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Advice needed - Prepping daughter for ski lessons

knolan12

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Hi Divas!

Long time, no see! I had baby #2 (a boy!) in May so I took off last season. With the crispness in the air, I'm starting to think snow :smile:

My mini ski diva will be 4 in February and we want to enroll her in some one-off lessons at Pats Peak and Bolton Valley. While she has no issue being dropped off at daycare and has taken swim lessons, I'm worried about dropping her off for a ski lesson. She tends to be very shy around new people and I'm required to be in the water for swim lessons.

I want to make this experience as fun as possible for her! Any tips, tricks, ski lesson themed books you'd recommend?

We did buy her a pair of toddler skis last winter with the intention of letting her play on them in our backyard to acclimate and then we got 0 snow haha So we're starting from complete scratch here haha
 

Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
I would suggest a small local area, which I think Bolton Valley is? Do they have a Mom/Dad and me type of the lesson. This help teach you, how to help. If not try for combi class of inside and outside activities...if its the whole day.

I like to, sorry but, get rid of the parent as soon as possible. At least out of eyesight or hearing. That way the kid listens to me the instructor. If you can watch from the lodge or another run near by, good.

I wonder about the "toddler" skis you have. Are they plastic, or super small version of your skis. Most ski lesson will not allow the strap on plastic skis.

Oh and....NO POLES!

As for videos, don't really know, but I'm sure there is something out there.

Make the day fun, maybe leave the baby at home with the other....Mom and me time.
 

diymom

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Are you thinking of having the kiddo in a lesson while you are skiing yourself, or also willing to take the kiddo for a lesson with no plans of skiing? If the latter, Blue Hills is closer to you isn't it? @marymack might have input on both the Snow Pups program and privates there. She is an instructor at Blue Hills and has a kiddo of similar age.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Long time, no see! I had baby #2 (a boy!) in May so I took off last season. With the crispness in the air, I'm starting to think snow :smile:

My mini ski diva will be 4 in February and we want to enroll her in some one-off lessons at Pats Peak and Bolton Valley. While she has no issue being dropped off at daycare and has taken swim lessons, I'm worried about dropping her off for a ski lesson. She tends to be very shy around new people and I'm required to be in the water for swim lessons.
Congrats!

As for the 4yo, what has she done on snow? Any sledding? Has she seen video of kids having fun skiing the bunny slope?

Are the lessons in the mornings or afternoons? For how long? Are you thinking about a group lesson or a 1-1 private?

My questions are based on Day 1 for two 4yo girls at Massanutten (small hill). The first was my daughter who was/is very social and outgoing. The second was my friend's daughter who was really not all that interested. Her 6yo brother had a ball and picked up skiing in the first hour. The program was a full-day (9:30-2:00) during a holiday weekend and they were in small groups (max 4) of never-ever kids of the same age.

Might find some suggestions here although most of the comments are for kids who already ski at some level.

 

Eera

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
My youngest started about that age but his lessons weren't so much all day, but a couple of hours in the morning, plus a daycare arrangement, plus snow play: for him it was just more of a care arrangement with some cold stuff thrown in which TBH is all I expected at that age. His class was very much child-led and at no point were they expected to do more if they were tired and if they wanted to do something else then great. Does your hill have that kind of deal or is it more formalised schooling? You know your daughter's temperament and the sort of classes she can deal with and whether she gets over-tired or not so I'd say find a method that fits her, not the other way around.

And dump and run: don't hang around letting the goodbuys drag out, she may be shy and teary at first but that'll soon go. Some of the greatest videos I got were of Child having a fat time and mucking around with the instructors when he didn't know I was watching.
 

Shirl

Diva in Training
My kids started skiing about that age. My recommendation is to find ski hills with a magic carpet. First time, my husband had to lug the kid up the hill to ski a little turn and do this again and again. My favorite ski mountains for learning are Bromley, Catamount, Stratton and Mount Snow. If you can afford a few days off in a row, and take group lessons - peer pressure works miracles. Your kid will be skiing will be able to snow plow, stop, and get down a green trail. Best of luck!
 

marymack

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Are you thinking of having the kiddo in a lesson while you are skiing yourself, or also willing to take the kiddo for a lesson with no plans of skiing? If the latter, Blue Hills is closer to you isn't it? @marymack might have input on both the Snow Pups program and privates there. She is an instructor at Blue Hills and has a kiddo of similar age.

First, congratulations on baby #2!

