Your Child's First Ski Lesson

Kids Having FunEvery instructor has probably had the experience: a parent with a sheepish look shows up at the ski school meeting place with a crying child in tow. I especially remember one such occasion where a cute five-year old named Claire showed up, tears streaming down her face. The reason was same as on previous occasions. Claire's dad wanted to be sure the lesson would go well, so he decided to do some basic practice with his daughter to get her ready. It hadn't gone well. As is often the case, dad had skipped many steps and had done the equivalent of throwing a dog off the pier to teach it to swim. Yes, the dog survives, but fears water for the rest of its natural born days.

I sat down in the snow so Claire and I were eye-to-eye and asked "Are you having a tough day?" Through her heaves and sobs she managed to nod and say "Yeeeessss." "Is skiing hard?" "Yeeeeessssss." "How about we pop those skis off and just walk around for a while?" "Oookayyyy," her face still contorted by sobs.

Every instructor probably has a handful of tales like that, and in most cases the meltdown could be avoided if parents knew how better to prepare their child for that first lesson on snow.

What Happens in a Learn to Ski Lesson?

Parents mistakenly assume there's some prerequisite for the beginner lesson and that their child will be "behind". Nothing could be further from the truth. All ski schools assume that their beginners have never seen snow, don't know the front of ski or snowboard from the back, have no idea how to put skis or a snowboard on or take them off. Your kids don't need to know anything about skiing ahead of time.

Once kids have been introduced to the equipment and the snow, we'll practice walking around, scootering on one ski, walking around with two skis, climbing uphill, straightrunnning down a gentle hill, stopping and eventually turning. Basic turning and stopping with a wedge (snowplow) is the goal of a beginner lesson, not a prerequisite, yet parents often start by trying to teach the wedge to their four-year old.

Some kids will progress quickly. Other kids may simply not learn those skills in the context of a two-hour lesson. But that's okay. Parents often ask "How did he do?" Unless the child has been rude or aggressive to other students or just had a really bad day, my answer is always the same: great. If a child fails to turn and simply falls down before careening into the group, I always make sure to say that I'm proud of him for bailing out before he hurts someone and stressing what an important skill that is (I've seen plenty of adults fail to implement that basic skill). As far as I'm concerned, that kid is doing great and should feel proud.

In short, the instructor won't even assume that your child knows what skis are so you don't need to "practice" for a lesson. But there are things you can do to set your child up for success.A Little Support from Mom

Priming for Success

All of that is to allay your fears and to hopefully prevent you from transferring them to the child. But that doesn't mean you should do nothing. You can, in fact, take some basic steps to increase the odds that the lesson will be a success for your child. First, let's define what I mean by success. Success simply means that your child has fun and wants to go again. Anything she learns beyond that is gravy, because a kid who has fun and wants to go again, will eventually pick up the skills. A child who has a rotten time, but learns the skills, has gained nothing except skills that she never wants to use again.

• Suited up for learning. Dressing for success is important!
  • A mountain environment is high and the snow is reflective, so even more so than the beach, sunglasses and sunscreen are essential, no matter the temperature. Also, it is not always cold where there is snow.
  • We often see children dressed in suffocating snowsuits even though it's a 50-degree spring day. Dress for the temperature, not to match some magazine picture of what you think skiing should be.
  • At the same time, kids need to be dressed for winter. That means hat that covers the ears, gloves, and pants that shed snow.
• Mentally ready —The Stress-Free Zone. Adults commonly believe kids are fearless when it comes to learning to ski. It's not so. Many children are afraid and rightly so: a new environment, a new skill, strange equipment, kids and adults they don't know. It is a daunting environment and don't dismiss it. Rather, recognize those fears as just and valid, and help allay them.
  • Get used to the snow. If you don't live in a place with snow, just play in the snow with your child while you wait for the lesson. It's a new environment for him and it will help a lot of he can have some time to get used to it.
  • Skiing is fun. Let her know that it might be a little scary, she might not be the best one there, but it will be fun nevertheless. Make it clear that all you want is for her to try.
  • She's in control. If your child seems to have anxiety, explain that she won't be forced to do something that she thinks is too scary or dangerous.
  • Get started early and avoid hurrying. We see a lot of people who arrive at the slopes later than expected, then get caught in the morning rush at the rental shop and then rush to the lesson, leaving their child stressed out. Leave enough time. At many ski areas, you'll even be able to get your rental equipment the night before. You want to be calm and positive, otherwise you're likely to deliver a stressed and worried child to the ski school.

To Watch or Not

Use your judgement as to whether or not you should watch the lesson. This can go either way depending on the day and the kid. I've had kids who were disappointed that their parents weren't there to see the lesson. But for every one of those, there are many more who are distracted by the parents or who are actually really nervous. I've had five year-olds whisper in my ear that they didn't want mom or dad to watch and could I make the parents go away. And in general, there is simply more crying and bad behavior when the parents are around.

For most kids, though, it doesn't make a difference one way or the other. Personally, I enjoy having the parents watch, but it's also a chance to relax on your own. Parents can also be really helpful if there's a problem, from ill-fitting gear to the need for a bathroom break