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Ski and snowboarding

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Original poster

Taking a 9 month old baby skiing with us

25 replies

puffylovett · 09/10/2007 17:36

OK, so - havent' posted in this section before !

We've been offered the opportunity to share a chalet for a week with some friends who are going to either Sante Foy or Tignes for New Year. Have been to Sante Foy before, so know what there isn't to do !

However, we have a 7 month old baby who is breastfed. Consequently I can't leave him behind. He will be 9 months old when we go.

My DP and I were planning to take it in turns to ski, or alternatively there is a lady going who won't be skiing so we can take advantage of babysitter once or twice.

I guess my questions are, what are the practicalities of taking a baby skiing, will it be a nightmare for all involved, will the flight be horrific, will we be bored sh*tless whilst not skiing...

would welcome various opinions !

He's a very chilled out baby BTW (luckily !! Just doesn'tlet his ma sleep

OP posts:

LIZS · 09/10/2007 18:44

We took ds at almost 1 with gp's to baby sit . fight went well, trnasfer complicated by avalanches disrupting transport, a pita. It was fine we skied while they looked after him and we sat in the sun after lunch. However he will need a good snowsuit(s) and waterproof gloves and bootees (Bushbaby do some) to cruise around in. ds, also fairly chilled, hated snow and would n't touch or sit in it. We hired a toboggan with a babyseat to cart him around which worked to a point. It was hard to entetrtain him all day, and dd was even worse, so pick somehwere where you can stay indoors and get toys out if needs be and also where he can nap properly. Overtired and uncomfy baby does not bode well. Take some books and pick somewhere in a sunny spot with a view.

crunchie · 09/10/2007 20:06

personally I wouldn't if they are not sleeping through the night. Less for you than for your friends. What I mean is that YOU will be aware of him disturbing others and therefore more stressed.

Original poster

puffylovett · 09/10/2007 20:37

did that when he was 7 weeks old and swore never again ! however, nowadays we boot daddy out and co sleep and he doesn't make a peep

you can see i'm persuading myself to go can't you !

OP posts:

WriggleJiggle · 09/10/2007 20:45

Flight will be fine. Toys hould be fine - at 9 months he will probably be happy playing with hats, gloves, sunglasses etc. As you're going to a chalet there should be plenty of room for him to crawl and get up to mischief. Tignes is pretty boring, but if you're both going to be skiing and therefore having lift passes, he'll probably enjoy going for rides up and down the gondolas and the mountain train thing they have there makes it very easy to get somewhere nice for a picnic lunch.

Having said that, do your friends understand the concept of children? The crying at night? Early mornings? Are your friends 'child friendly'?!

Original poster

puffylovett · 10/10/2007 08:43

would they really let babies on the chair lifts / gonodlas ? cool !

2 of the rooms are filled with older people (ie had kids themselves / look after grandkids) and the other lot is on their 5th IVF attempt, plus we've been away with kids before. Besides which, he's really notrouble bless him.. i actually think he'll get spoilt rotten the whole time !

OP posts:

LIZS · 10/10/2007 09:37

Yes you can take a baby on most lifts but possibly not on chairlifts which are designated for skiers only. We often took dd in her 3 wheeler on gondolas etc and on a chairlift used the Baby Bjorn to keep her secure (bear in mind winds can be chilly). Do watch for altitude though as sudden changes like in a cable car or underground funicular can affect their ears more than adults and the temperature can be significantly lower and air "thinner".

LIZS · 10/10/2007 09:41

oh and I don't like to worry you but teven th emost chilled 7 month old can transform into a frustrated semi mobile nightmare in a few months. Lets hope not for all your sakes ! btw are you thinking of going in December/January(struggling to work out you timings ) as it could be seriously very cold for him then and the required layers may prove frustratingly restrictive for him.

Jojay · 10/10/2007 09:53

Don't know anything about skiing but I've just bought some fab wet weather gear from this website if you do go.

They do lots of cold weather gear too, in tiny sizes

LIZS · 10/10/2007 09:56

Yes, I was thinking of these.

Just seen you mention New Year , doh !

elastamum · 10/10/2007 10:34

Go to Tignes because there is more to do. But be very careful as it is seriously cold and small babies get chilled at altitude very quickly as they dont move around much.

We took our 9 month old to Colarado and it was a difficult trip. Take a DVD player if you have one and lots of books as it can be a bit boring and if baby is crawling you might need stair gates, high chairs etc. My brother and gf bought their baby with them last year and I hired a local english speaking nanny for a few hours a day which was great as they both got out to ski

alp · 10/10/2007 15:44

we took DD when she was 6 months old - we were a group altogether and DD and I were treated like royalty! Everyone checking we were OK etc. We put DD in the Baby Bjorn and took her up on the chairlift to the resaturant at the top of the mountain. then all took turns to ski/board - as my parents were with us I felt OK to leave her with them whilst I went off for an hour or so - just came back in time to feed her. she was bf too and I would think this was easiest as all we needed was a few nappies, me and we were sorted.

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 10/10/2007 18:10

I don't know whether you'd consider this as an option but when I've been skiing and dd was tiny we have in the past got a list of approved childminder/babysitters from the tourist info office. They'll come to your chalet and babysit there while you go out. I know some people wouldn't be happy about someone they don't know, etc. But its always worked well for me, I think they have some sort of accrediation/qualification to be on the approved list. They've always been adult women rather than a local 16 year old.

