How much independence for 7-yr old?

[inthenameofpride]

I’m not sure if I’m being over-protective but I’m finding it difficult to let my 7-yr old ‘loose’ on the slopes now that he is relatively competent blue/red run skier with four weeks under his belt. For context my friend happily lets her similar age beginner skier (who is sporty and picked up quickly) ski down way ahead and meets her at the bottom. A big concern is that the kids in the group try to race each other down and are ski-ing beyond their abilities. Ski-school do not teach piste etiquette and safety rules at this age. The runs include tracks with steep dropoffs on the side. When did you let your kids do their own thing?

Oh gosh we had this dilemma when DS was 12, 7 is so young for it ! At that age I would want to keep them in sight at all time.

I think 7 is a little young to be out of sight, even for a very sensible child.

They may be competent but you are also relying on everyone around them on the slopes being equally competent (never guaranteed). Are they clued up on what to do in an emergency? Do they have a mobile? What would they do if you have an accident on the way down and they are kept waiting for ages - would they panic? I let my 16 year old DD ski ahead and out of sight of us but she’s very sensible and clear about what to do in an emergency. She also carries her mobile phone and her EHIC card and must be with at least one friend.

We live in Europe and our kids skied from age 2 and were highly proficient at 7. There is no way I’d let kids that age ski to the bottom of the piste and meet us there. It is highly irresponsible of the parents to allow this and its idiots kids and poor skiers who make it dangerous for those that can actually ski.

you are absolutely in the right. Keep your child close until they can ski parallel on black slopes and can get themselves out of any situation. What happens if someone skis into them? They need to know to do emergency turns and look out for others. A skier with 4-weeks experience can’t do this.

Absolutely agree with the above. Am currently on the last day of ski holiday where the pistes have been extremely busy, and have seen many out of control, unsupervised kids (one smashed into me and came off quite badly). Funnily enough, it's never the French kids! Keep your children with you - at 7 they really have no concept of safety. We ski with teens who passed Gold long ago, but still insist that they don't go off ahead.

I always keep my 9 and 12 year olds in sight. But it depends on what you mean by ahead and how far. It isn't that I don't trust them but let's face it there are plenty of people on the slopes with no control or etiquette on the piste.

Oh and I'd say my kids generally have lots of freedom can go out by themselves, walked to school alone from age of 6 years old, go to the shop etc etc.
Just not on ski slopes

IME the main danger/problems on the slopes these days is children who can ski fairly well, but are over-confident about their abilities.
I've seen some potentially nasty incidents where kids, possibly 10 or 11 year olds, just want to go straight downhhill as fast as they possibly can and woe betide anyone who is in the way!
I saw a collision between a young skier and an older teenage girl, 15 or so, the kid crashed into the teenager. It was very dramatic, she was taken off the piste on a stretcher and then helicoptered to hospital. She had broken bones in her arm and shoulder and spent the rest of her holiday (and presumably some while afterwards) in plaster.

They shouldn’t be out of sight until at least 15/16 and completely competent. No one should be out of sight of at least one other person.

Mine are 10-13 and can ski ahead but not further than I can see and regularly stop to regroup at any piste crossings etc.

I've lived in a ski resort for about 15 years now. Believe me. You are doing better at this than your friends!
Check put the Piste Cross Code for teaching piste etiquette.
https://pistexcode.org/?srsltid=AfmBOoo5PJHVO33Wl3s8R3ldquLGMBDXxzx0HKqFHm15sasXgVE1-zJ1

To gently introduce independent skiing you can go on a piste which is well within their ability and let them ski ahead to the next piste marker lollipop gradually worki g up to 2 or 3 markers away (still always in sight). Set your expectations first eg. Check up the slope before setting off, do at least 5 big turns-not going straight, stop at the side of the post by the number 23 lollipop.

Agree with others. The problem with being a Brit is you think being a blue/red skier is relatively competent and it just is nowhere near how good you need to be at that age to have your wits about you on the slope. I recall various deeply tragic stories from recent past. Not worth the risk. If you watch ski schools in action at this level they are a tight controlled snake and instructors would never allow this bombing down (maybe end of week race, once, where the race piste is their own for one run!)

Yes also second the competent blue/red run skier comment. 4 weeks of skiing is nothing at all in the grand scheme of things. Maybe a 7 year old who is growing up close to a ski area abd goes regularly to a club and knows the slope safety might be ok. But you should be able to see a massive difference in skiing abilities. It isn't worth the risk and your son probably isn't as competent as you might want to believe.

Another thing that has popped into my mind is how good is the child (both your child and your friends child) at judging other people's skiing abilities? Does he know to steer clear of a skier doing snow ploughs down the slope or a snowboarder who clearly has no control and can't turn properly? At 7 I think that is a big ask.

I mention this as we are currently skiing and today my 12 year old guided his brother away from a woman who was 'just doing pizzas' as he put it. It did make me think about awareness on the slopes and I'm pretty sure that is the first time I've noticed him do it. My youngest just charges down and although he has lots of control he couldn't judge other adults, only kids smaller than him that he automatcally avoids.

When our kids were 8 & 6 they used to lap a few runs and a mini park whilst we sat in a restaurant. By 11 my son was taking himself to and from lessons on his own, my wife would just drop him at the lift station. This would involve 5 lifts and 6 runs each way and takes about an hour. He's now 13 and when he's at school they can ski on their own, as long as they are in groups of at least 3 kids. But normally they ski with me, as that's just what they prefer, although they are constantly disappearing off and meeting me at the bottom/lift.

Thanks for the feedback and apologies for the awful typo in the title! I can't seem to edit it which is annoying. Gosh my gut feeling was correct and I absolutely will not be allowing this going forward. I agree with every comment and in particular it is the anticipation of danger which is totally lacking in kids of this age. I am surprised at my friend to be honest as in other ways she is strict and careful with the kids.

We have just come back from a week my just turned 8 year old was basically quite a way ahead of me and we met him at the same place at the bottom of the slope (green run as first ski holiday) he had x5 days of lessons and went on the run with his instructor so new the route - it terrified me but as I was a newbie too I couldn't keep up with him! I had a vague idea of where he was could see him well into distance as he had a very bright ski jacket.

i am not sure I wouid let a 7 year old alone but if he is with or near an adult at least if he has fallen you can see on the way past?

The worst accident my kids had skiing was when an out of control adult went into them at top speed (they had no way of getting out put of the way).... and just skied off. DH was there in seconds. That happening with no adult would have been horrible

Slight karma... when DH got to the bottom of the run the idiot had been cornered by other irate adults who had witnessed it.