We are a small family of three with different hobbies: while I love skiing, my wife likes snowboarding…but we enjoy a lot of winter sports. So, we have decided to introduce our son to the "mysteries" of skiing. During our "adventure" we have learned some useful tips which we would love to share…you never know who is going to find helpful these tips.

So, here are 13 tips that we have found useful during the process of trying to help Horea to learn skiing. The "process" started at 2 years old and now Horea is almost 5 ⛷⛷⛷

TIP 1:

  • Be positive when you talk about skiing or any winter sports. Keep in mind that in case one of the parents is not comfortable with the winter activities and it shows this, then it’s more likely the child will get the same attitude.

TIP 2:

  • Before you want to start teaching your kid skiing, you should expose the child to winter sports. Take your kid with you on your winter trips, on the slopes so that he/she can see you on the skis and also see others skiers.

TIP 3:

  • Discuss with your kid about skiing equipment and what will happen when you go outside in the snow: talk about cold weather and also explain to him/her that there is the possibility to fall a lot before learning to ski.

TIP 4:

  • Try the skis and boots indoors before going outside.
13 Tips to Help Your Toddler to Start Skiing

TIP 5:

  • The first contact with the equipment and the snow has to be a nice experience. Don’t push your kid too hard: at this stage, it’s really a case of having fun and boosting their confidence.

TIP 6:

  • Before taking your kid to a ski instructor, try to spend some quality time with the child and your family or friends on the slopes. If the kiddo sees that the loved ones are happy practising winter sports, most probably he/she will embrace the same attitude: feeling wonderful skiing and wanting to practice and learn more.
  • 13 Tips to Help Your Toddler to Start Skiing

TIP 7:

  • Help your kid to learn how to maintain balance. In order to keep balance on skis, we have started ice-skating with Horea, we have used the conveyor belt and a harness on the slopes. Don't be expensive with your explanations. Knowing what will happen next is comforting for kids and they gain more confidence.
    • While ice-skating, your child is also getting used to the cold weather.
    • We were going on the conveyor belt together. He was sitting between my skis and I was assisting him with a harness. Be careful with the harness! If you are not paying attention you could hang the harness on the conveyor belt.
    • Don't take your kid between your legs while you descend the ski slope. Besides the fact that you can fall and injure your child, you steal his freedom, and like this, he/she will see that there is an easy way of skiing... he/she is not a sack of potatoes. I used a long harness to keep the kid safe while he was descending strait a blue slope. Like this, he can experience the speed and the skiing sensation in a safe environment.
  • 13 Tips to Help Your Toddler to Start Skiing

TIP 8:

  • Learn the "PIZZA SLICE". I was very lucky with this tip. My kiddo has learned the pizza slice technique in a ski school. Actually, the kindergartner where he is going, organized a camp for 6 days at a small ski resort where they were trained by qualified instructors. This was his first camp. Everything was perfect. He learned a lot there. I am pretty sure that the most important thing was the environment and the energy of the people that organized the camp and took care of the kids.
  • 13 Tips to Help Your Toddler to Start Skiing

TIP 9:

  • Practice with your kid what he/she has learned. Do it in an entertaining way and when the child is ready. Be grateful and happy spending quality time with your kid.

TIP 10:

  • Use a harness or a small bag to put your child on the chairlift.  We have found this harness at a Decathlon store and it was very, very useful. Using the harness I have managed to put the kid in the chairlift, by myself, without being afraid of an accident.
  • 13 Tips to Help Your Toddler to Start Skiing

TIP 11:

  • Once your kid is ready, you can move to the next level. Have a lot of fun in a skiing resort exploring the slopes with your entire family. Create a nice atmosphere, make pictures, play games and in every action you do, listen to your kid.

TIP 12:

  • Make your child responsible for his own equipment. 
  • 13 Tips to Help Your Toddler to Start Skiing

TIP 13:

  • Teach your kids the joy of après ski. Find some family-friendly activities. Include the new skier in the world of relaxation that follows a nice day on the slopes. Depending on the ski resort that you are visiting, you can find a lot of nice activities that you can do with your family.
  • 13 Tips to Help Your Toddler to Start Skiing

 

Facebook Comments


    1 Response to "13 Tips to Help Your Toddler to Start Skiing"

    • 9 Sport Activities for a Family With Kids - Kids of the Nature

      […] If one of the sports that you want to practice with your kid is skiing, you can find more pieces of information about how we had approached this topic in the article where I was presenting 13 tips to help your toddler to start skiing (13 Tips to Help Your Toddler to Start Skiing). […]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.