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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Aibu to Think that it Will be easy enough to go on a ski holiday with a 5, 7 and 8 year Old, without putting the kids in ski School?

637 replies

danishkids · 27/01/2022 23:49

We Will go on our first ski holiday ever on Saturday and I’m really looking forward to it. But the more I chat with friends/family, the more people are making me nervous. We are 2 adults, my husband and I. I have only ever been on skis for a few hours when I was 16. My husband has skied a few times.

Everyone I talk to tells me that I’m
Crazy and that it’s impossible to teach 3 kids at once. That it will only end up
With irritated children and parents. Am
I crazy to think that it will be fine? Or am
I just having wishful thinking?

Do you have any tips for first time
Skiers? Especially with kids? Any good techniques to help the kids learn fast?

I’m exited about this holiday, but maybe I shouldn’t be?

OP posts:
sashh · 28/01/2022 08:40

@danishkids

This time round money is too tight to put them in ski school. So we thought we could take it slowly, learning together. I have watched some YouTube videos to try and learn the basics (I know it will be different in real life but it’s a start)

Sounds like I am being unreasonable Blush

Has anyone taught yourself and kids on your own?

Well I hope you have good insurance for when one or more of you are in hospital for weeks with broken bones.

And that is being optimistic.

It's like having 2 driving lessons and then trying to teach someone else.

I like the idea of a snow holiday, having never been skiing and not likely to learn I was going to suggest you do some other activities but I didn't know what to suggest.

Get yourselves and your kids lessons, even if it is just for one day and you spend the rest of the week doing other activities.

EthelMerman · 28/01/2022 08:40

@danishkids

It is not a reverse. I genuinely didn’t realize that most people used the ski schools.

As for finances we booked the holiday before we bought a house (not knowing we would buy a house, our circumstances changed and we needed to move out of a rental) so we didn’t plan on having less money for the holiday.

No mattter what, we will
Go now it’s booked and paid for. So does anyone have some helpful tips for us, apart from putting the kids in ski school Smile

Cancel the holiday or if you can’t afford ski school just stick to apres ski activities. Untutored skiing ⛷ is bonkers.
Lockdownbear · 28/01/2022 08:41

@TurkeyRoastvBubbleandSqueek

Dear OP, please go on your holiday and have a lovely time

BUT do not go skiing.

The 5 of you can have a fabulous time building snowmen, making snow angels, throwing snowballs! If your resort has sleigh rides take them on one of those. Hopefully your hotel, or resort has a swimming pool, take them swimming, but buy cheap swim caps for you all before you go, as many European resorts insist you wear swim hats. Fill up on bread, cold meats and cheese at breakfast time, because as others have said, ski resorts charge a fortune for meals not already included in a package, so you might just want to have a hot drink (also very expensive, but...), and a piece of fruit at lunchtime. Take paracetamol and Calpol sachets with you, & adult & children's Ibuprofen - everything at ski resorts is expensive.

I would love a SNOW holiday with my Grandchildren! Please come back and tell us how you all got on OP ☃

If you'd like a show holiday with GC go to snowy parts of the UK. European snow is rubbish for making snowmen and snowballs. Its too dry its like trying to build a sandcastle with dry sand it just doesn't stick together.

Alternatively all go and get a few lessons on a dry slope, learn the basics then go abroad.

ZenNudist · 28/01/2022 08:47

Don't bother with a lift pass. You aren't going to be able to get up high. You will be stuck on nursery slope which likely don't need a pass.

Defeats the point of going really. 5 days ski school is perfect. Just get into debt. Or as others say, give up on the skiing idea and just pootle around the town, skate, maybe get the gondola up to a restaurant if there's an on foot restaurant.

What a shame. I wouldn't risk my children's safety like this. I'm nervous about taking my dc and we would ski school all of us because I haven't been for years.

When we were last there one of our party little girl broke her leg, she was getting lessons.

esloquehay · 28/01/2022 08:48

You would be really dim and irresponsible to not at least put your children in ski school.
You are a danger to yourselves and others without even basic training.
This is worthy of a Darwin award...

TottiePlantagenet · 28/01/2022 08:49

I hope you have a good time OP, as long as none of you actually ski, that could be possible.

2 inexperienced adults will not be able to teach 3 kids. That's just reality regardless of how many YouTube videos you've watched.

This thread just brings back awful memories of the first ski holiday we had with our kids. Youngest was 3, all in ski school in the mornings but the tiredness, the grumpiness, the tempers when we tried skiing with them in the afternoons... carrying our and their skis on and off the bubbles (negotiating steps in the stations, trying to help the kids negotiate steps in their boots at the same time). Thank god they were in ski school with proper instruction and an instructor paid to be patient with them!

Also my kids perversely would listen to the instructor, but not to us parents at times. Sigh.

I really wish you a good snow holiday OP, just stay off the skisFlowers

ConstanceL · 28/01/2022 08:51

If this is real, then this is insane. Two adults who can't ski trying to teach 3 young children?? Skiing can be very dangerous, you all need instructors, I actually can't believe you are being so reckless.

MrsWooster · 28/01/2022 08:54

Sorry -haven’t rtft but It will be HIDEOUS! I am a good skier and used to take the school ski trips for years and 1/2 an hour trying to teach my own kids was purgatory.
Either put them in ski school each morning or book a private family lesson for the first two days and you should have enough skill to play on the greens and easy blues for the rest of the holiday.
I can’t stress enough that lessons are worth every penny!!

LIZS · 28/01/2022 08:54

It is nerve wracking enough when dc have had lessons let alone with none. I would hope a passing instructor seeing your attempt would suggest you leave the piste.

MyCatHatesEverybody · 28/01/2022 08:56

It’s hard enough keeping a 5, 7 and 8 year old under control at the best of times let alone on a ski slope!

