Teaching Little Kids to Ski

[Boxtop Willie]

I second the notion of the harness (or the one piece snow suit). Works as a great handle to get them up or onto a lift. Also serves as an automatic orientation device. Grab the harness on their back or a fist full of snow suit and pick them up and they automatically right themselves and you can put them back down on their skis.
Never liked the leash, its gets them sitting back too much. Let them slide on easy terrain. Keep their skis flat on the snow and steer their feet a little, instant turn...even at age 2 1/2.

 

[nycskier]

If you live in the New York City area take your little kids to ski at the indoors Meadowlands big snow. It's an amazing place to teach little ones. I took my 5 year old there to get ready for our Christmas trip.

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[justjen]

We had the good fortune of free season passes to Waterville last year (won in a drawing!), which gave us a chance to get our then 6yo twins out nearly every weekend. My daughter had already skied a handful of times, and my son, who has special needs, had never been on skis. In a lot of ways, the experience of teaching a 6yo vs a 2.5yo is significantly different. However, one thing we did was ski mostly on Sundays. I feel the absence of crowds was quite helpful. My son made it off the learning hill right at the end of the season, and his sister was skiing the upper-blues. I highly recommend going any day other than Saturday, for all the obvious reasons. Of course, I say this as I try to plan a trip for this Saturday--a holiday weekend at that!

Have fun. There is nothing a little hot chocolate can't make better!

 

[Abominable]

Thanks for all the responses. I hope everyone had a great Christmas.

Thanks to recs of posters here and on Harvey's site, I got the ski bums harness and edgy wedgy. First trip coming up!

Thanks again.

 

[dblskifanatic]

We used a harness with our youngest at 2.5 years old. We waited until 3 and lessons with the others. When our youngest was 3.5 years old he caught on quickly and even skied with his brothers. So harness time paid off for sure if I consider all four boys. He also was the only one that skied full days from the get go. That is all he knew.


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[Newpylong]

I highly recommend the harness as well.

 

[Smellytele]

Never used the harness thing. Heard it can get the kid used to being in the backseat too much.


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[jaytrem]

Never used the harness thing. Heard it can get the kid used to being in the backseat too much.

I've heard that too. Somebody makes one that holds from the front to avoid that. I'm cheap and made my own with a piece of PVC pipe and rope. Never had a runaway kid, so I guess it worked well enough.

 

[dblskifanatic]

Never used the harness thing. Heard it can get the kid used to being in the backseat too much.


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You cannot support them with it! You have to let out some line with slack. Reel it in when you want more control or safety. We only used it before 3 years old once lessons kicked in he was on his own. Never became a back seat skier.

 

[BBMF]

I know it's super late to the party, but my $.02 is edgie wedgie and a vest with a handle. Put them in lessons all day if you can swing it. Mine seemed to improve quickly in a group setting where peers were doing the same thing. My two learned at 3 & 5 yr old. Trying to teach them myself was very trying and took the fun out of it. How many times can you encourage/help your kid to get back up before you start rolling eyes, for me it was forty seven millon.....
However seeing them after lessons and making a few runs with them showing me what they learned was awesome. And really after 5/10 lessons they will be up and running, with the ability to stop, turn and ride the lift safely.

 

[ss20]

I know it's super late to the party, but my $.02 is edgie wedgie and a vest with a handle. Put them in lessons all day if you can swing it. Mine seemed to improve quickly in a group setting where peers were doing the same thing. My two learned at 3 & 5 yr old. Trying to teach them myself was very trying and took the fun out of it. How many times can you encourage/help your kid to get back up before you start rolling eyes, for me it was forty seven millon.....
However seeing them after lessons and making a few runs with them showing me what they learned was awesome. And really after 5/10 lessons they will be up and running, with the ability to stop, turn and ride the lift safely.

I ditto this. I've seen very few parents give their kids a great head-start skiing with them for their first time. Much more frequently it's a frustrated parent and frustrated child. Especially at age 3 or 4...kids can barely stand up and support themselves in ski boots. Instructors know a lot more of the "tricks" and have more patience than parents and can keep the kids upright and sliding.