Skiing top tips

[crappyday]

Thought I'd start a thread for everyone to add their top tips for skiing with children.
Mine is to weigh the children before you go- that always ask the weight in the hire shop and I have to guess which isn't great.

Please add away!

Don't buy expensive ski gloves for DCs. Better buying 3 pairs of cheap ones and that way you're less likely to have to for out for over priced ones at the slopeside shop.

-Don't panic if the 8 year old hates the first day- hides in a cupboard all evening and refuses to ski ever again!
(ps. she came out of the cupboard and had a fabulous week but we had to hold our nerve)
-Watch loads of you tube videos before you go of people skiing in your resort- huge fun and it gives them an idea of what to expect.
-Pockets full of sweets
-Mark the kit in some way if you don't have a locker- embarrassing when 12 year old goes up the mountain with someone else's boots

I second sweets/portable snacks in your pocket to keep them going.

Don't do too much for the first few days as they can get very tired at the end of the day and get floppy/lazy when skiing.

Let them ski ahead but only to specific points.

Warm gloves

We ski in a sandwich formation. Dh and I are the bread, the kids in the middle are the filling. That way if one Dc falls over the parent behind can help then if they get stuck/hurt.

Always carry the emergency number with you for accidents. It often isn't on the ski map ( found this out the hard way in February)

Did I mention warm gloves.

While we're on food and drink- we often eat out at lunch but DS struggles with the wait for food- even after a mid morning mini mars. But we found out that coke straight away gave him the sugar kick he needed to help him cope till food came.
(No judging please! Fizzy drinks aren't allowed at home!)

Rechargeable walkie talkies with each family member making up their own radio name/call sign. Lots of fun!

Mini mars bars to dip in hot chocolate!!! Mmmm! That's what I loved as a child skiing!
Watching with interest as just had ds and can't wait to go skiing again!

YYY to spare gloves, pockets of sweets, hot chocolate / coke as soon as you get into a restaurant or sugar cubes if you are desperate!! (Memories of ending up dragging a two year old down a red run NBA sledge with a four year old on skis for the third time and then having to hike back up after taking a wrong turn in Avoriaz, amazingly we still ski but the kids don't trust my map reading!!)

Get a ruck sack you can strap the skis / poles on to. I am a softie parent and don't make them carry their own stuff if they are tired.

It's never their fault if they trip you up, knock you off the chair lift, can't make it down the run. Never shout at them if they can't understand your instructions. Remember, if they are having a bad day, they would rather be playing on the Wii and no matter how much fun they have, in the early years, they are only there because it's your passion. Let them have fun and don't push them too hard.

Softie Mum xx

Anotherdayanothersquabble,

Loving your last sentence, it's our passion, so true.

Yeah we have a North Face ruck sack and can strap skies and poles to, we go with a pocketful of Jelly Babies !!

We have walkie talkies and our 5 year old loves singing to Daddy through them !

crappyday, will remember that for next year !

Another good thread people !! :)

I was just going to say the same - are really good thread.

Any tips for skiing with pre-schoolers? In all honesty, I'm not expecting my four year old to do much more than shuffle on skis as it's his first time. On the other hand, I' wondering if my nearly 3yo DD would enjoy a private lesson - she may be younger but she's much more physically adventurous than her brother.

a really good thread

And any tips for keeping a (non skiing) toddler happy much appreciated. We are staying in a family friendly chalet and she's booked in a creche (but if she doesn't settle, we'll share the skiing/childcare)
She's just not great at going down at night, so I fear we may have to share meal times too. But some people have reported their toddlers being knocked out by the mountain air

I'm half excited, half stressing!

SarahBeenysBumblingApprentice, our daughter skied this year at 4 and half years and did really well. Only did mornings at ski school, then skied with us in afternoon, flying past me on blues !! :)

Yes Millie2013, the mountain air does knock them out !! We kept saying to our daughter that she could have a late night and go out for pizza, she didn't make it past 7pm every evening !!

Keep going :)

If they are in a ski school make sure they can get into and out of ski suit themselves to go to the loo. A one piece suit might seem sensible, but half naked crying tots in mountain loos are a heart breaking sight!

Also if you can find a heated outdoor swimming pool, go visit it. I loved swimming outside in the snow as a child!

This is great stuff
Love the point about it being our passion. Need to remind FIL of that when he gets OTT with DD and lessons!!!

We go To Courcheval in jan and it will be dd 2nd time skiing . I'm expecting only shuffling and a strong reluctance to ski school !!
any tips in encouraging her to join would be very welcome

Keep them warm and comfortable - spare gloves are a must and neck muffs are fab.

Have sugary snacks at the ready. Normal rules go out of the window!

A nightly hot tub eases any aches.

Our ds2 started skiing at 3 3/4. He did mornings only and skipped the first ESF award (piou piou) and was given the second (ourson?). By day 3 he was being taken up chair lifts and skiing Blues!!

Sarahbeenyetc my dad started at 3.3 and loved it. Class was full of kids the same age and they did lessons on a very easy slope with a travelator to get back to the top.

Now a few years later she skis with us and generally keeps up but has more style

YYY to spare gloves and socks
YYY to mid morning or afternoon snacks for kids in ski lessons
YYY to remembering its a holiday

I take a spare pair of salopettes for my boys incase they don't dry out over night. Jackets seem to but salopettes sometimes haven't.

Make sure everything gets hung up or laid out to dry at the end of every day.