Yes! Please consider the puppy program at Blue Hills for your daughter. It's competitive to get into especially if you want a Saturday morning slot, but it really is a great introduction to skiing in a safe, fun environment with kids their own age. At 4, most kids still don't have great stamina for skiing, especially while they are first learning, so having a few 1 hr sessions where she skis in the lesson, coco break and then back out to practice with you for an hour will likely be plenty for her.

As you look at your ski trips for this season, look into resorts that have a combo daycare/lesson program. That is a great way for kids to get some time on snow but not so much they burn out, plus you have more time to ski while they nap at the daycare! Bolton valley is fun for families, but I haven't really thought of it through the prospective of a 4 yr old beginner, she might only be able to ski the lower mountain, and you won't have many options for care for your son since they don't have a daycare unless you and your husband plan to trade off (which with the night skiing there did work out for us because we felt like we each got more skiing in).

I would check out Ragged Mountain which is now on Indy pass. Plus Pat's Peak of course and Waterville valley. Last year we tested out a few daycares on mountain, we liked Cannons the best, it was the cheapest and seemed to be run by some nice older ladies. Didn't like how Waterville had a TV going in the daycare room and Jay's was fine but expensive! Cannon does have its a nice kind of hidden beginner area which could be good for your 4 yr old once she rides the lift.
 

knolan12

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
So many great thoughts, thanks everyone!

We did buy real skis, not plastic ones. She has gone sledding, etc and does generally like the snow (I think, who knows with preschoolers hahaha)

I was thinking drop-off lessons that were more one off, but completely forgot about Blue Hills @marymack! I will have to look into this program since that is close to home (and will have to see if I can get to the women's lessons again this year!).

We usually do a week at Bolton and day trip to Pats, but will definitely have to try out these other mountain suggestions as well!
 

diymom

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Another plus to Blue Hills is that your daughter will have a chance to make her own ski buddies locally. And you might as well among the other parents.
 

brooksnow

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
You don't need snow to let her play on the equipment. If you have carpeting, let her walk in the boots and slide around on the skis. Not recommended with wood floors! She can wear the helmet and goggles too.

Familiarization is good, many kids balk at the feeling of ski boots and helmets. Since it has been decades since knee socks were common, many don't like long ski socks either.

When you do lessons, try to plan enough time so you aren't rushed. Getting all the gear on can take waaay longer than you'd imagine when little kids are involved. Kids typically do better when the situation is relaxed.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Another plus to Blue Hills is that your daughter will have a chance to make her own ski buddies locally. And you might as well among the other parents.
Good point!

From ages 5-10, having a friend along was key to whether or not my daughter wanted to ski for more than a run or two when not in ski school. Didn't matter if the friend was a beginner when she was skiing blues at our home hill.
 

Trailside Trixie

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I love when I get a 4 to 5 year old girl. Had a girl last year who caught on very fast and was ready for the chair in no time. At Magic we have a giant leap from the carpet to the chair so we make extra sure they are really ready before we go up. Otherwise it's a loooong way down. We only had the summit quad going late last season so her first ride on a chair was to the summit. She did great.

Bromley has mighty moose and kids rule depending on ages. Mighty moosers are the youngins up to 5 or 6. The all day kid programs are great.

I second the smaller hills are they are great for learning. Butternut has a great learning area and kids program.

I know it will be temping to lurk but I always send the parents away as soon as they drop off the kid. If they inside on watching I recommend hiding so the kid can't see them :smile:

Congratulations on your littles one and good luck with your mini diva.
 

McJoy

Certified Ski Diva
Idk if you’ve made your plans yet but I thought I’d share my experience. We started my daughter when she was 4 at Bradford in MA with a 4 pack of 1 hour lessons and then bought a few more but they were hard to get (I think many local mountains have started selling their beginner lesson packs). We continued with those lessons when she was 5 but we saw very little progress. People said 4 year olds often don’t have the hip strength for a snow plow, so it might’ve been that but after doing several lessons the 2nd year, we did a few days at Sunday River and put her in the full day program for her age, which takes lots of breaks and we were BLOWN AWAY. She was super happy at the end of the lesson, wanted to ski more with us and made more progress in one day than in all the 1 hour lessons. She moved up a level in each of the 3 days of that trip. We’ve continued with that ski school (plus some lessons at Loon and sugarloaf) and for us, we’d never go back to the 1 hour local lessons. I think a big component is that little mountain has rope tows for the beginner slopes. The kids can’t do them and they spend so much time getting them up the hill that there’s very little skiing and a lot of frustration. Plus it’s not like the rope tow is a skill they need to learn. But I think it was more than that but idk what. Somehow the lessons and the instructors at Sunday River just really clicked for my daughter. The last thing I’ll add is that on that same trip we had planned a parent/child lesson at lost valley in maine. It was on the way up to Sunday River ( near auburn) and the lesson was going to include tips on teaching your kid to ski. We unfortunately scheduled that trip over a polar vortex and the mountain was closed so we didn’t get to do it. But I would still love the opportunity to take a lesson that helped teach me how to help her. She likes lessons, but still prefers “family ski days” when we all ski together so we do some of both. We bought a lesson package this year so we’re hoping to see lots of improvements with more time on the snow.
 

marymack

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Just a heads up if you are interested in Blue Hills, seasonal lesson packages went live today. Popular times like Saturday morning usually go fast.
 

