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.

Weather and fatigue can certainly be factors, as they are in other activities like hillwalking. As i say it is as much about using commonsense and not overreaching yourself. Many injuries are small and niggly like thumb fractures from falling and catching it on the pole strap. But equally you cannot always anticipate other skiers/boarders behaviour and that may cause collisions or falls.

Don’t believe all the glossy stories of other parents, ski holidays with young children can be hard work and progress slow until they really get beyond the beginner slopes and are more independent. In the first few days of a trip you rarely progress much unless you go frequently then build up to a certain level of competence and self awareness. Weather can be great, crisp snow , clear blue skies or miserable, wet sleet, windy and low cloud. Wait until he is secondary age and can go on a school trip if you don’t fancy it as a family holiday. He really won’t lose out by not going yet, for many families it is not an option.

Thanks! That's reassuring 😊

Yeah I don’t think your child will suffer by not going (!). It’s a nice to have, not an essential. I mean, I love it and one day am planning a winter in a motorhome, and I am definitely not from an advantaged background. But it’s not for everyone and yes, you can get injured.

My husband grew up skiing and always wanted his kids to do the same. We just can’t afford it so they’ve never been. It’s much, much better to learn as young as possible.

Perfect age to learn. Equipment has improved 100 fold, & kids are supple & nearer to the ground.
It’s a fabulous sport.

Also, put him in ski school, they progress so much faster

Mine definitely started much younger than 5 as did ski holiday friends. They are all amazing skiers now at 16 and 17.

DH is friends with several orthopaedic surgeons. They all hate garden trampolines and wouldn’t let their kids on one ever, for fear of back and neck injuries.
Danger is everywhere OP, but I’d say the younger you learn to ski the better. French Tiny tots whizz past everyone, lower centre of gravity is a great help learning.

I don't enjoy skiing, but I know a lot of people who do. Even when they've had injuries (and honestly this is mostly in the learning phase), they'd say it's totally worth it for the love of skiing overall.

I think you should absolutely start young, lower centre of gravity, less far to fall, likely to reach a better level more quickly. I'd imagine there's overall less risk of injury (at least in the learning phase) when you start young than if you learn later in life.

We live not far from the Alps, in my experience and that of my peers, children do tend to progress quite quickly, it’s the adults who take longer.

we started when my DD was 5, it was the perfect age as she was able to follow instructions and at that age, with her lower centre of gravity and lack of fear, she picked it up and progressed very quickly. She was whizzing past me in perfect control by day 3. We did book private lessons for the first forays, ski school later when she was more accomplished.

the result is she skis very well, with little fear, meaning she enjoys the sport a lot more and can fully appreciate the days in the mountains. Learning as an adult leaves you with the Fear which you never quite get rid of. Also, learning as a small child means better muscle memory and friends who started skiing again after many years of not skiing were able to pick up where they left off, whereas I, as an adult learner, was pretty much back at beginner level for the first couple of days after a 10 year hiatus.

In my opinion starting at 5 is a perfect age, is safer in the long run, and gives them an advantage that you lose the later you leave it. My nephew, who has never skied, managed to knock teeth out when scootering to school, so there is danger anywhere if you are determined to find it.

Just because they HAVE to go on the ski trip with clients, doesn't mean they have to ski. Tbh you don't spend much of the day together on the slopes themselves as everyone would be mixed ability. The social/networking side of any trips like these are the social opportunities at meal times. The chances of your DC going into a job that requires that kind of thing? Quite slim. It's a pretty niche thing. I have a colleague that has a professional friend group who has done this, my colleague is a non-skier, tags a long and is the group organiser, coordinates meet ups, good food and entertainment. Spends the rest of the day in the spa, shopping and walking. No one cares.

I'd be less worried about a kid skiing than an adult for some reason.

There’s a much bigger risk allowing them to learn to drive than to ski.
Get over it - they’ll have the BEST holidays in skis. Don’t hold them
back.

If you think your DC will want to ski as an adult, get them learning now. It’s a fantastic age to learn. I am definitely not from a middle class, privileged background but was blessed to have had a Scottish ski instructor in charge of my church youth club when I was 15. He taught us all to ski on a dry slope in Sunderland then took us to Glenshee for a weekend. My parents thankfully were happy to let me do it.

I now have my own place on the slopes, my children learnt at a young age and ski better than me. I am ACL deficient in one knee but that doesn’t stop me skiing.

My dd took her 3 for the 3rd time this year - cheap resort, borrowed outfits, all done fairly cheaply. Younger Gdd is 6 and was doing so well this time. The 2 elder already very confident.

I didn’t go skiing until I was 40 and never became confident, so I’m very happy that Gdcs have had this chance to learn and gain confidence, before they become self conscious.
Of course there’s always a risk of injury, but so there is with a lot of other sports/activities - we have to hope they’ll listen to warnings and not take silly risks.

My reasoning in on this is - they are bound to go with mates/as adults at some point. Better they have the skills to be a good skier than try and keep up with mates when they are crap!

It’s a good skill to have. They better skier you are the less likely to ge injured. It’s also the best family holiday and so healthy

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate your view. There is a lot to think about. I think part of me knows that I am perhaps holding the DC back (considering it's a good sport, socialising, fun etc) but it's just really scary to think they could be badly injured. I am the same when it comes to trampolines and rugby, so I think it's just my personality.

School ski trips. Well I live in a fairly affluent area. Yet it's still a VERY small percentage of the kids go on them. Certainly not something they all do . About 9 out of 10 at least won't go

I've never been skiing. I don't really know anyone that goes..But it's no different from the zillions of other sports d activities children can injure themselves on. My 5 year old daughter goes horse riding but the most serious injury she's suffered is from jumping on my bed.

Most people in the UK don’t ski OP. It’s a sport reserved for the wealthy- incredibly expensive to rent or buy the equipment and we don’t exactly have snowy mountains so it’s generally done at indoor slopes which also charge a fortune. It isn’t a usual thing to do in the UK.

I feel like I love on another planet sometimes.

I’ve been skiing for 65 years - since age 7 - and never injured myself. A few near misses with snowboarders, but I always walked skied away.

Skiing equipment nowadays is simply in a different league. There are so many riskier sports than skiing!

All four of my DC have broken bones skiing. It’s one of those things.

They’ve also broken bones playing football, hockey, rugby, falling off a climbing frame, tripping whilst running, slipping on gravel and literally falling over their own feet.

Appreciate it’s difficult to believe but they’re neither particularly uncoordinated nor do they have anything wrong with their bones.

the advantage of learning to ski when you’re young is that it’s so much easier and the falls don’t hurt. Plus bones heal very quickly.

Both mine have skied from a young age and never had any serious injuries, although I do realise that I’ve tempted fate now and our next ski trip will involve a broken leg!

However they have had broken bones, black eyes, dislocated joints from other sports.

You can’t wrap them in cotton wool.

This isn't my experience at all. Children between about 6 and 11 tend to progress to blues and even reds after a week of ski school. My 5 and 7 year olds happily skied 10am to 5pm every day of our holiday and it was a joy to ski with them after morning ski school. I honestly didn't find it a slog at all.