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Just wondered at what age other parents had started taking their kids abroad skiing?
Mine will be 4½ and 2 come Feb and considering a week away in the Alps this winter. My only concern is that my 2 year old is too young to start ski school or attend the child daycare groups and as I'm an snowboarder since 92 my DH skiing isn't good enough to take care of her myself on the slopes.
I am a good XC skier so that could be an option but would like some downhill mountain time also.
Any thoughts or advice?
Go. 2 y/o should be fine for the snow crèche
We went went when our youngest was 14/15 months.
He loved it.
This year he gets to go to ski school like big brother. Wide eyes doesn't know how to contain his enthusiasm. Here's hoping the weather is good.
Plenty of other threads on what to look out for (search my profile if you want, I think I've posted on most) but good childcare and short transfers should be near the top of the list.
My wife and I both ride boards (badly) our eldest (7 last winter) skis reasonably and our youngest (3 last winter) had his first go on skis last year. The ski/board mix can be helpful as on a board you can watch 360 round you a little more easily than on skis (not that much in it). You see quite a few parents on boards, children on skis families these days.
If you are looking to take your youngest out, note that getting kit to fit a two year old might be an issue unless they're pretty big.
From memory, I think most ski schools in Austria and Italy teach kids from 3 years upwards. Up to that age it'll be more of a snow crèche.
But that was admittedly quite a few years ago now.
We started our first daughter on skis aged 2, but not in ski school. I taught her myself on the magic carpet slopes etc. She went in ski school last season aged 4 and blitzed through the levels. But she has had something like 16 weeks on snow already! Our second daughter will be starting this year, also aged 2 and she was chomping at the bit last year watching her big sister.
As an aside we actually started going skiing with our first at 18 months, they love playing in the snow.
My eldest had her first ski lessons at 2 (and 10 months) - too young for group ski school classes, but we booked them private one-on-one for an hour a day. More than enough for little legs. She had a great time.
Last season our youngest had her first snow holiday with us at 9 months. Though we took my mum along for babysitting on that one. Too young to ski obviously but she loved playing in the snow and a bit of sledging.
Some people say early, some say its not good for their bones early ie they much weaker and the ski boot ski thing puts too much pressure on them.
Taking my son for the first time this year and he will be aged 4 and 51 weeks.
My son came last year aged 3 months. He didn't ski much though! Going twice this year and hope to perhaps have him on skis if he can walk by March!
Some people say early, some say its not good for their bones early
Yeah, you've got to be very careful starting them at 2 years. Binding release settings have to be extremely low and even the lightest kids bindings struggle to go low enough. But other than that our first was fine at 2, obviously being realistic with her stamina etc. She could manage about an hour a day tops at first. The difference at 4 was mahoosive. She could ski at least a half day all over the mountain by then nearly every day for 4 weeks.
At that age it totally depends on the child and the weather - I have seen many a crying, snotty, cold miserble 2 year old in the Ski Creche making everyone miserable and setting all the others off all morning, and I've also seen wide eyed excited two year olds sliding around giggling all morning. You may not know unless you try it.
Moshimonster - I think its about bones just snapping too as the feet are in ski boots and attached to planks.
Going twice this year and hope to perhaps have him on skis if he can walk by March!
Too early I reckon. You could prop him up on a pair of skis and shove him down a tame nursery slope for sure (if you can find boots to fit or those pretend plastic strap on skis), but he won't have any control over what's going on and the risk of a broken limb is quite real. Better to play on a sledge as a 1 year old. They love it.
Moshimonster - I think its about bones just snapping too as the feet are in ski boots and attached to planks.
Yeah that's why I was talking about binding release. Ski boots on their own are not really an issue. Our second daughter has been stomping around the house in her big sister's ski boots since she was about 12 months old, but I wouldn't let her try to ski at that age. She will be starting this year at 2 though and she already knows how to walk in ski boots, so that's a good start!
We took our wee man at 5 months old but obviously that just made it a mission - I think I was trying to prove a point but it was just hard work!
Missed last season as we felt he wasn't up for it, still can't decide about a family trip this year.
Anyone got any good recommendations for tour operators with toddler friendly options - creche, childcare etc for a 2.5yr old?
[i]2 y/o should be fine for the snow crèche[/i]
This - my son had great fun in the crèche. (I think... But who cares, I was on my snowboard!)
Skiworld, I think.
We stayed here last year:
http://www.neilson.co.uk/ski/france/les-deux-alpes/neilson-hotel-aalborg
It was pretty much perfect. On the slopes with a terrace bar overlooking the nursery slope. Ski hire in the same building. ESF ski school meeting point outside. Creche, childcare and kids club.
The most fun they seem to have at this age is just throwing themselves down any pile of snow on their bottom, climbing back up and doing it again and again and again....
Too early I reckon. You could prop him up on a pair of skis and shove him down a tame nursery slope for sure (if you can find boots to fit or those pretend plastic strap on skis), but he won't have any control over what's going on and the risk of a broken limb is quite real. Better to play on a sledge as a 1 year old. They love it.
I was thinking more for an hour or so of playing on the nursery slope than anything more serious!
I was thinking more for an hour or so of playing on the nursery slope than anything more serious!
Sure, just be careful if you strap skis on him. You don't want to snap those little legs in a slow twisty fall. Ours preferred sledging at that age anyway. I reckon 2 really is the min age for actual skis and even then it's a bit marginal. A local I was talking to in resort last year said her 2 year old broke a leg on skis just playing on the nursery slopes. If anything the slow falls are the worst.
It is very weather dependent. The first couple of years I took my kids we went at easter. I taught them on the nursery slopes just wearing a t shirt and got a good tan. Tiny kids can't even put there own gloves on and sort themselves out if they get snow down their neck. Not much fun in sub zero conditions. The international ski school in Chatel takes kids from 4 or 5. By 6 my eldest could ski anywhere on the mountain no problem.