14 days in a holiday club is a very long time, if you were going for a week and planning 2/3 days in the club that's much more manageable for children especially after a year where they've been mostly home.

Our kids did ski courses from the age of four onward and loved them. I wouldn't have been comfortable leaving a 1 year old in a holiday club but they were not used to outside carers and had only had occasional sleepovers with grandparents at that age. If your child is used to nursery/childminders etc, I guess it would be a different situation . You must do what you feel is right for your child.

It's sounds like a great idea. All those people hand-wringing and shouting 'what's about the kids...it's a family holiday...etc' mustn't realise that neither one of your kids will actually remember holidays until they are around 6 years old. The Lapland suggestion is just nuts as are the people who are suggesting leaving the kids with your MIL, because it's going to be much more stressful being away from their parents for two weeks at a young age than a few hours in a kids club! 🤣 Go and have fun and enjoy your ⛷

Look at Austria scheffau as they have a mini ski area for 3 year olds where practice little ski lifts and bits and pieces. Most ski schools take 4 year old in lessons in ski school. Mine loved it. They have singing and hot chocolate breaks. Just really make sure that they are wrapped up warm as they get cold quickly.
We would put in crèche or ski school for 2 hours then collect for family lunch and then leave slopes as you do at 4pm rest of time with kids.
I don’t think it’s mean. It’s everyone’s holiday not just the kids. I still repeat that to my teens it’s everyone’s holiday not just yours.
Have fun wish I was going too x

Ps the crystal ski nannies are fully trained to uk standard and amazing.

I wouldn't, but for practical reasons. Even if dc2 has been in childcare before they might not like being in a new setting with new carers. What would you do if you got there and then discovered they hated it? You'd be stuck. It seems iffy to me to plan on being able to use it.

I certainly wouldn't plan on it now without even knowing about baby's temperament. Two of my three couldn't be left in any sort of drop off childcare like that (which almost certainly influences my POV on planning to use resort childcare).

Worked in the ski industry for 10 years, did 4 seasons and then recruited staff for the rest of the time including nannies.
Now have 3 kids myself, all of whom have been skiing since aged 3.
My advice - only go for a week, take the 4 year old and leave the baby behind with mother-in-law. Use money saved to put 4 year old in private lessons for 3 hours a day but only start lessons on second day. First day you get them used to equipment, walking in boots and they way skis feel. Hang out on the nursery slopes for a bit and give them lots of hot choc and have snow ball fights. They will come on much quicker in private lessons and won’t have the misery of standing around while others ski. You can then ski with them for an hour or so in the afternoon.
My 3 adore skiing and are now competent off piste skiers - aged 12 and twins aged 10 and this is what we did.

I wouldn't

I run a company that does or did, and hopefully will again (!) supply childcare to people skiing in France, the nannies take the children to ski school and pick up, give the kids lunch and then to meet the parents or back to the chalet, stay for the day.. evening babysitting, whatever the parents want. You should go for it, you cant miss out on all those years..! for when the resorts open have a look, Alpine Child Care, sorry for the shameless plug!!

We put our 2 into ESF group lessons from age 3 and 4. Both enjoyed it and made friends. Both competent off piste skiers from aged 11&14 (we waited till then to take them to Canada as that really is cold)

It's fine. Ski school is only for a few hours in the morning and the kids usually love it.

Fingerscrossed, excellent advice. I wish we had gone the private lesson route straightaway. So much time wasted in groups.

A bit late to this thread, but reading with interest. Myself, DH and 2 sons have been doing active holidays with childcare since eldest son was 13months old. Our sons have always enjoyed kids club and request the same holidays each year in various locations. I asked my eldest son now 11 if he would have enjoyed a ski holiday aged 4 (the age when his younger brother first went skiing) and in his humble opinion 5/6 yo was a good age to start. He commented that it’s v cold for small children as we don’t often get snow at home and falling over hurts 😱, however the Neilson beachclub holidays for younger children (and older ones) are fab. Family and friends thought we were mean by using kids clubs on holiday. My sons would totally disagree. It depends on your kids and the facilities/ nannies at the kids clubs. 10 days, if available, might be long enough. Have a fabulous holiday if you go.

I wouldn’t no, not for 2 weeks.
I’d wait until the youngest is 2/3-it sounds like a shit holiday for them.

Two weeks seems a very long time to abandon your young children to strangers. Some kids (including my dd) hate kids club and I am sorry bit I always thought the point of a family holiday was to spend time together as a family not pawn the kids off to someone else the minute you set foot in the hotel.
Could you MIL or someone else look after kiddies for even a week so you and DH get some grown up time together

I don’t think YABU - however I started out thinking “ooh kids clubs” when booking holidays and my kids always hated them and made me feel guilty about going, so never did more than the odd session so myself and my ex could have a quiet lunch etc, so I wouldn’t build a holiday around it x

I'm planning on putting my 9 month in childcare next January.
To be fair, I booked a holiday for tomorrow 😪 before I knew I was pregnant.
Crystal have rescheduled so we picked a child friendly resort.
I'm hoping by then I'll be happy to leave him, and hope it will help get him used to going to nursery full time a few months later anyway.
If it doesn't work out, I'll just cancel my ski school and he can be with me instead.
Hoping he enjoys his own little holiday though!

As long as you leave them there when you go home.

FFS using resort childcare is not "abandoning your kids to strangers"
It's not like you're giving them away on Gumtree. Get a fucking grip people.

I really don't understand why people think the kids will be better away from parents for the whole week than in childcare for a few hours a few days a week and with the parents the rest of the time.

I know which my kids would prefer, despite adoring their grandparents, they'd rather see us every day.

I wouldn't take my kids abroad and stick them in a kids club, if I am being honest BUT there is nothing inherently wrong with it at all.

I wouldn’t no, not for 2 weeks.
I’d wait until the youngest is 2/3-it sounds like a shit holiday for them Do you really think kids this age really enjoy or remember holidays?! Being with their parents is enough. A few hours a day away from them will do them no harm. They literally won't remember any holiday you take them on at that age. The holiday is really for the parents at that age. Two weeks skiing is fine, it's hardly two weeks clubbing in Ibiza!

Absolutely not unreasonable. Personally I couldn’t recommend Mark Warner highly enough. Amazing wrap around care. You will all love your holiday - parents and kids both 😘 xx

You'd be damned if you do and damned if you don't - look at Madeline McCan they didn't and got slated for being bad parents but then people on here also have an issue using kids clubs?!!!

Or you could just never have a minute to yourself ever again because now you're a parent that's not allowed!

Psssst...guess what...sometimes parents do things for themselves that they enjoy.

I absolutely live for holidays but haven’t had one since becoming a mum. Our son wouldn’t cope with a kids club but if he could I’d be all over the opportunity like a shot. I was a very outgoing child and loved kids clubs and meeting new friends. I can remember being upset the days I wasn’t allowed to go because there was a family trip planned. It baffle me how everyone on mumsnet thinks in such a binary way and assume everyone experiences things the same way as them, or that if they don’t then they’re wrong