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CANHow I taught my children to ski in just 5 steps!
Winter is just around the corner and if you have been thinking about teaching your kids to ski, this might be the perfect time for you! If you have more time to prepare, I suggest you go through an entire full course of the How To’s. I found a good course for this online, and I find it really helpful in teaching your child to ski. It’s just a short course made of 8 ski lessons with videos ranging from around 2-4 minutes. Click here to check it out!
So, let’s take a look at the 5 Steps I used to teach my children to ski:
Those five steps are quite simple-- and if you have already taught your children other activities that require balance such as skating, biking, skateboarding, etc., your kids won’t really have a hard time learning to ski. Let’s take a look at the 5 steps one at a time to get you and your kids ready to ski!
Check if they’re ready.
Some parents would say that the best time to teach your kids to ski would be around 2-4 years old-- but don’t just fall into the trap of going with the flow and giving in to others’ standards. You are the parent, after all! You know your children better.
You know they’re ready when:
- They can balance themselves.
- They no longer exhibit extreme separation anxiety (cries and panics whenever you are out of sight or touch).
- They can follow your instructions
- They have a good tolerance for doing activities in the cold.
More than your child’s physical and psychological preparedness, your psychological readiness also needs a little prep. Are you ready to get your child out there in the cold and be separated from him and her from time to time? Are you capable of seeing them stumble and potentially get hurt as part of their learning? Are you able to function as a first-aider in case of medical emergencies?
If you are still not confident regarding your judgment of your child’s preparedness to start ski lessons, you can check this link to learn various expert’s opinions.
Teach them about ski gears and apparels
It’s photo-worthy to see our children in winter clothing, wearing ski apparels and doing winter sports activities such as skiing. We often see proud parents posting their child’s picture as they start skiing on various social media sites like Facebook and Instagram. Here are some of them:
On top of photography and social media purposes, children are also very picky with regards to the color and design of their clothes (at least mine are!). That being said, choosing a reliable protection for them that they would actually like to wear is a tough job.
My best bet (for fussy children like mine) when it comes to making their ski helmet more fun and out of the ordinary is trying one of our Parawild Helmets ears! They are attachable helmet accessories that helped me distinguish their location in just one look.
Usually, when we go to skiing resorts, all of the gears are already provided. So all you have to take care of is ensuring that what your child’s gears and apparels are comfortable and light enough for them to be able to balance and move as they please without being cold.
If you have the money and time to buy things on your own, then here’s the ski packing list that will help you shop for your skiing needs.
Also, here’s a quick video that you could watch and/or show your children to learn about different ski gear that is essential to wear as they begin to learn how to ski.
Use of the Leash and Edgie Wedgie
The Leash
Parents have different point views regarding the use of a leash in teaching little children to ski. For me, I would give it a go. Why?
- It aids in pulling your child up whenever they stumble.
- it can prevent accidents (pulling them before they go and hurt themselves)
- It gives little children the support they need without you having to grab them and restrain their movement every now and then.
- It provides them more independence in the first part of training (without a leash, you have to carry and pick them up every time they stumble and your child will become more dependent on you).
- You can enjoy skiing together while making sure he or she is safe.
The only drawback of using a leash is when parents take their children with them in adult level skiing, and they have this leash so the children are forced to do skiing beyond their levels. I mean, it’s okay to give your little guy a push to hone their skills, but please, let your child be a child. Let them enjoy skiing at their own pace.
The Edgie Wedgie
The edgie wedgie is just a ski tip connector which you can buy online. You see, children might find it hard to make the “wedge foot formation” in the first few days. I even had a hard time with it, to be honest! So, in order to train your child, getting this would save you and your child’s time and effort! You can purchase this online at it’s around $10.
Tip for using the edgie-wedgie: As long as your child was able to use it for a week, try to transition him/her immediately to skiing without it, so they won’t have any difficulty transitioning.
Check this link to learn more about these connectors.
Introduce Basic Skiing Techniques According to their Level.
As I have mentioned earlier, do not force your children to learn everything in a go. Don’t expect your children to be experts at once. Yes, children nowadays might be very fast learners and are quite advanced since they have access to all sorts of information online. However, always keep in mind that learning to ski should be fun and exciting for them. So you need to teach them all the basics first so they don’t get overwhelmed and confused.
Also, do not attempt to get them skiing in the ski hills and slopes that are way over their levels. Their first step into skiing should always be a happy one. Not something that they are pressured and forced to do.
This video is a great example of teaching children basics of skiing:
For me, I taught my kids what to wear first, how to wear them, then balancing. After that, I try to teach them to move and how to break/stop. Then I encourage them to try making a slope. You see, It’s up to you and how you connect with your child. I tend to just do the demo-return demo thing and it worked for us!
Keep it fun and exciting!
To be honest, I struggled a lot at first while trying to teach my children to ski. I’m guilty of being overly protective at times (actually, most of the time). So when they stumble. I had to forcefully restrain myself from sounding worried and scared for them!
The urge for me to get over there and pick them up is always there, but I had to stop myself from that. Instead, I would say something like. “Stand up, tiger! You can do it!” I swear I had a hard time trying to sound really perky and enthusiastic. Many parents can do this without even trying, so I salute you guys!
The thing is, children will know when you are worried or scared, and the tendency is that when you do...they will be too! So stop feeling anxious and nervous for them. Stop pressuring them to learn as well. Just let kids be kids and have them enjoy their first step in learning how to ski.
Summary
Of course, there are many other tips and strategies you can employ in teaching your kids to ski. If you’re a parent like me, feel free to share your questions, tips, and experience in teaching your child. Leave a comment below! A parent somewhere might be able to benefit from your knowledge. Let’s keep sharing!
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