Skiing
as a Family
If
you’re taking your kids skiing
then don't leave them in ski school or the crèche every day
- skiing can be
great fun as a family too! Here are some tips to make sure you get the
most out of your days together on the slopes:
Getting
Started
It’s
important to recognise that
children can vary a great deal and whereas one 10 year old will take to
skiing
with no problems, another will find it difficult - it's the same for
adults
too!
For all
children, concentration
and variety of activity is the key. If you're not able to hold a
child's
concentration their mind will soon wander to other things and skiing
will
become a chore. Likewise, repeating the same exercises over and over
again will
lead to boredom.
Having Fun
Children have a
natural balance
far greater than adults. They are also nearer to the ground and
therefore
getting up after a fall presents no problems. Try not to emphasize the
technique part of the activity too often - as long as they're enjoying
themselves, let them get on with it.
Finding gentle
slopes where they
can get used to the skis is important but don't wear out the adventure
by going
up and down too many times.
Most of the
time children will be happy to career
down the runs and will simply fall down when they get to a difficult
bend, jump
up again and continue. This can be quite frustrating for adults who
like to
feel more in control of their skis (and don't like falling down).
Making
Progress
Once you've
managed some control try to get the children to follow suit. A bit if
rivalry
between parent and child always gets the latter more determined to get
it
right
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If neither you
nor your children
have been skiing before, be prepared to sacrifice some of your own
progress if
you've got children under 12. Generally, children over this age will
leave
their parents standing after a few days.
Skiing all day
will be too much
for most children, but it depends on how much physical activity they
are used
to doing. 8-12 year olds will normally be able to stay out for 3 hours
or so
but let them have time for plenty of stops along the way.
Be Prepared
Don't forget to
take
plenty of chocolate/sweets, something to drink and some fruit along
with you.
Agree specific goals as you go along such as "We'll have a drink of hot
chocolate at the next signpost in 10 minutes time". This reduces a long
trip into easily definable sections.
Finally, don't forget that
children will tend to get cold quickly, especially if they're playing
in the
snow. Make sure they wear safety helmets and are properly dressed for
the
conditions.
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