AIBU to feel uncomfortable about my 5yo starting skiing?

[Comfortable8520]

I’d really appreciate some honest views as I’m quite torn on this.

I didn’t grow up in the UK, and where I’m from skiing wasn’t a social or normal activity at all. There wasn’t any sense that you might be missing out if you didn’t do it.

Because of that, I’ve always seen skiing as quite a risky sport. All of my friends who ski regularly have, at some point, broken something or had a fairly serious injury. So in my mind it feels like one of those things where, if you do it long enough, something will eventually happen.

Now my DC is 5, and I’m genuinely surprised by how many parents around us are already getting their children into skiing. Some started doing this every year, and I know school trips can become a thing later on too.

I feel really conflicted.

On one hand, I don’t feel comfortable actively encouraging a sport that I associate with a real risk of fractures over time. It feels like I’d be setting DC on a path that increases the chance of injury.

On the other hand, I don’t want DC to feel left out in the future if this is something many of their peers do and talk about.

So AIBU to feel like this and hesitate to get DC into skiing?

Would really appreciate hearing how others approached this.

I think the issue is Brits (and other nationalities) who only ski once a year and chuck themselves down a black run.

I’ve never had any injuries either, in more than 30 years of snowboarding. DBro had had loads, because he chucks himself off cliffs and through trees despite not having done any for 12 months. When he was an instructor snowboarding every day, he had no injuries either.

Sorry to add. All brought up in the UK and no major injuries ever - worst was me with a massive bruise on my bum.

Still have annual family ski holidays and DS also now goes with friends he went to school with on ski trips now they are all mid 20’s and working . We are not “posh” btw (DS went to the local comprehensive) but I won’t deny it’s a pricy holiday.

I've heard of accidents skiing. I've also heard of accidents from bikes, skates, trampolines and soccer. If you don't allow DC ski then you really shouldn't allow them do any of these activities either. Which I'm sure you will agree would be doing them a huge disservice in life. Plus if they do break a limb, that's ok too. They will heal. I'd rather a childhood of fun and adventure with an occasional injury than a restricted one.

From a skiing family here.

I started skiing at three or four years old, occasionally on dry slopes, mostly on holiday. Typical holidays were ski school in the morning and then out on the pistes with parent/s in the afternoon.

I stopped at around 15 due to my own health/disability issues, my sister still skis aged 45, my Dad was well into his 70s when he stopped, my mum went every year until two years before she died so until around 60, and they'd both started in their teens.

Total sum of injuries, two sprained knees between all of us.

Its even safer these days with helmets and better protective clothing, higher safety on lifts.

In my day, as I am so terribly old, in some countries the chair lifts were single user and you sent a parent up in front, then the remaining parent chucked each kid into the lift and jammed the chain across and then got the next chair after them, so there was someone to catch the kids as they hit the other end. There was nothing but common sense stopping your 5 year old from slithering under the chain and falling from the lift. (Bulgaria circa 1989). Even on the much more civilised french and swiss lifts where you could stick two kids in between two adults on the bench, the lifties would be far too busy smoking and flirting to notice anything untoward going on ON the lift!

These days its far far safer, lifties much more attentive, modern tech means better communications.

Everything in life carries risk. If we live our lives without doing ANYTHING risky well we'll spend our lives in bed not daring to do a thing.

That doesn't exactly make it standard in the UK. Most people don't live in the Cairngorms, I don't suppose the OP does. My point is that it is perfectly possible to live in the UK and not stand out because you don't ski.

All the children in my family started ski-school at 3/4. The ski-school part is important as they learn good technique and the safe-skiing code. The latter means they know how to look after themselves and others on the slopes. (ie they won’t be prats!)

Some people on here think trampolining for kids is a majorly serious risk and not worth all the fun so god knows what they think about skiing!

Interested to hear about the “damage done to the slopes”!

I’m another who lives in Scotland very near a ski resort, the children skied from around 4ish and have never been hurt. I have friends that live in other parts of the UK and they don’t ski. Likewise we have horses and I have friends who don’t ride, I wouldn’t expect everyone to ride because they’re in the UK. Skiing is a hobby just like any other hobby.

The environmental impact is a separate issue. The OP asked about injury. I don't ski, for reference, unless you count cross-country skiing which was something we did since we could walk. My cousin broke his arm and his leg on two separate occasions sledging. Does it mean he should never have been allowed to play in the snow as a child? He is 30 now and perfectly fine. He did, however, had a car accident last year when a truck turned into him from a side road. Does it mean he shouldn't drive?
Any sport carries a risk. Sometimes it's a minor injury, sometimes something more serious. At the age of five, I would assume, risks are minimal.

