Excellent Stuart. I was successful in starting my daughter off. Somewhere in a pile of lost photos is her two year old self walking between lodges at Snowbird. During these years the skiing was balanced with figure skating and horseback riding. Remarkably all three were within twenty minutes from home. Eventually the horses won out. No in here mid forties she trains, show and rides internationally ranked dressage horses while managing her other day job as a university professor of history. Which brings up the other benefit to a ski family - life lessons in time management.
Stuart, YES! We did this and were rewarded with kiddos who love to ski, love to ski with us, have ski friends and are better skiers than we are.
1) only use the toe warmers with adhesive (hand warmers don’t have adhesive so they move, which is bad). Stick them everywhere that might be cold (sometimes we do over-kidney warmers on the outside of the base layers, which feel great when you lean back on lift). Remember kids can run warm, so depends on your kid - a sweaty kid is cold too. Good ski socks are key.
2) the snow is always worse after lunch, and everyone’s tired and sated, and someone took off their boots. As they get older, if you can, fill pockets with snacks and delay lunch til 1 or 2 pm, and then if they want to stay in after that you didn’t miss the good snow.
3) one adult always skis clean-up (uphill of the kids) to scrape kids/ equipment off the hill as needed. If you ski alone with your kids, it’s you. Play follow the leader and they lead.
4) when they are young, especially, incentivize. Tired/ cold kid? We always went in right away for (I kid you not) Shirley temples and nachos. If we went back out, great; if we didn’t, they had a good memory to file away.
5) when they’re too young for season-long programs, just get them on the snow to glide (preferably with a pocket full of m&ms as tiny individual rewards). Find a low corner of the bunny slope with just a hint of pitch, about five feet long. No carpet needed (because you are the carpet 🤣 - just pick them up at the bottom and deposit them at the top).
6) rent seasonal equipment. Don’t be tempted to buy and hand down. Kids never seem to be the right size at the right time and fit matters in their boots; they care about crazy stuff like the colors on their skis; technology improves quickly. But base layers? Buy great ones and hand those down - they stretch, merino wool wears like iron, they and the socks are the most important part of the kiddo ski kit.
And I forgot - if you have an early morning, put them to bed in their clean base layers the night before and then it’s just get up, eat and out the door in the am.
I would add two more reasons to enroll your kids in season long programs. First, you outsource teaching them how to ski to professionals (or semi-professionals, at least). Teaching can be frustrating and cause resentment with your kids. Let a non-parent do that. Second, you get to ski on your own while they're in the program!!!
This stuff is funny because it is true... One thing I'd add - when you take the weeklong trip to a destination resort, spend the extra money to be on mountain. It makes it easier for the diehards to get first chair and for the casual skiers to start late and/or finish early. It should feel like a vacation for everyone.
Come to think of it, there's probably a list of things to make that big family trip a success.
#9 is the truest of all (Arrive early). We call it the "first chair lifestyle" and the kids are on board. That doesn't mean we get the literal first chair (although we WERE on the 1st and 2nd public chair ever at Whitefish's Snow Ghost Express), it just means we beat most of the public to the lift line and from there, have a plan to get as far away from the base as possible. But ALSO, as part of the "first chair lifestyle" we go in for lunch right at 11am. That's just part of the deal. This allows us to also beat the lunch traffic and actually find a spot to sit without the "are you guys leaving" dance. Then, as everyone else is heading in for lunch, we're headed back on the slopes.
First Chair Lifestyle sets up the day perfectly for less stress and great skiing.
Having lived "Frist Chair Lifestyle" with Tony J on more then 15 ski trips his family and my family don't know how to do anything different. And like he said, the kids wake up, eat some pancakes and know that we are out the door for FIRST CHAIR!
Great column! Neither me nor my wife skied as kids. But we love the sport and are trying to share that with our kids. We learned some of these tips the hard way the last few years, but #4 may be the hardest one. Finding time to rock a few lap yourself is hard without outside help or more money than many can afford. But, when it clicked with my daughter this winter, it was awesome to chase after my little narwhal!
I'd add one point to the no perfect ski family: do what works for you.
Start early, infants in the lodge wearing onesies that say something like ‘I’m told I like skiing’ adults rotate through watching the smallest one while either skiing or skiing with older siblings. 90 minute shifts work well.
If have more than one child buy gear and pass it down, assuming the age spread works in your favor. Four years is good, sometimes it means you’ve got an extra set of skis and boots ‘waiting’ for the younger one to grow some.
I have been teaching kids for over 20 years. I’d like to add a couple of things to your list:. 1. A good breakfast. 2. A good night’s sleep, 3. when you tell a child you’ll check back with them at lunch, do just that 4. Save some time to ski with them at the end of the day, even if it’s a straight run off the magic carpet ( let their last experience of the day be a family thing.)
