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?

@danishkids

The resort we are at only has the option of 5 day ski school for the kids, so we cannot just choose a few hours unfortunately.

Regarding if I know how to put on the boots, walk up
The hill etc. yes I have been skiing once before. Otherwise I will research it

Well, firstly, a full week of lesson is what your kids actually need! You are not competent or safe to supervise them on the slopes - once they have had a lesson or two they will bomb down the hill faster than you can keep up.

If you are hell bent on getting less than that, I can pretty much guarantee the resort will have other options.

Name the resort OP - I bet a few of us will have been there and can make suggestions.

I'd echo getting a private instructor. It will be expensive but 1-2 hours for 3 days will at least get you through the basics.

You asked how to find one - well in most French resorts there is a standard French ski school which you can google, in fact same for most resorts.

@Happyhappyday

My main tip would be go on it as a snow holiday rather than a ski holiday. Go sledding, build snow people, have a snowball fight etc. see if there is Nordic skiing available or snow shoeing, much more forgiving for beginners. I’m an expert skier and have been skiing my entire life (and live near mountains so not just one week a year) and just trying to teach one DC by myself was utterly exhausting and I plan on sticking her in ski school next season, as my parents did with my brother and I from age 4. You will barely be able to all get on the chairlift if your kids have never been on skis before.

This times 100. We aren’t skiers but have enjoyed snow holidays. It’s not like tennis where you can just wander on to a court. Kids had lessons but not really interested.

I’m not sure how the OP didn’t realise that most people use the ski schools. I’ve never been and looking at my first trip but it is entirely obvious from the websites and a quick Google of ‘ski holidays with kids’ that it’s all about ski school for beginners and children.

As everyone else said, terrible idea. But I guess if you're serious the key is to find a nursery slope that's walkable & quiet, and then a first v gentle & quiet green run.

Sorry OP that this isn’t what you want to hear but everyone is right.
It’s actually really irresponsible to do this. My exH is a very competent skier ( family ski chalet in France) and when he takes DC they go to ski school! Oldest DC may start to ski with adults and leave ski school this year, after 4 trips in full time ski school!

@OopsadayZ

You are utterly stupid and very dangerous and selfish.

Yes we taught our kids to ski. But we were proficient skiers.

What happens if your 5-year old is going done a slope out of control? You'll just watch as he breaks his legs? And skis into people and knocks them over?

No-one can be this stupid

Yep, 100% this.

I predict this thread will go poof for privacy reasons.

OP i know naff all about skiing, but i am getting a sense that your plan may be a bit bat shit.

But, going on a snow holiday, building snowmen, bit of x country skiing, maybe a few private lessons.

Good luck!

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 ☃

Michael Schumacher was wearing a helmet. He was out of control.

@katepilar

Skiing isnt that scary or dangerous as most people on here think. I wouldnt expect you do awful lot of skiing with this set up. Just go and enjoy whatever can do there,

You tell that to the parents of the 5 year old who was killed a couple of weeks ago. Or the man who killer her two families ruined in a split second.

Michael Schumacher, Natisha Richardson, those names mean anything to you.

I mean seriously you'd never attempt to teach 3 kids to cycle at the same time when you can't ride yourself. Or in a busy place.

You're the only poster who doesn't think skiing is dangerous. The insurance companies don't charge a 'winter sports' premium for nothing.

The Op needs to listen, or they aren't just a danger to themselves but everyone else on the slope. And actually I'm sure ski resorts can confiscate lift passes if people are skiing out of control.

I’m a very experienced skier, learnt when I was a kid, had about 8 weeks of ski school to master it. Please don’t be so stupid. If your kid gets out of control and can’t stop you will be powerless to help them. What will you do if they are hurtling towards a group of people or a tree or a log cabin?

Skiing is awesome but the ground is hard and if you fall you can do bad injuries, worse if you collide with someone or something.

