My family makes a trip once a year to go snow skiing. This will be our 5th or 6th year or so (I've lost count!). My daughter's 4th birthday is the 2nd day of our trip. I've been talking to her about going and seeing the snow and skiing. She is SO excited! It snowed here in our area recently, and she loved going out and playing in it. Last year on the ski trip, she wasn't too thrilled about going out in the cold.
Since she's so excited about it this year, I want to try her out on some skis at least one day of our trip. My plan is to rent her some skis, take her to a spot at the bottom of the slopes where I know it's not crowded, and have her try standing on the skis in the snow. I saw a couple do this with their little girl a couple years ago. It will give her a chance to see what it's like to stand on the snow in the skis, and feel how they move. And perhaps teach her to make a "pizza" for stopping! Depending on how she likes it, we'll take her up the beginner slope.
Has anyone ever taught a young child to ski before? Any tips?? I've seen people with these harness things on a child with the child out in front of them while they hold a cord. Should I expect to rent this from the ski rental shop, or is this something I will probably need to buy beforehand?
Thanks for any suggestions. I hope she likes it!
Inwouldnt try teachin her myself. I would send her straight to ski school. The
instructors will have better tips for her than we as parents would. And she would have more fun!
We taught both of our older kids to ski at 3 and 5 they both loved it and are great skiers. We used clips I bought some a few years ago for our youngest son on the internet and they work great.But when all else fails give her the poles have her hold on and pull her that is what we did teaching them all the lifts and getting them used to the heights. Have great trip and good luck..
Hi S.,
Sounds like fun. It also brings back fond memories for me...I grew up in Alaska. I didn't downhill ski though...did cross country. I taught young ones how to ski when I was in high school. Just an idea, how open would your daughter be to being taught by someone else. They have beginners classes for very young children and are taught by very understanding, gentle and patient people. One of the first things we taught, after getting the feel of being on skis, was how ro fall...it eliminated the fear of falling and made it more of a game. Wish I had more tips...it was in the 60's when I taught cross country skiing and there are so many differences between that and downhill.
Good luck and have snowballs of fun!
W. Q
Dear S., We just took all four of ours skiing for the first time last year. Mine range from 19 through 10. But they have great beginners classes for little ones and I will have to admit... I'm not a good skier, I love it, but I'm not good. There were some tiny little people just going downhill with no problems. The smaller they are they learn quicker because they have no fear. My 10 yr old took off like he'd been on skis all his life. They don't have as far to fall so it doesn't hurt at all. I think your child will be fine and probably love it.
i worked at a ski resort for 5 years in utah, and the best responses from kids came when they attended a class with pro insructors and other children.good luck,have fun!!
S., we taught our three girls how to ski, at about age 4. They are adults now and love skiing. Our youngest didn't want to go out into the cold, and it was touch and go for a while. A children's program at the ski resort did the trick.
We sent her to a "ski school" / day care for toddlers. The teachers were great. First they got the children to play in / enjoy snow. Then they took them out on little skis. The emphasis was on fun. It worked - after one day at the school our girl loved snow and later loved skiing. When we took over, we would ski for a while with the kid between our legs, holding them up and breaking them. After a year or two we all skied together. My husband up front, then the three girls, with me picking up the pieces at the end. Since ski areas / obstacles are so well marked in the U.S., we never had them on a leash, though that would work, too, for a while. Good luck!