Our family did almost all of this stuff when our kids started in the mid 1990s, and it certainly worked. Great thanks to the ski instructor at Mt. Abram who recommended the 8-week lesson program when my oldest was 5. That one recommendation was really the beginning of everything.
I would have added that, when they are small, always ski uphill from them so you don't have to climb back up to sort out that yard sale. You can just ski down to them.
My best ski days now are when I get to ski with one or both of my sons, who are now in their mid-30s. And they are just getting around to replacing that original boot bag with everything in it!
Skiing uphill from kids also great for their safety - you’ll be in the path of crazies before they get to your kids (as an instructor I am always seeking out the “safest” runs)
Stuart, fantastic piece, all true & lots of laughs! I’ve been a part-time ski instructor at Stratton for 15 years, and I’m not allowed to be “the cold kid” who needs to go inside. So:
Hand warmers: Buy ‘em by the box online…my hands were always cold until I started using 2-per-mitten, or 3 as I did during “Presidents Week/school break“ this February…don’t worry about ending up with extras at end of season - true expiration date, I’ve found is 1-3 years after date on hand-warmer bag. Best reason to do this: you’ll always have ‘em, and by re-ordering ahead of time you’ll never run out.
“Boot glove”: it’s like a soft rubber/fabric wrap for ski boots with easy 1-strap closure - concept similar to “wet suit” that swimmers wear. Recommend for any adult with constant cold feet.
Ask friends with slightly older kids, who’ve already been thru a couple years of ski school: who are the best ski instructors for my kids? You may not be able to get whom you want, but there IS a big difference, just that you’ll never hear anything besides: “Oh, all our instructors are great!!”
I started skiing at 3 because youngest kid in a big family. I got my oldest out around 3/4. Def get them a few acclimatizing runs with you but then save your back and send them to the professionals (or the teenagers who have young backs and do this every weekend). I think you hit this with the characters (love that) but making it fun for them is the top priority. I have cookies in my pockets or Cadbury eggs for lift rides. I am a cheerleader version of myself I didn’t know was in me. But 3 years later my oldest is linking parallels turns, starting a ski program and his little brother cries when we drop him at the nursery because “I wanna go skiiiing”. It’s been a lot of work but it is starting to pay off and it’s awesome. Waterville valley has been a great family spot for us - free kid season pass with adult pass until 12 and good kids programs.
Great advice Stuart. Seasonal rentals and the lodge drop off are key. I got my kid one of those cross body bags that I load with treats - gamechanger.
Excellent Stuart. I was successful in starting my daughter off. Somewhere in a pile of lost photos is her two year old self walking between lodges at Snowbird. During these years the skiing was balanced with figure skating and horseback riding. Remarkably all three were within twenty minutes from home. Eventually the horses won out. No in here mid forties she trains, show and rides internationally ranked dressage horses while managing her other day job as a university professor of history. Which brings up the other benefit to a ski family - life lessons in time management.
Stuart, YES! We did this and were rewarded with kiddos who love to ski, love to ski with us, have ski friends and are better skiers than we are.
1) only use the toe warmers with adhesive (hand warmers don’t have adhesive so they move, which is bad). Stick them everywhere that might be cold (sometimes we do over-kidney warmers on the outside of the base layers, which feel great when you lean back on lift). Remember kids can run warm, so depends on your kid - a sweaty kid is cold too. Good ski socks are key.
2) the snow is always worse after lunch, and everyone’s tired and sated, and someone took off their boots. As they get older, if you can, fill pockets with snacks and delay lunch til 1 or 2 pm, and then if they want to stay in after that you didn’t miss the good snow.
3) one adult always skis clean-up (uphill of the kids) to scrape kids/ equipment off the hill as needed. If you ski alone with your kids, it’s you. Play follow the leader and they lead.
4) when they are young, especially, incentivize. Tired/ cold kid? We always went in right away for (I kid you not) Shirley temples and nachos. If we went back out, great; if we didn’t, they had a good memory to file away.
5) when they’re too young for season-long programs, just get them on the snow to glide (preferably with a pocket full of m&ms as tiny individual rewards). Find a low corner of the bunny slope with just a hint of pitch, about five feet long. No carpet needed (because you are the carpet 🤣 - just pick them up at the bottom and deposit them at the top).
6) rent seasonal equipment. Don’t be tempted to buy and hand down. Kids never seem to be the right size at the right time and fit matters in their boots; they care about crazy stuff like the colors on their skis; technology improves quickly. But base layers? Buy great ones and hand those down - they stretch, merino wool wears like iron, they and the socks are the most important part of the kiddo ski kit.
Most importantly, marry someone who wants to ski.
All of the professional ski guides I've used have also done #3. Lead guide and tail guide.
And I forgot - if you have an early morning, put them to bed in their clean base layers the night before and then it’s just get up, eat and out the door in the am.
This was so validating!
