3 and 5 year old in same ski class?

[gladders]

thinking about skiing with the kids for the first time - they are 3.5 and 5.5 and the little one is pretty robust so am sure she'll be ok having a go at lessons/ski kindergarten.

so.... are there any companies which would put them in the same group? lots seem to do 3-4 and then 5-6. Esprit looked great but one would ski mornings and the other afternoons which is no good at all.

any recommendations welcome!

My DCs did classes with Esprit with one in the morning, one in the afternoon and tbh it wasn't great for them. They missed each other (would get to see each other at supervised lunches and high tea). Having said that, we have used Esprit for our last 2 trips - and just rebooked again with them for the end of Jan - so I can recommend them as a company to go with and after that first year, they were in ski classes at same time anyway (albeit at different levels).

The alternative would be that you book classes direct with a ski school which will have classes for your youngest DC at the same time as for the elder one - again, probably not the same class but at least tallying time-wise.

i would be wary of putting them together because the bigger one will probably pick it up quicker, ski for longer and enjoy 'mature conversation' with her grown up friends, and the little one will probably not ski for as long, and might enjoy stories and cuddles a bit more.
the only real way to get them together is to pay for private lessons, but again they be more different than you think. would you book them into the same swimming class?

two additions:

1. snowbizz do all lessons in the morning 2)they MAY be more different than you think [excuse typing error please emoticon]

tbh the littler one is very gung-ho and will spur her elder brother into life - he can't bear being outdone by her - so i think it would work.

not the end fot he world if they get changed into different classes as the week progresses (as long as she doesn't go higher than him!!)

was all set to book esprit but the morning/afternoon thing is a disaster - we'd never get any family time at all......

I would n't . It will inhibit the progress of the elder child, as the instructors will find it more difficult to cater for the needs and stamina of a lo up on the lifts and mountain than a 5 yr old, and will probably keep both on the snow garden.

We first skied when the dcs were 3.5 and 5.0 and they went in different classes. The older class progressed hugely much faster - they're just so much more co-ordinated at that age. I wouldn't worry about your ds not being pushed the group push each other.

great input everyone - thanks - any ski companies to recommend? Have been MArk Warner and am keeping an eye on their special offers in La Plagne - but any other sites I should check?

I'd love mine to go into class together - thye get on very well and the little one is extremely gung ho. However, 5 yo can ski, and as yet the 3 yo can't....suspect it will be ski school of mum and dad again, but will try to get them into class....

When they are 4 and 6, 5 and 7 things should improve.

We went a long time ago & used a variety of outfits ranging from local ski-schools - ESF & Evolution 2 (in french) to Esprit type English classes. One of the best we encountered was at Argentiere (club penguin or something like that) & the next best were Esprit at Montchavin and Evolution 2 (I think - we were very lucky the classes were about 5 children and the instructors spoke English to our children) at Tignes. A lot of it is luck with the instructors.

The English classes are probably best for the very small ones, but an awful lot of skiing is learned by copying, so small class sizes and being not too far from the instructor is more important than the language imo.

Oh and when I said 5 yos were more co-odinated, I realised I really ment physically stronger. My two were about the same in terms of cordination at that age (they both learned to swim unaided at the same time around then), but the older one just managed far better on the slopes.

panda club not penguin club at Argentiere! It wqas very good circa 10 yrs ago - don't really know about now unfortunately.

We have booked with ski famille, but others to check out are ski beat, the family ski company, MW, crystal, neilson, I think that's all!

Our experience is of using local ski schools ( Austria ) and classes are based on ability not age, the children go through a ski - off and then are based accordingly. We have done this for several years but ours are older, but like yours they are two years apart.

We had stressed to ours to copy what the others did, and that the language might not be English, but the instructors were mostly Dutch and used to give instructions in German and English, but a lot of it was follow my leader stuff.

But I do like them to go together, for us it is a whole day - 5 hours plus lunchtime, and it is not such fun if you are the only English speaker in your group.

Actually having said all that, the classes they do start from age 4.

DH is a ski teacher. He says not to put in same class. He would put 3yr old in kindergarten ski class and 5yr old in next class up. He has taught thousands of children over the yrs in Austria and Scotland.

thanks everyone - looks like the consensus is not to put them together - so will aim for kindergarten for dd and ski school for ds

will check out those other companies - thanks everyone