Ok Moms and Dad: Advice on Introducing My Daughter To Skiing.

[BeanoNYC]

Well...my daughter will be 2 years in December. She is very active and takes instruction well.

How did you guys start your kids on skis?

What should I do about equipment at that age? I'm thinking bindings and skipping those strap-ins. Also what about learning equipment such as the leash or the tip lock?

Any good programs out there? I heard Okemo has a program for kids that age...but i'm not sure how in-depth it is.

 

[Tin Woodsman]

Well...my daughter will be 2 years in December. She is very active and takes instruction well.

How did you guys start your kids on skis?

What should I do about equipment at that age? I'm thinking bindings and skipping those strap-ins. Also what about learning equipment such as the leash or the tip lock?

Any good programs out there? I heard Okemo has a program for kids that age...but i'm not sure how in-depth it is.

My daughter turned two last October. One thing you'll have to do is ensure that your expectations are appropriate. Our daughter is big for her age and was two months ahead of yours, but she really didn't have the leg strength to do much of anything. Our goal was not so much to teach her to ski but rather to get her familiar and comfortable with the skiing process - the special clothes, the travel, the cold, the speed, the lifts, the movement, etc... In short, we want to make sure it's fun for her and not some sort of chore.

I think the strap on skis are a waste. We got her real skis with bindings, both of which should last her for another 2-3 seasons. Same story with the boots - I'm not worried about them being too big at this age b/c feeling the snow and performance really isn't my primary concern. We used both tip locks and the leash and had pretty good results.

I can't speak for any programs other than SB, but they are fantastic. This year the kids will have their own dedicated building, though I think most programs (SB's included) require your kid to be potty trained before she can participate.

Make it fun. Keep the expectations in check. Have the hot cocoa waiting, and it should all turn out good.

 

[vcunning]

When my son was 2, I used those strap-on skis with one of those H-bar poles that would go between his legs and have handles for him to hold onto. I mostly just used it in my yard and around the base of the mountain.

At 3, we put him into Cub Camp at Mount Snow with a season's pass (it's a great price if you go every weekend). The best benefit was that he got some great one-on-one attention at the end of year (when most other people give up skiing). He can do controlled turns down green slopes and ride the lifts now.

 

[wa-loaf]

Started my son at two and just tried to make it fun. Got real gear for him (have a pair of 67cm's if you are interested). He couldn't really stand on his own much and everything was very hands on. Last year when he was three he picked it up very quickly and can make turns on his own without ever taking a class.

My daughter who will be seven and not too athletic finally "got it" last year after three years on skis. I'm thinking this will be a really good year with the kids.

 

[Greg]

IMO, 1 going on 2 is too young to really bother too much. I think your time would be better spent simply introducing them to the joy of winter and snow. Sledding, snow castles (think sand castles in the snow), etc. Teaching kids to ski is a ton of work, and you have to be really committed in order for them to get much out of it. There's no way in hell I would consider teaching a kid that isn't even potty trained to ski. Now if you're talking about the plastic ski thing in the yard when it snows, I'm all for that. Going to an actual ski area and all that? Too soon, again my opinion.

I got my kids started at 3. My oldest was three going on four, and my youngest was a month or so after turning three. The little one is way more athletic (walked much earlier too) so they were pretty much at the same stage. With that said, all kids are different, but I think you might be jumping the gun a little bit. Trust me, I was more anxious than anybody to get my kids started, but I think barely 2 is just too young to really make all that much of a difference in terms of what kind of skier they will be. If you do try it, be patient and set your expectations accordingly. Good luck.

 

[BeanoNYC]

Thanks guys. I'm not expecting a Kari Traa the first year. I just want her to get used to the gear and have fun navigating around with it. She spent a lot of time out in the snow last year on sleds and had a blast. This is more of a question on introduction, but I would like to plan ahead for the next few seasons as far as gear. Jens...I'll FB or Text you about the 67's.

 

[2knees]

I would absolutely go with the tip locks. also, they sell this contraption that is basically a handle on their back. I would look into that. Teaching the little ones is more work then any kind of skiing i've ever experienced. my back and quads were screaming after the first few adventures.

btw, small world beano! i was just talking to melanie a few minutes ago.

 

[wa-loaf]

Jens...I'll FB or Text you about the 67's.

They are not girly fyi, I can also hook you up with a harness and leash.

 

[billski]

Unless your daughter is extraordinary (she may very well be) I agree that 2YO is kinda young. In fact, at 3, my girls spent most of their time just walking around on skis. They really were not learning anything, just getting comfortable and playing around.
The one thing you can bring is a HUGE amount of patience and be prepared to quit early. I'm cold, I'm wet, I'm hungry, I have to go potty, I'm tired. If you get 1-2 hours outside you are doing well. All of this against my experience starting with three 3YO's.

We always used real skis with real bindings. We never used any teaching aids - no tip locks, no leashes. The kids built their confidence very quickly when they figured out they could lead the way and yet have dad nearby to wipe away their tears and put their mitts back on when they fall. All three were skiing woods with me by the time they were 8. Now they don't want to ski with me and take trips out west with their pals. maybe someday...

 

[drjeff]

Both my kids when they were 2 spent a couple of days up in Killington's program for 2 year olds - equipment was included with the daily fee. At the time atleast it was about 2/3rds of the day indoor daycare and then IF THE CHILD WANTED TO/SHOWED INTEREST about 1/3rd of the day outside on the magic carpest near the Ramshead Lodge learning to walk in boots/on skis/ride the magic carpet and then SLOWLY slide down the hill with a bunch of instructors on the carpet and then lining the downhill section.