I would add two more reasons to enroll your kids in season long programs. First, you outsource teaching them how to ski to professionals (or semi-professionals, at least). Teaching can be frustrating and cause resentment with your kids. Let a non-parent do that. Second, you get to ski on your own while they're in the program!!!
This stuff is funny because it is true... One thing I'd add - when you take the weeklong trip to a destination resort, spend the extra money to be on mountain. It makes it easier for the diehards to get first chair and for the casual skiers to start late and/or finish early. It should feel like a vacation for everyone.
Come to think of it, there's probably a list of things to make that big family trip a success.
#9 is the truest of all (Arrive early). We call it the "first chair lifestyle" and the kids are on board. That doesn't mean we get the literal first chair (although we WERE on the 1st and 2nd public chair ever at Whitefish's Snow Ghost Express), it just means we beat most of the public to the lift line and from there, have a plan to get as far away from the base as possible. But ALSO, as part of the "first chair lifestyle" we go in for lunch right at 11am. That's just part of the deal. This allows us to also beat the lunch traffic and actually find a spot to sit without the "are you guys leaving" dance. Then, as everyone else is heading in for lunch, we're headed back on the slopes.
First Chair Lifestyle sets up the day perfectly for less stress and great skiing.
Having lived "Frist Chair Lifestyle" with Tony J on more then 15 ski trips his family and my family don't know how to do anything different. And like he said, the kids wake up, eat some pancakes and know that we are out the door for FIRST CHAIR!
Great column! Neither me nor my wife skied as kids. But we love the sport and are trying to share that with our kids. We learned some of these tips the hard way the last few years, but #4 may be the hardest one. Finding time to rock a few lap yourself is hard without outside help or more money than many can afford. But, when it clicked with my daughter this winter, it was awesome to chase after my little narwhal!
I'd add one point to the no perfect ski family: do what works for you.
Start early, infants in the lodge wearing onesies that say something like ‘I’m told I like skiing’ adults rotate through watching the smallest one while either skiing or skiing with older siblings. 90 minute shifts work well.
If have more than one child buy gear and pass it down, assuming the age spread works in your favor. Four years is good, sometimes it means you’ve got an extra set of skis and boots ‘waiting’ for the younger one to grow some.
I have been teaching kids for over 20 years. I’d like to add a couple of things to your list:. 1. A good breakfast. 2. A good night’s sleep, 3. when you tell a child you’ll check back with them at lunch, do just that 4. Save some time to ski with them at the end of the day, even if it’s a straight run off the magic carpet ( let their last experience of the day be a family thing.)
Our family did almost all of this stuff when our kids started in the mid 1990s, and it certainly worked. Great thanks to the ski instructor at Mt. Abram who recommended the 8-week lesson program when my oldest was 5. That one recommendation was really the beginning of everything.
I would have added that, when they are small, always ski uphill from them so you don't have to climb back up to sort out that yard sale. You can just ski down to them.
My best ski days now are when I get to ski with one or both of my sons, who are now in their mid-30s. And they are just getting around to replacing that original boot bag with everything in it!
Skiing uphill from kids also great for their safety - you’ll be in the path of crazies before they get to your kids (as an instructor I am always seeking out the “safest” runs)
Stuart, fantastic piece, all true & lots of laughs! I’ve been a part-time ski instructor at Stratton for 15 years, and I’m not allowed to be “the cold kid” who needs to go inside. So:
Hand warmers: Buy ‘em by the box online…my hands were always cold until I started using 2-per-mitten, or 3 as I did during “Presidents Week/school break“ this February…don’t worry about ending up with extras at end of season - true expiration date, I’ve found is 1-3 years after date on hand-warmer bag. Best reason to do this: you’ll always have ‘em, and by re-ordering ahead of time you’ll never run out.
“Boot glove”: it’s like a soft rubber/fabric wrap for ski boots with easy 1-strap closure - concept similar to “wet suit” that swimmers wear. Recommend for any adult with constant cold feet.
Ask friends with slightly older kids, who’ve already been thru a couple years of ski school: who are the best ski instructors for my kids? You may not be able to get whom you want, but there IS a big difference, just that you’ll never hear anything besides: “Oh, all our instructors are great!!”
Second the handwarmer-in-the-mitt scheme. As a Killington volunteer, that was the only way to get through long days this winter.
I started skiing at 3 because youngest kid in a big family. I got my oldest out around 3/4. Def get them a few acclimatizing runs with you but then save your back and send them to the professionals (or the teenagers who have young backs and do this every weekend). I think you hit this with the characters (love that) but making it fun for them is the top priority. I have cookies in my pockets or Cadbury eggs for lift rides. I am a cheerleader version of myself I didn’t know was in me. But 3 years later my oldest is linking parallels turns, starting a ski program and his little brother cries when we drop him at the nursery because “I wanna go skiiiing”. It’s been a lot of work but it is starting to pay off and it’s awesome. Waterville valley has been a great family spot for us - free kid season pass with adult pass until 12 and good kids programs.