Latest posts for the topic "Skiing with kiddies...."

Skiing with kiddies....

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:29:17 GMT

Should point out their mine...
Harry is 5
Lilly is 3

I would like you'r knowledge on kitting up as we are going over new year for 10 days and it's going to be cold. Some big minus figures with the wind chill.

Going with Esprit to La Rosiere.

Do we need to double up on ski suits, gloves etc... Drying out etc.

What can I realistically expect from a day with them as I don't want to push them too far and they not enjoy it.

Cheers for any advice.

Re:Skiing with kiddies....

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:41:45 GMT

Firstly may I say that you are in for a treat!
So much fun being around tiddly tots as they explore the snow.

My advice,
Lots and lots and lots of kit!
As many hats, pairs of gloves and ski suits as you can beg borrow or steal.
Because,
It's not just skiing!
There is tobogganing to do every day and snow ball fights and snow man building and .....
It's not just skiing.

On the first day there will probably be so much pent up excitement that the kit will be soaked before any formal outing through just throwing snowballs and frollicking around outside the chalet.

Don't overdo things with them, same as at home; I doubt you would expect 8 hours on the beach/in the garden etc without a decent break for either of them.

Esprit have an excellent reputation and I would follow their advice, they have more experience than anyone with just their own kids to introduce to the mountains.

But .....
I would suggest that for yourself (and OH?) that to aproach this as a family holiday rather than a skiing holiday would be sensible. I'm sure you'll get some skiing in but probaby spend more time pushing sledges and drying clothes, gloves, tears etc than skiing.

Do let us know how you get on.

Re:Skiing with kiddies....

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:46:26 GMT

Only thing I would say at this point, is to go for mittens and not gloves at those ages. This comes from experience with friends children. It does not hurt to have two pairs of each.

I would doubt you need to double up on suits, but make sure you take at least few pairs of suitable (thermal really) under garments. Don't forget, it is best to dress in layers, then if you get too warm (which causes sweat and actually makes your clothes wetter than rolling around in snow) it is easier to remove a layer to cool off a bit. Equally, you can always add another garment if you are getting cold.

Biggest tip would to ensure that gloves or mittens are not left just lying around if you stop anywhere for lunch or a drink. I like to tuck mine under my armpits, as this keeps them snug and warm for when I put them on again after.

Edit. UhOh, sounds like OldAndy has more experience with kids than me :( The ones I went with were not that bad, at least I didn't think so.

Re:Skiing with kiddies....

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:12:55 GMT

Mittens :thumbup:
Personally I think 2 sets of snow clothes is essential.
Neither Harry nor Lilly will be enjoyable company after being denied the impromptu snow ball fight before T because their kit is being dried!
Don't forget kids are much closer to the snow than adults and will spend far more time upside down and laying in the stuff than most adults. :lol:

All this comes from the experience of taking care of kids whose incompetent parents were more interested in drinking in the bar than looking after their offspring when staying in the hotels I ran for years in ski resorts.
Oh and taking my own lad and nieces and various hangers on skiing over the years :D

Re:Skiing with kiddies....

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:23:23 GMT

More than happy to bow to your experience on the subject OA, last thing you want is grizzly kids :shock:

What you say makes perfect sense. I guess I am more used to dealing with older children.

Re:Skiing with kiddies....

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:25:57 GMT

Very good advice on the treating it like holiday rather than a ski holiday... Will try. (mental note to cancel family helisking)

H&L are used to travel as we took them for 11 months around europe in a camper an last year. So pretty resilient and full on at the same time but used to warmer climes.

Harry is like a puppy an chews everything, already chewed the thumb out of a Hestra vortex mitt. Any tips for that, other than gaffer tape?

ooooo, what about chair lift exits, do they need a handle welding on?

Re:Skiing with kiddies....

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:46:49 GMT

Cookies72 wrote:
Harry is like a puppy an chews everything, already chewed the thumb out of a Hestra vortex mitt. Any tips for that, other than gaffer tape?

My mother swore by mustard! Worked for me - I now rarely chew my clothes :thumbup:

Cookies72 wrote:
ooooo, what about chair lift exits, do they need a handle welding on?

Neither of yours will be going on chair lifts unescorted. If with ski school etc. the instructor will be putting them on with other adults - one kid on the inside is the norm and then usually the liftie is warned "tiddlies coming up" and is out by the lift to help them off and shove them out of the way to safety.

