Skiing with the kids - 5 Tips for Great Family Vacation Skiing

Manage Your Expectations

The first tip is to realise that the reality of skiing with kids is going to mean a compromise, and perhaps this is the hardest thing to do if you are a keen skier yourself. 

However it is probably the most important thing you can do to help your family ski vacation run smoothly. Accept that you will have to spend a good deal of time with them, getting them ready, getting their kit on, on the beginner slopes and helping them navigate their first chair lifts. Try and enjoy this time and don’t just see it as less time on that black run you have bee dying to test yourself on.  With some careful planning you can do both during your vacation.

Don't Sweat The Small Stuff

The second tip is to have a plentiful supply of patience. There will be times when your child decides to be unreasonable or is just tired after skiing for the day. Or times when despite your best efforts, you find that someone has lost an essential piece of skiing equipment. These challenges are minor in the overall scheme of things, so relax and let go. The sibling rivalry does not magically disappear during a family ski vacation.

Get Organised

The third tip is to get organised. Create a schedule and assign small tasks to everyone in the family ski-team. Dry wet clothes or ski boots overnight and make sure your children know where to leave and find their stuff. It’s also worth making sure you have your travel plans locked down and visas sorted well before you travel. The last thing you need is what happened to this family at the airport ESTA Visa Refusal a ‘Nightmare’ For UK Family. You can get more information on visa requirements at this site.

Think about getting your children skiing lessons. Not only will this take care of the most frustrating first steps where skis and poles tend to end up in one big tangle after the next. It will also free you up to hit the slopes before you spend time with them on their first mini-run. 

Always book ski lessons for you kids before they reach your winter vacation to avoid disappointment. Most ski resorts will offer lessons; you just need to do your research before you travel.  If you are skiing in France check out this site.

Ski as a Family

The fourth tip is to try and connect the whole family as often as possible. If your children are of various ages and abilities, divide them into two groups and choose a lift that leads to a couple of different runs.  Or perhaps the more advanced skiers run twice in the time it takes for the beginners, but don’t worry. Everyone will enjoy trying to find the others, or catch up with them. You can take the chairlift together and you will really feel like you're having fun as a family.

Heading Home

Finally, the fifth and final tip is to go home at the end of the ski day before the youngest member of the family gets too tired. It is always better to end the day after a good run, with children who want to go skiing before fatigue takes over.

With these five simple tips you should be all set to enjoy a family ski vacation.

By Will Smith