I think the driving lesson analogy up thread was a good one, you’d be irresponsible to go on the slopes without proper instruction.

—this can’t be real surely—

rubbishatballet · 28/01/2022 08:58

Nothing useful to add but my god skiing sounds grim.

trumpisagit · 28/01/2022 09:02

My kids are great skiers and neither have ever been to ski school.
DS1 just messed about on the nursery slope for a day, with a bit of direction from us and then went out with Dad on blue runs the next day.
DS2 is more naturally cautious and took a little longer but was adamant he didn't want to do ski school.
He could ski well by the end of the week.
We are both confident on skis/board so could help them.
I have some truly terrible memories of childhood skischool.

sunflowerdaisyrose · 28/01/2022 09:03

I went skiing as a teenager for a week and once 6 years later or so and had about 5 lessons on a real snow indoor slope before I went. I was a poor student - I stayed with family, borrowed all the gear and had ski pass as a christmas present. Got there and spent the first day skiing with cousin (who was amazing) and promptly booked morning ski school for myself for the rest of the week! I could ski already but still felt out of my depth. I couldn't really afford it, but found the money rather than had a stressful and ruined holiday - and that was just myself I had to think about! I hope you are able to go and have a great time.

icklekid · 28/01/2022 09:05

Can you go to a dry ski slope in the uk and have some lessons or attempt to teach them before you go. Then you will either realise teaching them and yourself is impossible or that it will be fine. I’m a very confident skier and would not even attempt to teach my dh/ds/dd how to ski.

You could still have a lovely holiday but just not actually ski much - lots of taking turns to have kids, going tobogganing, is there a swimming pool on the resort? That would be what I would do if couldn’t do ski school for the kids…

ChessieFL · 28/01/2022 09:05

I have never been skiing and know nothing about it but even I can tell that your plan is insane! Would you try to teach someone to drive after only having one driving lesson yourself?

speedyhedgehog · 28/01/2022 09:05

Dh booked a weekend skiing with a weeks warning a couple of years ago. Mad because we had no ski gear and 5 kids. We went up 2 hours before our lesson with our chalet host. He taught us how to put the kids skis on and we spent an hour or so pulling them 10 meters up a very slight incline and letting then slide down then we stopped for lunch. Instructor arrives, takes away the poles and they were off. After 2 hours they were doing the first level (blue?) on their own. Second day repeat an hour on their own doing what they did the day before. Then another 2 hours with the instructor and they moved up to the next run level. He taught them the lifts. We would never have tried to teach as neither of us had skied - note we didn't know anything even how to put the skis on or that they didn't need poles as beginners. But what shocked me was how quickly they picked it up. They would love to go again soon, maybe next year if travelling is easier. At least book an instructor so they can master the basics and be prepared that they may well pick it up so fast you'll have to hold them back from what they want to try when its just you together. Or break out the credit card and ski school for them and lessons for you.

MsAgnesDiPesto · 28/01/2022 09:06

OP: you need to face reality.

Your insurance might not pay out if you aren’t having tuition (you need to check this NOW)

You must not ski if it won’t. An accident to one of you, or caused by own of you, could lose you your house, and make you bankrupt.

I know nobody who skis regularly who hasn’t broken something at some point, mostly early on.

The holiday is not worth this.

Saharafordessert · 28/01/2022 09:07

I’m guessing (or at least hoping) that you’ve all done some appropriate training ahead of your trip. Do not underestimate the level of fitness required for even the most basic skiing. The cold combined with sore muscles on top of the days before sore muscles is not a great feeling especially if those muscles are not properly prepared.

Isaw3ships · 28/01/2022 09:09

No, cough up and put them in ski school. How in earth are you going to teach 3 kids to ski when you can barely ski yourself??

HeadToToesNo · 28/01/2022 09:09

I'm just here to hear what happens when OP finishes the first day of her 'holiday'...

LilFoxes · 28/01/2022 09:11

My MIL is a genuinely fantastic skier, lives in the mountains and is contemplating taking her exams to allow her to become an accessibility coach on the slopes.
She flatly refused to teach me and booked me in with private lessons instead as I'm like you and had never done it!
My husband has been skiing since he was 3 and snowboards just as well.
DS will go to ski school as it would be literally incomprehensible for him not to in their eyes.
As PPs have mentioned, book a few privates (google 'resort' + ski lessons or ask at your resort) and don't bother buying anything but baby passes. You'll have great fun and odds are the kids won't want to ski longer than a few hours anyway. Enjoy :-)

Isaw3ships · 28/01/2022 09:13

No-one has much advice other than get someone else to teach them for a reason!
Why fork out all that money for a ski holiday just to mess about with your children on some snow. Seems like a false economy. And I’m willing to be your DH, as someone who can ski a bit, is going to want to go and ski not sit with you lot faffing about on nursery slopes…

AngelinaFibres · 28/01/2022 09:14

@danishkids

This time round money is too tight to put them in ski school. So we thought we could take it slowly, learning together. I have watched some YouTube videos to try and learn the basics (I know it will be different in real life but it’s a start)

Sounds like I am being unreasonable Blush

Has anyone taught yourself and kids on your own?

This is going to be the holiday you all talk about for years to come , and not for good reasons. You can't ski at all. How are you going to teach 3 other people to do something that you can't actually do? It's not even going to be fun
Giraffesandbottoms · 28/01/2022 09:15

This is insane

Giraffesandbottoms · 28/01/2022 09:17

Skiing is one of the few holidays IMO where if you can’t afford to do it properly you will be miserable and it’s pointless. Honestly. If you can’t do ski school for them you can’t really go it will be shockingly bad - you guys can’t ski, even if you can it’s virtually impossible to teach children like that.

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