I must admit to a sense of puzzlement though about the need for a handle on a chair lift exit. Not come across this idea before. Presumably you normally ski in Scotland or some such third world nation where these things are needed?
In France, for example, something called magnetiski is becoming used, where kids wear a vest and are actually magnetically held onto the chair lift for safety so they cannot wriggle around and drop out under the bar.
Great idea :thumbup:
I know a few adults who could benefit - especially after lunch!

Re:Skiing with kiddies....

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:16:23 GMT

Cookies72 wrote:

ooooo, what about chair lift exits, do they need a handle welding on?

I've lost count of the number of times I've been asked by a liftie/instructor to help a small child off the lift at the top so it's obvioulsy just accpeted practice that people help out (no language barriers either).

If you do have any hassles with them then best bet is to ride up with a ski school as the lift people will know they're coming and slow it down accordingly. Better still is only use "detachable" chairs and then unloading is far less of an issue as speeds are much lower

Re:Skiing with kiddies....

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:17:22 GMT

Lol - I did mean a handle on the kids - like the ones on life jackets we use to haul them back into the boat with.

Wasn't literally going to weld attachments on the kids as the wife would object...

Going to try the mustard, Dijon I reckon

Re:Skiing with kiddies....

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:49:36 GMT

They grow out of the chewing, both mine chewed the ski mitts, pyjama sleeves and legs! and at the age of 12, have still been caught chewing the flannel in the bath.
Have not really needed 2 of suits and jackets etc, but extra mitts, socks and sundries help. Easy slip on shoes to go to and from boot room are a must, as the more clothing they can get on and off themselves ,the better. It is exhausting with the amount of carrying, fastening and adjusting of everything you have to do with kids.

However, there was nothing to compare to our hols in Risoul, when the whole family skied down a green run together for the 1st time, son 7 and daughter 5. The pride you feel is just the same as when you see them walk for the 1st time.

Enjoy yourselves, it can be tiring, but each year gets better and better.

Re:Skiing with kiddies....

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:57:21 GMT

Cookies72 wrote:Lol - I did mean a handle on the kids - like the ones on life jackets we use to haul them back into the boat with.

Wasn't literally going to weld attachments on the kids as the wife would object...

not a bad idea for the three year old as they spend a lot of time falling down and when you pick them up by the scruff of their jacket, it pull all the clothes underneath.

Have very low expectations, especially for the three year old in terms of endurance and how far they will get (although there are always exceptions). Two hours (including breaks)for a three year old is a very long time Going in for snacks and hot chocolate will be as exciting as the skiing at that age. Magic carpets are a boon to young skiers and the three year old may not progress beyond that. Do not hold your kids from behind as you ski. They learn little and if you fall, the kid gets squashed. Better to learn to ski backwards in front of them. Reins can work, but most people don't know how to use them safely, or in a way that promotes good skiing. Most kids will only need reins for a day or two.

If it's very cold, you do not need to worry about clothing being waterproof. There isn't even any humidity to speak of. None of my cold weather gear for construction work in the winter is waterproof. If it's warm enough to get wet, you don't need the very cold weather gear.

Re:Skiing with kiddies....

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:00:28 GMT

Also, mine used to go to kids club(in a playroom) in the morning while I learnt to ski with hubby and then we all had lunch and spent afternoon together.
It worked for us, all day outside was too much for them then.

Re:Skiing with kiddies....

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 20:31:35 GMT

I will be with a group of 6 in March, including a 20 month old. Agree with Trencher about skiing backwards in front of the tot. Hold hands, then occasionally loosen them, and free ski.

Also, working on a gadget to convert a ski stick ~ need a piece that will attach to the basket, to sit behind the bum, and some way to attach a grip half way up the stick, for them to hold on to. This would be be for pulling them along, mainly on the flat.

Re:Skiing with kiddies....

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 20:41:28 GMT

Just back from the kids lessons at the Chill Factore; all good L&H now snow ploughing (a bit).

Small shopping trip resulted in additional kit for the kids.

Tried the mustard - he liked it - but each time he tasted it he remembered that he should not be chewing, so minor success. Will try Marmite and Chilly sauce for tomorrows lesson.

What are the detachable chairs Andy?

Re:Skiing with kiddies....

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 20:50:03 GMT

Not that I would recommend it for kids, but I've had some luck deterring squirrels from trash bags with Chinese chili oil. The one I saw, started rooting around in the bag, suddenly jumped several feet in the air, and shrieked all the way back to the trees. I later saw him frantically washing his face in the bird bath. Anyway squirrels it seems learn quickly.

Re:Skiing with kiddies....

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:10:22 GMT

Trencher wrote: Anyway squirrels it seems learn quickly.