I was highly impressed with the experience both my kids had there and the instructors ability to often rapidly adapt to the changing emotions of a 2 year old. The "toughest" thing as a parent though was to NOT get in the way of what the instructors were doing (read as stay far enough out of sight of my kids so as not to distract them as they were having fun - a GOOD telephoto lense helped with this greatly )

 

[stomachdoc]

I agree with the advice you have been given. We used the on-mountain Child Care at Waterville Valley for our twins starting at about 2 years of age. During that season from ages 2 to 3, they began to spend time on the snow, first just trudging around in ski boots, then playing on one ski and then finally skiing. This program emphasized one on one instruction which is really the only way to do it with kids of that age. By the time the twins were nearing their fourth birthday, they were comfortably riding a lift and skiing down a good sized "green" trail (Valley Run), and then they easily transitioned in to the seasonal ski school program.

The keys at that young age are (IMHO):

1) Limit snow/cold time commensurate with the weather, the child's attention span and the child's ability.

2) Consistency in exposure to instructors (same teacher as much as possible).

3) Make it fun on and off the snow (the translation is....it's really hard to teach you kids yourself--at least it was for me).

4) A program that intersperses snow time with other fun activities appropriate to the age group makes skiing and being at a ski mountain a natural part of their lives. Doing this in a hybrid child care-ski instruction program worked beautifully for us.

My oldest daughter, now 14, will be an instructor this year for the first time! She's really come full circle!

 

[BeanoNYC]

Wow...thanks for all the advice guys. Still turning everything around in my head. To be more specific...Like I said she really takes instruction well. I had her underwater, blowing bubbles with her eyes open, swimming to me and floating on her back this summer. I understand the patience thing well. For those who don't know me well, I taught swimming for 10 years and now I am a History teacher. I just want to get her out there to have some fun.

My wife is hoping to get her up on her old nordic skis (wooden!!!) this winter as well. She's a speech pathologist for Autistic children so I need not explain the amount of patience she has.

 

[SkiDork]

Like Dr Jeff said. ours both started at 2 at K's first tracks. The key that I noticed was, they took them out twice a day, but each time was just like 45 minutes. They made it a lot of fun, got the kids really excited to be out there. Its all about making if fun for them and limiting the time spent so the fun doesn't become negative.

 

[Greg]

Beano - maybe wait until spring to introduce her. She'll be well into being 2 years old by March and we all know how quickly kids develop, plus it's warming and the slushy snow inherently keeps her speed down on mellow pitches. Regarding lessons/instructions.camps. My oldest daughter hated all that so I basically gave up on it and have taught her myself (and probably bad habits too). She turns 8 this winter so I'll probably put her into a lesson or 2 this winter, but at 4 and 5 years old, she wanted no part of it, and only wanted to "ski with dad." Again, all kids are different though.

 

[wa-loaf]

My oldest daughter hated all that so I basically gave up on it and have taught her myself (and probably bad habits too). She turns 8 this winter so I'll probably put her into a lesson or 2 this winter, but at 4 and 5 years old, she wanted no part of it, and only wanted to "ski with dad." Again, all kids are different though.

Definitely, my daughter takes instruction better from someone else. She makes much better progress with an instructor. You just got to feel your kids out and see what works. The key is to make it fun no matter what and the rest will follow. I'm sure Beano will figure out what will work well for his kid.

 

[SkiDork]

+1

Our kids were both big whiners when out with us. But with instructors, they hung in there.

YMMV.

 

[billski]

Beano -

Greg makes a great point. Too cold is not good. Choose a warm sunny day. They could care less if it's powder or corn!

 

[billski]

+1

Our kids were both big whiners when out with us. But with instructors, they hung in there.

YMMV.

I never tried to teach our kids always sent them to instructors. But once adolescence kicked in (about age 12), they wouldn't even cooperate with the instructors, so get 'em while they are young. Every kid is different, you have to sort out your own kids' signals.

 

[drjeff]

+1

Our kids were both big whiners when out with us. But with instructors, they hung in there.

YMMV.

Ditto!

2 weekends ago at the Brewer's Fest at Mount Snow, the director of their Snow Camp program (4 to 6 year olds) that my daughter has been in for the last 3 winters and my son for the last year (and will be in it the next 2 winters) was joking ith me and my wife about how she remembers my daughters 1st day because it was so opposite of many a kids 1st day where she threw a temper tantrum NOT at the morning drop off (when most kids do) but at the aftrenoon pickup because she had such a fun time and didn't want to leave! It's all about having fun!

 

[drjeff]

Beano - maybe wait until spring to introduce her. She'll be well into being 2 years old by March and we all know how quickly kids develop, plus it's warming and the slushy snow inherently keeps her speed down on mellow pitches. Regarding lessons/instructions.camps. My oldest daughter hated all that so I basically gave up on it and have taught her myself (and probably bad habits too). She turns 8 this winter so I'll probably put her into a lesson or 2 this winter, but at 4 and 5 years old, she wanted no part of it, and only wanted to "ski with dad." Again, all kids are different though.

Greg makes a great point. Too cold is not good. Choose a warm sunny day. They could care less if it's powder or corn!

I'll third that idea!

Both of my kids when 2 years old had their 1st "ski " experiences in March when the weather was warmer. Easier on them comfort wise, and also by that time of the year, the instructors at Killington where my kids went I think its safe to say had seen just about everything that a 2 year old learning how to ski could do, and also it was a bit less crowded and hectic in the program then compared to say busier weekends in late December through the end of February