Would it be practical for parent to snowboard with children learning to ski?

[Sunrise66]

Hi, first family ski trip coming up, children 8+10 beginners, dh and I snowboard (intermediate, tho last hol yrs ago). Plan is for kids to do ski school in morning whilst dh and I board then we all go on easy areas in afternoon.
Is it practical or likely to be a bad idea for us to try to board alongside kids learning to ski?
I’m bit unsure how practicalities could work eg getting on and off lifts etc. I was hoping that as they’re a bit older, they won’t need too much direct help on slope and we can just go slowly together but guess that depends on their abilities and confidence.
Appreciate it would be easier if we were all skiing but anxious re risk knee injury if I try to learn now, prev knee injury that do not want to aggravate, neither dh nor
I have done it before though not out of question to learn. Thank you for any advice.

We were in the same boat as you a few years ago, except kids were 7 and 5. I had previously skied before becoming a boarder, and I decided to go back to it. I found the 5 year old needed a lift up onto a chairlift, help on the flat sections and occasionally I took her between my legs on a steep bit. Didn't help the older child at all. With yours being older, I think you'll be fine.

Why not sign them up to board lessons instead? The old learn to ski first thing is dead apart from in some bits of France.

I agree with PP sign your kids up to board. My DC 8 and 10 learnt to board on their first winter holiday this year. All of us boarding worked really well. I could help them out when they were struggling as I know how to board so could give them guidance.

As long as the kids are getting good instruction during their ski lessons they won't need any help getting on and off lifts - although one of you should always ride with them on a chair lift. T-Bars are a different proposition - it is difficult for a boarder and a skier to ride together, particularly if there is a big difference in size and because the kids are beginners and the adults have not boarded for years.

and most of Switzerland…

It would be easier if you all did the same. I’d just put them in snowboard lessons.

I'd warn to figure out what you're going to do when you all go out together re being in front or behind. We saw a boarder having to walk a long way back up a slope as he was going ahead of his skiing daughter, she fell over and he had to get back to her. May be okay if you have two of you so one can go in front and one behind.

I think if you are confident boarders and both pretty fit then it's fine. You'll have to get used to having to take your board off to get across and help them. It is what we did with ours although they went to ski school from age 3 so a bit younger than yours they did sometimes need lifting on the lifts to sit but that was no issue either. This is obviously assuming as boarders you are confident getting on and on lifts no problem. Nowadays they shoot off ahead and I always bring up the rear. But we have great times skiing together and they always want to go to the fun parks etc which I'm not bothered about so I just take the photos and videos.

At 8 and 10 it'll probably be easier although they might want to have more of a say on whether they like skiing or not. Mine are 8 and 11 now. For our kids it was pretty much a non negotiable thing they had to learn to ski. They hated it at the start so we fed them sweets and used bribery and now they don't even remember learning to ski as they could always do it.

DH and I board and our kids learnt to ski at a young age. Both nagged to board but DH insisted on them skiing first. It was never an issue as they were in ski school so we weren’t teaching them. In some ways was easier as one of us went in front and the other behind when we’d go out in the afternoons and it’s easy on a board to get in front of them and sit down to help them untangle their legs from the pesky skis. 😁

In saying all that DH and I are proficient boarders with no inclination to learn to ski, him because of dodgy knees and me cos I’d spent so much time getting to a decent level I didn’t want to start from scratch!

Thank you all, really helpful. I appreciate would be easier if we all did the same thing but decided against letting them board initially because I think it would be too challenging for my youngest to learn. I know many 8 year olds can manage it but in her particular case, I'm pretty sure she would loose motivation quickly due to the extra challenge getting started compared to skiing. I think we will give the first plan a go, i.e. boarding whilst they ski, will try to remember to post after holiday to report back on how it went...

I cannot get my head around the lifts because I am an experienced skier and I prefer not to be next to boarders on lifts because the board naturally points the wrong way when seated and an inexperienced boarder very easily gets the board under/across your skis as you exit. I have known some nasty knee injuries exactly from this. As someone notes above perhaps you just have to remove the board on a lift when assisting your young skier?

@abricotine "As someone notes above perhaps you just have to remove the board on a lift when assisting your young skier?"

Nobody has suggested this - and it's not possible for a boarder to ride a modern high-speed chair lift or a T-bar without being on their board.

@Havanananana interesting as I’ve seen it on chairlifts this week but that would be pretty ridiculous on a T bar 😂

I always make sure I’m on an external side of the chair so I can get off without getting in anyone’s way. When helping the kids I’d be on the external with me facing in their direction with them in the middle.

Where I ski, the kids sit on the outside of the chair lift, on the side closest to the lift personnel, who help them on and off the chair lifts. Usually this side also has a "Kinder" entrance at the electronic gates that the children go through and the lifties look out for children coming through this entrance.

As for boarders removing their boards before riding on the chair lifts - while they of course take one foot out of the bindings in order to get on to the lift, completely removing the board (and presumably somehow carrying the board while on the lift) is not allowed. Not only would this be physically difficult to manage (and interfere with their ability to help the child) but there are the dangers of a board being dropped onto people below, or a dropped board running away at the top of the lift while the adult is concentrating on the child.

That all makes sense. As I say, I did see it with my own eyes just a few days ago, but the lift was pretty quiet and who knows what else was going on.

Try them on a board and on skis at a local snow centre NOW
then have a few lessons before you all go out

they may wish to snow board to be like you. And that is fine. Snowboarders can pick it up in 3 days if they are fit.
So
get some lessons here before you go.
Let them try both
let them choose
andwork on fitness every day between now and the holiday.

have fun!!