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?

[danishkids]

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?

I suggest looking into options for cross country skiing or snowshoe walking instead of downhill skiing.

Most resorts have these options available somewhere. And there is far far less chance of injuring yourself or others. Although I don’t know how readily available kids’ size equipment will be.

I’m afraid I agree that you would be insane to try to DIY downhill ski lessons with 3 kids and little experience yourselves. This is not something you can Youtube. It is not fair on other people even if you are willing to risk your own family.

@Theonlyoneiknow the Op at least has helmets. She says it in one of her posts.

Op hasn't said where she's going, but Austria have made it law that under 15s must wear helmets.

I'm just stunned that anyone could think this is a good idea.

The reason I asked here was to gain perspective, real perspective

Well let's hope for everyone's sake you have.

No ski school. No skiing. End of.

Why did I think 3 year old. 5 year old might be ok.
Also teach them how to carry their own skis. They won’t need poles.

We went skiing with family friends who had never skiied before (none of the adults had either). It was just 11 year old me showing people how to put their skis on and get on the lift. One morning on the nursery slopes and off we went. It's really not that complicated.

[quote Chocolatefreak]@danishkids apart from needing to be good enough to teach your kids you will need to use ski lifts. You don't mention how young your children are but ski lifts can be a challenge, very young kids need you to accompany them on the drag lifts and chair lifts also require an accompanying adult. You will be tired and frustrated if you don't book ski school for all of you. Source: I live in a European country and our family skis most weekends.[/quote]
The ages are in the title of the thread.

You absolutely can do damage on nursery slopes, very naive to think otherwise.

Some of the skiing videos we saw really gave is the impression that you can learn/teach on your own.

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing!

I agree with PPs who are suggesting just enjoying the holiday but don't count on too much skiing maybe? There are other activities to do at ski resorts, especially for little ones.

Perhaps do a bit more research next time, you both seem to have been incredibly ill-prepared for such a holiday. It has been hammered home here, sometimes unkindly, but ignorance on the ski slopes can be extremely dangerous, and with three DCs you are outnumbered!

I was hurt on a nursery slope.

[quote EsmeraldaandTeenytiny]Sorry haven’t read the whole thread but I want to be helpful (as far as I had read nobody was actually helping!)

I think you will find it a lot easier if at least one of you doesn’t ski when trying to teach the kids.
Find the easiest slope possible and start with the absolute basics. I think it might even be better for both adults to not ski when trying to teach the kids.
Keep sessions short and fun. Three year old might need an edgie-wedgie. As others have said teach them piste rules right from start.
This Instagram page is ace instagram.com/skitipsforkids?utm_medium=copy_link[/quote]
Thank you :)

Could you book a private instructor for the 5 of you, might be cheaper, otherwise can you get a lesson here at the dry slips at least ahead of going. I was in your position experience wise and kids ages and yes I put them in ski school

Op just saw your update, I'm really glad you've taken on board the almost unanimous advice to get lessons.

Good luck. Get the lessons sorted and have a good time.

Think about going sledging not skiing. We can’t ski but have been to Swiss resorts that have sledges, great fun for adults and kids plus you go up on an travellator not a ski lift. Basically lazy unskilled skiing. Perhaps see if you can swap to that, as it allows a ski holiday experience without needing to learn anything!

I was in a ski school and still.broke my collar bone skiing down an easy green run with the instructor and the other learners. I collided with someone or they collided with me, I have no idea whose fault it was but I ended up having to be taken down on one of those injury sledge type things. Trying to supervise three children even on a nursery slope, let alone a ski run, when you are not a proficient skier yourself is bonkers . What if one of you gets hurt? Who is going to deal with with the children while calling for help ?

[quote TheReluctantPhoenix]@Mummyoflittledragon,

I don’t think OP intends to take them up the top of a slope and throw them down the steepest black!

And, why don’t you understand that if you can’t afford something, you can’t afford it. It is not somehow a choice of making yourself afford it.

And there is minimal risk of hurting yourself or anyone else on a nursery slope.[/quote]
Ffs.

1. In some resorts, the nursery slopes are at the bottom of larger, more difficult runs.

2. Other skiers may be more than capable of skiing and stopping yet not experienced enough to avoid unpredictable and out of control skiers, resulting in a collision and injuries.

3. Op cannot afford not to pay for lessons. If they can’t pay for lessons, they have been told enough times not to go skiing.

4. I am neither the idiot nor lacking in comprehension skills. Are you always this patronising?

@danishkids when you arrive in the resort, its worth checking out the ski school , you may find they offer private or group, single or 1/2 day lessons. Often tour companies won’t promote these as they want you to take big blocks of lessons that are easier to administer and make them more money. If you haven’t purchased your lift pass there may also be cheaper options for a restricted area or lift type which will be cheaper - again available in resort only.

Fair play op, most people wouldn't come back to a thread like this.

Hope you have a fabulous time, looking forward to hearing about it. (As it's the only way I will ever learn about skiing , I think I'm just too lazy!)

@grapewine

Love that OP is at posters' concerns but OK with taking her non-skiing young children on a ski holiday with pretty much only a YouTube video as prep.

I really hope this is a windup!

It isn't. OP is not a troll.

How can you teach them when you can't ski yourselves???

Give them the best chance of learning by putting them into ski school. Also book yourself in why you're at it.

You’ve been For a few hours at 16 and think you can teach the kids to ski? 🤣🤣🤣

OP, are you taking the children out of school and risking fines?

To be fair if you haven't hit the experience how can you know about the dangers.

Seriously? Do you apply this to other areas of your life too?

@ParkingFeud

We went skiing with family friends who had never skiied before (none of the adults had either). It was just 11 year old me showing people how to put their skis on and get on the lift. One morning on the nursery slopes and off we went. It's really not that complicated.

11 year old child teaches entire group of novice adults how to ski in half a day. Sure.

@skodadoda

OP, are you taking the children out of school and risking fines?

Not sure op is on UK. Op remember at 16 you were physically different and probably have a different attitude towards risk now. Are you all reasonably fit?

I haven't read the full thread, I'm sure it has been said already many timed, but OP you CANNOT take 3 children skiing without putting them in ski school.

AT LEAST, you need a group private lesson for the children each morning for 2-3 hours - depending on your resort, this might be cheaper than ski school. When you are in the resort you will have more options than just "5 full days". This is something I'd put on a credit card if I couldn't pay cash for it immediately, otherwise your whole holiday will have been a waste of money.