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?

[Aroundtheworldin80moves]

DH is a qualified instructor.
He puts our kids in ski school. So they can learn safely.

To give you an idea how dangerous your plan is... a young child was killed by an out of control adult skier in France a few weeks back.

[SelkieQualia]

Even the easiest slopes are dangerous. You will probably also find that the children progress faster than you (kids tend to) and will want to ski ahead.

Skiing without instruction is just such a sure-fire way of creating a miserable experience, even before you throw the kids into the mix.

[fallfallfall]

@danishkids and @Aroundtheworldin80moves, and if i remember well the gentleman was charged with murder.

[KenAdams]

That seems like a terrible idea. YouTube ain't gonna cut it for skiing!

[NoSquirrels]

So does anyone have some helpful tips for us, apart from putting the kids in ski school

No.

Put the kids in ski school.

You too.

It’s genuinely a waste of a whole holiday’s worth of money if you don’t.

People who ski A LOT, people who do this every winter, who live near slopes, do ski school.

It’s so hard to learn otherwise.

I remember being 7/8. My sis was 8/9. We learned mornings at ski school and afternoons with our dad. My mum didn’t ski so stayed behind. Ski lifts, tricky runs - you’re an adult down for making sure all is well. All was not always well! We have many tales but I wouldn’t be the adult in that scenario today…

Get a credit card if you can and pay off as soon as possible. Otherwise you waste all the money already invested.

[FabriqueBelgique]

Seems against common sense. You’ll be running to MN with broken legs

[MaryStuart]

This is possibly the maddest post I have read here - and I’ve been here for years.
I been skiing numerous times, and I always booked myself into ski school for a few days.

Your plan is nuts. You have to find the money to put all of you into ski school for a few days.

[toomuchlaundry]

I would enjoy the area and not necessarily ski. Are there any trips etc you can do?

[NoSquirrels]

Also - how old are your kids?

At 7/8 I was already too cocky too take proper direction from my dad, too skilled after not very long and too quick to move off and be safely ‘intercepted’, and crucially too gung-ho and lacking in appropriate levels of fear..,

[SelkieQualia]

Skiing isn't something you can just rock up and do, like a roller coaster. It's more like horse riding or paragliding - you need to be trained.

[paname]

Maybe try some dry slope lessons before you go? You really can't keep 3 kids who can't ski safe if you can't even ski. You honestly can't keep even 1 kid safe or others on the mountain safe if you can't stop! If you really can't stretch to ski school just stick to sledging and swimming in the pool. It's really not a self taught skill and you will put other people in a huge amount of danger never mind your own children.

[Rainbowshit]

@NoSquirrels

Also - how old are your kids?

At 7/8 I was already too cocky too take proper direction from my dad, too skilled after not very long and too quick to move off and be safely ‘intercepted’, and crucially too gung-ho and lacking in appropriate levels of fear..,

Ugh this is giving me horrible flashbacks to my 5 year old DS disappearing down a hill at a rate of knots not listening to us shouting at him to turn!

[OnlyAFleshWound]

Do your kids not go to school? Like..normal school

[Trekkerbabe]

Get yourselves into ski school
Get your kids into ski.school

Are you completely nuts?

[rosyvalentine]

No, no, no. Just no. This is such a dangerous plan. I'm an experienced skier and we ski every year. We're going for mid term and this is the first time my daughter won't go to ski school. She's 15 and has been skiing since she was 3. Please find the money for lessons somewhere. You will literally be standing on the flat all week if you don't because you won't be able to get down even the easiest slope! Managing kids on skis is hard and nerve-wracking for even the most experienced skier. You will enjoy the trip so much more if you all learn to ski properly. Good luck.

[SD1978]

Neither of you can ski, so what exactly are you teaching the kids about skiing?!?! Yes you'd be silly not to- and yourselves too!

[superram]

You are not being unreasonable, simply because you are batshit crazy!!! Put your kids n ski school and probably you and your husband-you are mental!

[SD1978]

Not to mention, no really fun as they won't get it. Maybe stick to building snowmen and sledging if you're wanting them to have fun.

[LentilNameChange]

Is there nordic/ cross country skiing at your resort OP? That is flatter, slower, safer and much easier to just have a go at. In a similar position to you, we put our 3, 6 and 10 year olds on cross country skis, without lessons, on the flat valley loop and we all had a blast - the kids can essentially just -'walk' on their skis if that's all they can manage, or you can do some gliding once they get a bit comfortable. You can actually learn a lot from youtube vids for cross country skiing. That's what I'd suggest if you are low on cash. You also don't need to pay for lift tickets (or helmets!) and with the money saved you could get an instructor to give you a whole-family beginner lesson together for cross country skiing. I really think it would be a good option to look into

[WindowWanker]

You're crazy.

But as you seem to be going anyway - look into the cost of a private lesson for all of you - you could pay for 1 day private lesson for all of you or 2 mornings and then just practise the skills you learn for the rest of the time on the same slopes you have the lesson.

[Trekkerbabe]

I've skied since I was 7, I'm British and I really recommend you reconsider this plan


You cannot teach your kids to ski
Do you know how to put boots on?
How do you walk up a slope?
Can you rescue your ski or your child's ski if you need to?
What happens if you all get separated? They can't hear you. You can't walk yo a ski slope to your child.
How do you stop? How to catch a button lift? A chair lift? A T bar?
What happens if someone hits your child (if they are out of cpntrol)

How do they cope in a snow storm? Do they have relevant gadgets.

The list goes pn.

You are out of your ridiculous mind.

[Bussinbussin]

I think at the absolute minimum, rearrange your budget to cover one introductory lesson for them.

But as previous pps have said - with their lack of fear and low centre of gravity they will soon eclipse you both, how on earth will you keep up with them if you're a beginner yourself?

[Doona]

So have you paid for gear rental and lift tickets as part of a package? Because often they fling in a couple of lessons for free, or cheap. Maybe you can get a two hour private, family lesson? The kids will pick it up quickly, and at least that will get them started.

[NoSquirrels]

@Trekkerbabe

I've skied since I was 7, I'm British and I really recommend you reconsider this plan

You cannot teach your kids to ski
Do you know how to put boots on?
How do you walk up a slope?
Can you rescue your ski or your child's ski if you need to?
What happens if you all get separated? They can't hear you. You can't walk yo a ski slope to your child.
How do you stop? How to catch a button lift? A chair lift? A T bar?
What happens if someone hits your child (if they are out of cpntrol)

How do they cope in a snow storm? Do they have relevant gadgets.

The list goes pn.

You are out of your ridiculous mind.

These are an excellent list of questions.

Don’t bristle at the tone. Think about them.

[MintJulia]

This is just plain dangerous. You need to break into the emergency credit card and book some lessons for your dcs, or spend the week throwing snowballs and sledging.