Ski-ing with an anti-skiing teen

[RoleyMo64]

Hi

We have been skiing with our kids regularly since they were small and they are now decent skiers and we have had several lovely family holidays skiing with them.

However, my DS (now 12) has decided he doesn't like ski-ing. We went last week, and Dh and DD really enjoyed it, and I got to try to jolly him along when he'd basically decided he didn't want to do it.

I'd appreciate advice/comments from people who have a non-skier or refusnik in the family - do you not go? Are there other activities? How do you handle this?

thanks

Can you leave him behind? One of my colleagues (a long time ago) used to leave her son with her parents as he really didn't enjoy it, so he had a week being spoiled by the grandparents whilst his parents and ski-liking siblings had fun on the slopes.

Would he enjoy boarding instead? If not I would consider leaving him with grandparents if at all possible.

I will be honest and I know I'm probably setting myself up for a flaming but mine would be coming wether they wanted to or not. The world doesn't revolve around either of my dds.

He might enjoy boarding. Last year on the school ski trip he expressed an interest in it, but there weren't enough people to get a group together.

In theory we can leave him with grandparents but they are either 2hrs or 4hrs away in the not-France direction.

HairyPotter, we took that attitude this year, however he has basically sulked the whole week and staged several sit-ins and just generally made life not very nice. I'd prefer that not to happen again and if there's something I can offer to make it not, (like boarding instead, or jumping lessons, or anything) then I will. I'd like to go ski-ing all together but I'm prepared to negotiate a bit iyswim.

I would leave him in the hotel or bribe him with hard cash .

Or you could take one of his friends and let them loose together - I have a friend with a 13 year old daughter who hates skiing with her parents, but when she went off just her and my dd they had a whale of a time.

I completely understand, I was probably that sulky teen I am mortified when I think what a brat I was back in the day. I think that's why I don't put up with that from my dds. I am well aware that there are a lot less stroppy that the majority of their peers though so I probably have an easier job.

Lots of good suggestions! Is it possible to give snowboarding a go? We are just back from a week skiing - all the DC love skiing, but this year they all decided to try boarding for a couple of days too.

It worked really well - an hour long lesson each morning and then practising the rest of the day. After 2 days they were taking chair-lifts as well as button pulls and skiing long blue runs.