@42isthemeaning

This thread has completely put me off ever going on a skiing holiday. Not that I could ever afford it anyway!

Don't be put off skiing is amazing but only if you do it safely, learn on your local dry slope and get some lessons on holiday too.

Just don't attempt to teach 3 kids when you don't know what your doing yourself.

Sorry this is an absolutely mad plan. If you are so short of money you can’t stretch to putting the cost of ski school on a credit card, you are better off saving the money on ski hire and lift passes and treat it as a winter holiday.

Skiing isn’t intuitive to learn. There is no way your DH with a few ski trips under his belt and you who has watched a few YouTube videos will be able to safely teach your children. Just no way.

Skiing is not remotely instinctual. You have to learn techniques to overcome everything your body is telling you to do. It’s also very hard work and painful until you have mastered the techniques and become fit.

I booked a week in France, many moons ago, having had some basic lessons on a dry ski slope in the UK. I thought I’d be able to wing it as I was generally good at sports.

The first day was miserable and I put myself and others at risk due to my incompetence. Day two I booked myself into ski school.

If you can’t afford ski school for the entire family, then as others have suggested, go for a snow holiday. It will be fun just to be somewhere pretty with snow and doubtless you can find some fun things to do that don’t involve skiing.

Maybe have one day’s ski school with the entire family. I think it will confirm for you that you made the right decision.

@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

Has anyone taught yourself and kids on your own?

Two of you, three kids. At any one time one of the children is going to be standing around getting cold and miserable. I’ve never skied but even so I can see the practical problems.

There’s no guarantee that you’ll be able to use the nursery slopes. A lot of resorts I’ve gone to have the basic conveyer belt slopes taken up with ski school groups. The kids will get very cold and very bored very quickly if you’re having to walk up and down the bottom of proper runs, dodging speeding skiers flying past.

This is total and utter insanity. My partner and I are pretty good skiers but never taught our kids ourselves. We would sometimes take our youngest back out in the afternoons to practice and it would take the 2 of us in snow boots to keep him safe.

This thread is making me remember all the negatives of skiing. Just the horrible logistics of two adults carrying five lots of skis and poles in ski boots whilst trying to keep small children safe on the journey to the bubble is exhausting!

@alphabetsoup1980 the problem is that despite the early advice that this was a terrible idea the OP continued to say that they were going to ski and specifically asked for advice that wasn't to use a ski school - quite frankly the only advice is to use a ski school. I honestly don't care if they all wear helmets (the law for under 12s in most resorts) the damage they could do to others is significant.

@fallfallfall

neither you or your husband are experienced skiers and expect to teach someone the fundamentals? darwin theory in action. you don't mention the children's ages but it doesn't matter, to put it kindly you need to be listening to you're family and friends. techniques do vary by age and location; here in canada the little ones do not use poles for quite some time, little ones also fuss to much with goggles i see the rare instructor and parent using harnesses for toddlers.

The children’s ages are in the headline!

DH and I are both proficient (him more than me!) but we have always put DDs in ski school. I’m a teacher myself but wouldn’t attempt to teach the girls how to ski, just couldn’t imagine. The bigger girls are brilliant and littlest two are getting there too.
Can you turn it into more of a Winter holiday and avoid the skiing?

Could you have some lessons on a local ski slope in the uk? You need something otherwise it is beyond irresponsible

Do not go if you cannot afford ski school. Honestly, just don't go.

I would add, don’t assume that if you go up on the slopes and get stuck, that you can take off your skis and walk down. You can’t. It’s not safe to walk on the pistes because of other skiers and the snow everywhere else is too deep - you really can’t walk there. The snow is nothing like snow you have experienced in the UK.

@MrsElijahMikaelson1

Could you have some lessons on a local ski slope in the uk? You need something otherwise it is beyond irresponsible

They go tomorrow - think they've left that a bit late! And to be fair if they can't afford ski school they can't afford lessons at a UK snow slope.