5 Mistakes 95% of Ski Parents do!

We all want our children to love this great sport! It is perhaps the only sport you can practice with your children until you are 90 years old,,,yet we often make fatal initial errors as skiing parents!
In our enthusiasm to introduce this "life style" we often forget basic parental rules!

Here are some very common mistakes many many parents do!
These "errors" are more relevant when you have very young children in the 2-4 year old age range! They do also apply in many cases for older children ( in the 13-19 age range)!

1. Creating stressful situation
Children are very sensitive to parental emotional state. They "read" very well how you feel! What they will remember most in later years is not the great snow, the beautiful views, the fresh air,,,,but your attitude while introducing this activity! If you wait till you are on holiday to introduce skiing while you are stressed because airline problems, hotel , problems, ski equipment problems, then it will not be positive!They will sense your stress.

Try wearing new ski boots around house before holidays. Try walking around outside with skis in park! I built a small ski run in my back yard for my kids. They had hours of fun going up and down this small 4 meter slope! They learned to walk on skis, climb up slope (in various ways)! All this before holiday!

2. Letting "stranger" teach them!
Most children are not at ease with "strangers" at 2
years old.Leaving them with "stranger" may not be the best teaching solution! May I suggest that some of the basic skiing activities are very much like games!You do not have to be great skier to "introduce" some basic skills! Here are some;
-putting on skis ( can be done inside house)
-Walking around with skis ( yes can be done on carpets)
-releasing skis
-sliding down small hill (small to you is HUGE to them)
-wearing ski clothing ( more complex than you think)

3.Taking child on lifts
Using lifts is a stressful situation! Many adults have problems with lifts! Imagine a child! I never take any child on a lift until they are comfortable with skis.Many ski resorts now have a chair suspended near lodge so that beginners can just sit on it to get feel! Using a T bar or J bar is actually more difficult! Avoid them at all cost! Many smart resorts have the famous "magic carpet" lift! It is a 2 meter wide rubber "carpet" that once you are on it takes you up!
I always waited till one of my children would say, "daddy why can't I go up that lift?" Then I would introduce them to lift by watching others get on! I would tell attendant to stop or slow lift on first lift off! I would also bring small chocolate bar with me and give it to them while on lift!They would concentrate on this great bar rather than "other" views!

4. Trying to teach "techniques"
Children are learning all sorts of activities! How to run, jump, catch a ball, etc...Skiing is just another game. Another challenge! Let them discover their own techniques! Often then are correct! Let them have fun! Do you teach the correct way to slide down on a sled or roll down a hill? Just wait till they ask you for help!
(this is also true for your wife/husband)!
Children at this age learn by "modeling" by watching and imitating how you ski! That is why boys walk like their fathers! You ski well!! They will ski well!

5.Wanting your child to "conform" to your conditions!
This is perhaps the greatest error parents make, not just in skiing but in all sorts of family activities!
You are on holiday! It is YOUR holiday so child must adjust to your needs, your desires!He/she must fit in! Sorry you are heading towards problems!
A child is not an adult! A child will not ski all day without attention!All the children want at this early stage is parental approval! They ski because they want you to be proud! They look for your kiss, hug and tap on head! Not for the great powder, great view or great ski run! That will come later!
If you decide to bring your children on ski holiday, then you must give them attention and adjust your schedule according to their needs also! I often see holidays ruined because parents bring children skiing but do not really want to ski with them!Off to the day care! Off to the ski school for 4 hours! ( So you can get that great skiing let us be honest)!

That initial skiing pleasure will cost you lots later! You must think like a child and what his/her needs are on a ski holiday! If you think giving him/her some money so that they can play video games in lobby will "liberate" you for more skiing, you are wrong!
The few hours you will spend with your girl and boy in the initial stages of learning skiing will be "given back to you" years later when you are too slow while skiing! It will be "pay back time" trust me it will happen!

Hope this helps the younger parents!

Having just taken my 3yo skiing for the second time, i have to agree will most of your comments. A brief insight into how we enjoyed our holiday.....

1. our son has a short attention span, like most 3 yo's, so we split the day into many smaller activities. We alternated skiing and sledging every 2hrs and also had many food/drink/toilet breaks

2. our instructor is a family friend whom my son is very trusting of ( obviously not everyone has a ski instructor in their network fo friends / family )

3. We had other kids in our group, this helped him learn from his "peers"

4. we took an afternoon off to go swimming!

This all resulted in a happy child and happy parents

AND....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t60BWTkBkwY

Excellent post Pavelski.

I couldn't agree with you more - so many people (not just with kids) forget that a ski holiday should be about fun first!

I'm going to print this out and put it up in our ski-club, with a little bit of luck there will be more happy families around.

Colemangavin,
Parents could learn a lot by watching your video1

1. Use of ski bra
2. Parent below and ahead of child encouraging
3. Another adult above
4. Of course taping session so in 20 years it will be a treasure video!

Call me up in 20 years, to share benefits of your great parenting!