My children have been skiing since they were 3.5 years old.
Riding their bike and going on a climbing frame is more risky then skiing if they are in lessons and learn properly.

Most people injure themselves not in lessons and usually not in control. Them doing lessons young teaches them control.
It gets more risky once they get to race or freestyle level but that's quite a way off for your 5 year old.

If a child falls they’re less than a foot off the snow, which is soft, it doesn’t hurt! They fall all the time while learning but injuries are rare, probably rarer than those hot falling in a concrete playground.

I was back home recently, hadn't actually skied for years.
What I noticed is the variety of ages! Loads of grandparents skiing with their grandkids, well into their 70s... it was quite sweet to see.

This is really dependent on areas of the UK.

In Scotland its a normal sport and many of the dry ski slopes are council run so the cost is pretty low for lessons (all you need is waterproofs and gloves).

Out of a group of 8 friends with children 6 ski none of us are upper class. It's easy access for dry slope or scottish slopes and even ski holidays flights to Norway are pretty cheap then you jump on the train.

Scottish snow skiing does make you a far better skier though generally because the light is flat and visibility can be pants.

Not lucky. Competent. We are a family of skiers and also never broken anything. But we stay away from incompetent skiers.

Thanks everyone to your comments.

Just to add - statistically skiing is in list of 10 sports with a higher fracture risk. It's no.7 in the list (after inline skating, hockey and rugby). Football is after it (no. 10) and cycling is not even on the list (strangely!) but I guess I don't want DC to do any of these things apart from cycling. I am also not a huge fan of trampolines (kids injured themselves all the time on them!)

I guess I am just a very boring and cautious person. But (I could be wrong!) all these sports look much less socially pressing than skiing.

I was born in another country but we live in the UK. We could afford a few days a year in a modest skiing resort. I feel that because of my fear we are missing the opportunity to do it while DC is young considering that DC is interested in these sort of things - and particularly expressed the desire of skiing when saw it on the TV.

Sitting in front of a screen all day as a lot of kids do now doesn’t have an immediate fracture risk. But it’s much better for them to be out there taking risks. Safety just isn’t as simple as restricting them to low-injury activities.

For children, adults or overall? Much is to do with fitness, working within ability and behaving sensibly, as with many sports. We skied for many years, without real injuries, then I fell in the street and badly broke my arm! However there is really no need to “keep up with the Joneses” and go skiing especially as just a few days a year would be pretty pointless as far as developing skills and confidence is concerned.

I'm not sure what you mean by socially pressing OP.

The area I live in Scotland skiing is common but nobody pressures anyone if they don't do it, it's just more common that people do!

It's certainly not a cheap holiday but being in the Mountains in Winter is unlike anything else. If you are unsure on it/don't know how you will enjoy it then I recommend a resort which has a variety of things to do so swimming, snow shoeing, mountain coaster etc.
This is especially good with young children they are generally knackered after lessons.

But only do it if you want to! Plus side its end of season now anyway so you have time to think about it.

DC were three years old when they first went to ski school and did every year until they were proficient skiers. DC are adults now and we all ski including off piste and have never sustained bad injuries.
We all do other sports that we could get injured doing but it has never stopped us.

Most kids will break a bone at some point. Skiing is incredibly fun and incredibly hard to learn as an adult - sincerely someone who learnt at 26.

If he learns as a small child he's much less likely to injure himself. They have low centres of gravity and very little weight to them. I've been skiing from childhood, never had a problem. Likewise everyone I know who learnt early. Those who learnt as adults, a few did get injured, as less used to it and starting from beginner levels.

And it's not particularly more risky than many other common hobbies - horse riding, football, climbing trees, cycling, even just running or walking you can trip. You're unlikely to injure yourself doing any of them, but it's possible.

Nope born in the UK & went to state schools,

@Comfortable8520 skiing is amazing, the younger they start the better. Centre of gravity is much lower & they bounce!!

less risky than a trampoline! (Which I also love)

Of course. But also there are safer ways to exercise - swimming, tennis, dance...

As far as I know it's mostly adults who injure themselves while skiing. It's not always the ability as for example people injure themselves when they are tired or when it's low visibility etc. I don't think you can always prevent it.

It's not keeping up with the Joneses. I just don't want DC to feel excluded in the future. I know some adults who HAVE to go on skiing trips with clients, for example, and it's not an option not to go. I also think in some secondary schools it's quite pressing to go and be able to ski.

I am not sure what you mean by a few days a year being pointless - most of the kids/adults I know go skiing once a year for a week max and they can ski...