We have three kids in our family, and one of them is my four-year-old son. I am going to take him skiing with me next season, and I have been thinking “what should I know about skiing with a child“. This short article points out few things to remember when you start skiing with your child.
When my son was two years old, I considered taking him skiing. I was not sure if he was old enough, so I spent some time in the Internet to find out. I came to the conclusion that it is too early to take him skiing with me, and therefore I decided to start later. First of all, it is a fantastic idea to start skiing with your child! Going skiing with the whole family is potentially a great idea, but make sure you know what you need to know.
What do you need when you start skiing with a child?
Let’s start with the equipment. In order to start skiing with your child you need at least:
- quality clothing for your child, such as Gore-Tex to resist water
- skiing equipment (skis for kids, boots, etc,)
- helmet! I would NOT recommend skiing without a helmet. The helmetless days were before 2000, now it is different. Use a helmet!
- time (take your time, you need it)
- patience (yes, sometimes kids prefer doing something else instead of skiing; also learning takes time)
Now what to do? If this is your first time skiing with your child, make sure
- he/she wants to go skiing
- he/she is physically ready (usually 3 years is enough, but I recommend starting at 4 because muscles are stronger)
- he/she gets an instructor, in case you are not able and/or skillful enough to teach
Other things to know when skiing with a child
If it is cold out there, check every 30 minutes your child is not freezing. Wear good clothes but be ready to go inside as often as needed. Make sure your child is wearing a helmet. If you are using borrowed skis, make sure the bindings fit well. If you are afraid that your child is not able to control speed, you can use a leash.
Respect your child’s wishes. Go for lunch if he/she asks for it. Don’t bring him/her into places that are risky an or too difficult for your child, such as moguls tail. Consider bringing your child to a ski-school or lessons: it could help a lot!
Enjoy your time skiing with your child!
Photo: sara_atkins
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Thanks for your positive feedback!
I have taken my son skiing when he was seventeen months old. We went to Colorado. We were skiing everyday and the little one stayed home with a caretaker. Everyday he asked to go with us. Therefore, as an experiment I took him on the bunny hill (bunny hills in Colorado would qualify as a nice green runs in other places). All his brothers decided to come down to the base for that event. It was very, very touching. We all went on a small lift and skied together down hill. His brothers on each side of him and one in front (skiing backwards). The little one was thrilled, no fear of going down hill or going up on a ski lift. It was a hard breaking work for me though. We repeated this every year. Now he is 3 and 3/4 and got pretty good at standing on his legs while we ski down small and gentle slopes. Since he is almost four I would like to take him to a next step of skiing on his own. However, he got used to skiing between mum’s legs and I sense that he is not going to give up that option easily. Can anyone suggest fun and creative way of transition from where we are now to more independent skiing on his part?
Thanks Gosia for telling your story. Nice to hear your kids enjoy skiing.
This might sound funny, but it really works. I learned it from one ski instructor. Try using dog flexi leash such as this one
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NSLEUO?ie=UTF8&tag=thlada-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000NSLEUO
With the flexi leash you can easily control your child’s skiing, and as he/she learns you can give more distance.