Yeh but the problem here is with a 5yr old boy!
No chance of beating a squirrell in a learning race - they are smart little wotsits :mrgreen:

Re:Skiing with kiddies....

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:25:47 GMT

Trencher wrote:Not that I would recommend it for kids, but I've had some luck deterring squirrels from trash bags with Chinese chili oil. The one I saw, started rooting around in the bag, suddenly jumped several feet in the air, and shrieked all the way back to the trees. I later saw him frantically washing his face in the bird bath. Anyway squirrels it seems learn quickly.

Sorry to go off topic, but I had a problem with squirrels climbing up a metal pole to get to my bird feeders. I hit on the idea of oiling the pole with olive oil one afternoon. I then sat and waited for the little buggers to come and go for the feed.

The first one ran across the patio, and jumped 2/3 of the way up the pole, where it promptly froze and began sliding backwards towards the ground. The look of panic on it's face as it scrabbled away trying to climb the slippery pole had me in absolute stitches. It really was one of the funniest things I have ever seen :twisted:

To demonstrate how clever they are, within an hour of this, it had worked out that if it climbed the ivy at the other end of the house, then run along the gutter and finally, it could jump down to the bird feed without having to climb the pole :shock:

Re:Skiing with kiddies....

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:47:21 GMT

Hi - we took our children of the same age to La Rosiere with Esprit and had a great time. The resort is so child friendly we have been back with Esprit twice. Everything dries really quickly but I would suggest several sets of gloves etc - we use the ones that have velcro tabs to attach to the ski suits so they don't get lost. With a good ski suit and layers on underneath your children should be fine - they will use a lot of energy getting up from falling over, so tend to overheat if anything.

By the end of the first week our 5 year old could ski down a long blue run (Tetras) and the 3 year old was going up and down the green run right outside the Esprit chalets using the drag lift. The lift staff at La Rosiere are so good with kids - they run with them up the slope helping them balance, so you don't need to worry about them. I'm sure you will all have a great time!

Re:Skiing with kiddies....

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 22:49:41 GMT

Huuraaah, seems like made a good choice to takes the kids there. Cant wait and with Christmas in the way what could be better.

V funny re squirrels.

Re:Skiing with kiddies....

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 10:01:45 GMT

Cookies72 wrote:Just back from the kids lessons at the Chill Factore; all good L&H now snow ploughing (a bit).

Small shopping trip resulted in additional kit for the kids.

Tried the mustard - he liked it - but each time he tasted it he remembered that he should not be chewing, so minor success. Will try Marmite and Chilly sauce for tomorrows lesson.

What are the detachable chairs Andy?

Detachable is the name given to newer lifts where the chair isn't permanently attached to the cable - it simply has a "grip" to it. When the chair comes into the station a "thingy" in the mechanism flips the cable grip open so that it slows down to next to nothing as it's only being moved by the pulleys in the station, no longer at the speed of the cable.

All this means that loading and unloading is much safer as you have more time but conversely the lifts themselves are faster as the cable can be moved at faster speeds as you don't have the unloading speed factored in

Simples

If you're an anorak like me then you may find this article fascinating: http://www.answers.com/topic/detachable-chairlift

If you're not then you'll point and laugh at the Geordie idiot who has a sad life looking at ski lift technology as a way of getting thrills ahead of his actual trip....... :oops:

All of this however may well be moot as there's a reasonable chance you'll not get as far as chair lifts with a 3 year old in your first week!

But I do like the squirrel stories - keep 'em coming (said Esther Rantzen.....)

Re:Skiing with kiddies....

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:30:37 GMT

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned ski school yet!

While it is lovely to ski with the tiny tots, the novelty can wear off pretty quickly, especially if there is loads of fresh powder up high :twisted:

I put mine into ski school from just under 4 years old. They are a lot less inclined to whinge and moan with an "official" teacher than with their own parents :shock:.

Most of the ski kindergartens are really well set up with lots of little tricks to keep the kids amused and distracted from the fact that they are learning (properly - are you sure that you are sufficiently knowledgeable to teach the kids yourself :!:)

Most importantly, the kids usually have great fun and enjoy the company of other kids their own age.

Provided you get a good instructor, preferably with good english, it can be a good way to go and leaves you free to enjoy the mountains. :lol:

Re:Skiing with kiddies....

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 20:35:46 GMT

Hi Cookies72
Glad to read some of the reviews on here as well, that why we chose La Rosiere ! We're staying in Les Eucherts, 2 year old to young to ski so will be in the nursery and the 9 year old is better than us!! We'll keep an eye out for you by looking for chewed up clothing!! lol