Original poster

puffylovett · 11/10/2007 07:59

i was thinking of maybe leaving him in a creche of some description for a couple of hours, just so dp and i can ski together - but they all seem to only take from 1 yr old, so the childminding option seems a good one !

wow thanks for all your responses, they really make sense.

Not sure that i'd have the guts to put him in a papoose on a chairlift, and then strap the ski's on as i don't think i'm THAT good ! and not an option for dp as he boards, so they have a hard enough time getting off a chair lift without the domino effect as it is !

as for the cold, we did sainte foy n feb last year and i don't remember it being hellishly cold, but i guess it's a bit different for a baby as they're not miving or skiing (well not for a year or two anyway)

OP posts:

LIZS · 11/10/2007 15:11

You won't be allowed to carry him on a chairlift if you have skis on too ! I meant as a pedestrian

hunkermunker · 11/10/2007 15:21

Here's a good site

Anna8888 · 11/10/2007 15:26

I left my sixteen month breastfed baby for 11 days to go ski-ing. Obviously 9 months is a lot younger, but you have time between now and your holiday to get your baby used to drinking formula from a little cup, and to eat more solids. Or you could express milk and freeze it.

BTW, I re-started breastfeeding after the holiday and am still going strong (daughter is 2.11) .

lapsedrunner · 11/10/2007 19:10

This is a purely personal opinion...save your money, preserve your sanity and wait (about 2-3 years) until you can take your ds firstly on a snowy, non skiing, holiday (age 2-3ish) and then (not before age 4) on a skiing holiday.

Alternatively I would follow Anna8888 advice and go without him...

Nettee · 12/10/2007 18:59

oh dear, lapsedrunner - I have just booked to go with a breast feeding 6 month old and a 3 year old - just miss skiing too much - but there will be a creche so it must be ok......

Sam100 · 12/10/2007 19:26

Flight should be fine - its only an hour from UK. Try to avoid Geneva airport if you can - it is a long transfer to Tignes (about 4 hours) and it has to be one of the least customer/child friendly airports on this planet. Went through there with 2 small children and will never knowingly travel through that airport again! There are no lifts and you have to go up and down steps to go though security and get to gates - no help with pushchairs etc! Very little seating - very crowded - extortionate prices for food (£10 for a crappy sandwich).

Once in resort then can recommend Tignes - there are dogs and horses out on the lake to go and visit. You can go for rides on the shuttle bus around the village (our baby thought this was great!). There is a little tobogganing area in Tignes le Lac that the little kids can use. Be aware that Tignes is a high resort and your baby may not like the altitude. I think there is a public swimming pool and when we were there they were supposed to be building new facilites down by the lake - don;t know if these are completed yet.

Got some good baby thermals from raindrops.co.uk. Can also recommend the Columbia Baby snowset - salopettes and jacket.

Lemontart · 02/02/2009 09:40

this is a useful place for advice:

skiing with children advice

NikkiC2000 · 04/10/2011 15:42

Just wanted to let everyone know I Found a really great SnowSuit
Its LOVELY!!!

I brought it from here www.littleoutdoorshop.com

fedupwithdeployment · 07/10/2011 13:12

I have been skiing with small boys (at their youngest they were 3 months and 2.5) and it can be done. We didn't get a lot of skiing (and none together!) but we had a (well several) fun holiday(s) in the mountains. Warm clothes, sledges, and not v high expectations...and quite a lot spent on hot chocolates. We taught DS1 to ski ourselves (first ski school he was 5) and have never pushed it - I know a lot of children who have been totally put off skiing.

He is small - take some books, and probably tignes is better than Ste Foye...bit more to do. Remember you could take him swimming. I am sure there is a pool in Tignes, not so sure re Ste F. I wouldn't worry about the dvd for him (9 months is a bit young), but might be good for you.

fedupwithdeployment · 07/10/2011 13:13

God this thread is ancient. Baby is probably doing blacks now!

NikkiC2000 · 10/10/2011 07:57

Sorry - think thats my fault!!! Bringing up old news is something im good at!

Ill look at the dates next time he he

qpslummymummy · 05/02/2012 18:35

We have 9 month old baby and were desperate to go skiing but couldn?t find anyone else mad enough to go with us. We researched extensively with both family specific and general tour operators, and found that although many offer childcare in the day; very few were set up specifically with babies and their particular requirements in mind. So for example many had long transfer times but no car seat offered.

In the end we chose Babymio because as a family run baby centred hotel run by a qualified midwife, it seemed to offer the best environment for the baby, as well, baby activities such as swimming, massage and walks as an alternative to skiing. It was also seemed to offer very good value for money as its full board including all the activities and childcare. Although the village its in has limited skiing there are good ski resorts within 5-15 minutes drive away.

Overall all three of us had a really good holiday, we got three full days skiing out of seven and got to spend a very special time with the baby. There was no perfect option and this seemed to offer the best solution to keep everyone happy. I would say if you are going to skiing with your baby or toddler you need to go with the attitude that you may not be able to ski every day and even with childcare you may get called back. That?s why it?s really good to stay in a baby hotel because everyone else is in the same boat. If you want to know more I about the childcare etc I put a full review on TripAdvisor

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