Amplify

Certified Ski Diva
My kids started skiing about that age. My recommendation is to find ski hills with a magic carpet. First time, my husband had to lug the kid up the hill to ski a little turn and do this again and again. My favorite ski mountains for learning are Bromley, Catamount, Stratton and Mount Snow. If you can afford a few days off in a row, and take group lessons - peer pressure works miracles. Your kid will be skiing will be able to snow plow, stop, and get down a green trail. Best of luck!
I want to chime in on this because my kids' school does winter skiing at Catamount and we have been super disappointed that they have only had the one bunny slope open for the last 3 years! There is like, the very very intro easy bunny slope which most very young kids will stay on anyway, which barely has any slope at all and then there is typically a slightly steeper bunny slope with a separate magic carpet - that one has not been open for the season a while. Every year they tell us it will be open, and then it just isn't, which sucks since these are kids down to age 5, and up to 11, so the "hard" bunny slope is a big draw for those beginners who are not on their first day anymore but not yet up to the chair lift.

I know that OP is looking more at Pat's Peak etc but I wanted to chime in for anyone else reading. I will follow up with the Catamount bunny slope status in January in case anyone reading along is interested. As far as Pat's Peak - I think that's such a great slope for kids. I am taking my guys there a few times this season. I want to also call out that not too far from there is Granite Gorge, where my sister takes her 3- and 6-year old most often since it's very close to them and very small/affordable. They are bunny-slope-only skiers still but they find the slope to be a good intro for them and have lots of fun on it. I have not been there myself so I'm not totally sure how it is, but I just wanted to throw a mention out there.
 

Ms Mia

Angel Diva
Adding to this thread just to say that I agree it's important to leave your child with the instructor as soon as possible! My 6 yo is very shy, but I knew if I stuck around she would just want to hang on to my arm the whole time. We were lucky that we live in a very small mountain village (in Eastern Canada) and she had already met the instructor in a non-ski context, so it wasn't a complete stranger. Also, I think it made a difference that her instructor is a young woman, and not a man. Just as I prefer to learn from other women, my daughter is more comfortable around other girls/women than boys/men in any position of authority.

In fact, my daughter was so nervous about skiing that I took her to the bunny hill one afternoon without any ski gear at all. We went on the magic carpet just in our winter boots (asked if we could and were warmly encouraged to do so) so she could feel what it was like. Played a bit at the top of the bunny hill, watched some other kids learning to ski, and eventually walked down and went home. That was it. Step 1!

Then step 2 was her first private lesson, which this local young instructor began also just with play - feeling the weight of the boots, digging the toes into the snow, doing "pizza" (snow plow) and "fries" (parallel) even before putting the skis on. I only saw this briefly as I walked off, as the instructor was quite firm that I should just leave and come back in 90 mins.

When I did, daughter was doing slow but competent snow plow turns down the bunny hill and feeling very proud! I was told afterwards they took a few breaks, just played in the snow, had a small snack, and then got back on the skis when my daughter was ready. I think it's key not to push them too much or they end up in tears, and not wanting to return. Skiing should be fun, and that looks different for different kids and different ages, but start small!

We are also SUPER lucky that our village primary school runs a ski programme in collaboration with the ski resort. Every school class goes on an almost weekly trip (different day for different classes, so there's no overwhelm), about 4 times in Jan/Feb, at a super low cost that includes gear hire, a group lesson, and then the rest of the day accompanied by teachers and volunteering parents. The kids progress so quickly because they're all together, inspiring each other and having fun together. It's exhausting as a volunteer but I signed up for as many as I could, because I love that it's a class/community outing.

My daughter has gone from fearing the very notion of skiing on January 1st, to asking me for some ski time together and joining me on the chair lift for some runs on the 1km long green run by January 20th! She is always anxious about whatever the next hurdle is, so I don't push her, but I keep reminding her of what she has already learned. So proud of her.
 

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