Getting Your Kids Ready for Ski School

It’s your first time to take your little ones with you on your ski vacation and you’ve got your mind set on giving them ski lessons. But separation anxiety can kick in and this can make it difficult for your kids to learn how to ski, and for you to enjoy the rest of the trip.

But there a few things you can do to make sure your kids have fun on the snow as much as possible while they learn the art of skiing:

1. Before you fly, do your research. If you’re planning your family ski trip with ski lessons in mind, research beforehand on the ski programs a resort offers. Get to know if the ski instructors are trained to teach kids of certain ages. If you can, give the resort a call and ask for details such as how the instructors keep the kids together while they’re on the mountain, and if they include breaks in warm locations.

TIP: If you can, show up a day earlier and talk to the employees or the instructor to learn more about the ski lessons and how they go about it.

2. Get ski lessons together. If you’re worried separation anxiety can make your vacation a little less memorable and a little more stressful, consider getting ski lessons with your kids. There are resorts which offer group lessons for families, and some ski instructors are nice enough to give parents some tips on how to help their kids improve their shredding skills.

3. Make sure your kids are wearing the appropriate and properly fitting gears. Sure, kids can outgrow their clothes in just a year’s time. But if you want to your kids to have fun and feel comfortable while scaling the slopes, it’s important that their gears, clothes and accessories fit them very well.

TIP: If you want to save on ski clothes for your kids, go for ski clothes which can be lengthened or adjusted easily for another year of use.

4. Pack up some snacks. If factors such as high altitude and extreme cold are tough on adults, it’s even tougher on kids. That is why it is important to keep your kids well-fed and hydrated before, during and after the ski lessons. So make sure you prepare your little ones a healthy and hearty breakfast, and pack them easy to open snacks and hydration packs before you send them off.

5. Have a separation plan in case your child gets lost. Discuss with your child what he or she should do if he or she ventures off too far from the trail or ski group and gets lost. Depending on your child’s age and comfort level, you can instruct your little one to blow a whistle, or ski to the nearest lift station and let the lift attendant know that he or she is lost.

TIP: On all your family ski trips, make sure that your little ones have a copy of your contact information, as well as the name of the hotel you and your family are staying in.

Sure, entrusting the fate of you little ones to their ski instructors can be nothing short of terrifying. But with enough research and preparation, you can ensure that your children fly home in one piece after your family ski vacation.