{"id":2650,"date":"2021-03-10T13:02:43","date_gmt":"2021-03-10T21:02:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trackersearth.com\/blog\/?p=2650"},"modified":"2021-03-18T11:02:13","modified_gmt":"2021-03-18T18:02:13","slug":"teach-your-kids-to-ski","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/trackersearth.com\/blog\/teach-your-kids-to-ski\/","title":{"rendered":"Teach Your Kids to Ski"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Spring is the Perfect Time to Teach Your Kids to Ski!\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n(What are You Waiting For?)\n<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Hooray, Spring is here! The sun is shining, crocuses are blooming, birds are singing and it feels like time to start working in the garden. But wait! There is still snow in the mountains and plenty of months left to teach your kids to ski, cross-country or downhill. While it may not feel like ski time, spring often brings more mountain snow than winter, plus the warmer weather and \u201cbluebird\u201d skies make for perfect teaching conditions.<\/p>

Maybe you\u2019re actually excited to teach your kids to ski. You\u2019ve just been waiting until they reached a certain age. Or maybe you\u2019re dreading it. Either way, there\u2019s no time like the present. The sooner you teach them, the sooner you can all be swooshing down or across the slopes together. When you teach your kids to ski, you are giving them a lifetime skill. It\u2019s an outdoor activity you can do together when your kids are young, and continue doing together when they are teens (and they won\u2019t do anything else with you) and even when they leave the nest. Eventually it can be something you do when you become the family elder and there are little ones needing to be taught again.<\/p>

My mom (bless her!) taught me and my sister to ski when we were two and four years old. I grew up and taught my own kids, plus many many others. I fully intend to be an 80-year-old snowboarding granny who will happily teach any kids that come along. I won\u2019t lie to you: teaching kids to ski is not the easiest thing you will ever do. But it could be one of the most rewarding. For the past 20 years my big extended family has skied together: aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. The youngest in our group was two when she started and the oldest are 80 (my dad and uncle). Skiing is a wonderful outdoor activity you can do with all the generations, getting exercise and enjoying the incredible beauty of nature together.<\/p>

You don\u2019t have to be a great skier to teach your kids. You are just teaching the basics and a love of being out on the mountain. The kids will teach themselves the rest. I talked with a couple of parent \u201cexperts\u201d who successfully taught multiple kids to ski: Beth taught her two kids to cross-country ski and Jamie taught four kids to downhill ski. They have some great advice for surviving and actually enjoying the experience. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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How old should they be?<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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There\u2019s a saying amongst skiers: \u201cIf they\u2019re old enough to walk, they\u2019re old enough to ski.\u201d That goes for downhill and cross-country. Most of the experts I talked to said age 3-4 is ideal for teaching. At this age, kids are still small enough to physically lift and help, they don\u2019t have far to fall, and they seem to be made of rubber. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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What are the best ski clothes?<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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If kids are cold they are miserable and no one has any fun. Making sure your kids are dressed to stay warm for hours is job #1 of your ski day. For tips on the best snow clothes for kids, check out \u201cDress for Winter Weather.\u201d<\/a><\/strong> Beth loves bibs. \u201cWe got our kids inexpensive ski bibs. Bibs are awesome because they can\u2019t fall down and when kids take a tumble, snow doesn\u2019t go get in their pants.\u201d We both agree that mittens are better than gloves. Gloves = cold fingers.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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What are the best snacks?<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Snacks are a critical tool for keeping kids going and happy on the slopes. Stash some in your backpack at the start of the day. Beth\u2019s family calls theirs \u201cski treats:\u201d special candy like Gummi Bears that take longer to eat and have a slow-release of sugar, which the kids only get when skiing. \u201cI would tell them, \u2018When we make it to the next intersection it\u2019s Ski Treat time,\u201d Beth explained. Jamie\u2019s ski snacks are granola bars (easy to carry in pockets) and recycled Halloween candy. \u201cWe let them eat a little candy on Halloween and then hide the rest for ski season. They are small and you can fit a handful in your pocket.\u201d Both families pack extra food for the drive home. Kids are often starving when they are done and it can be a long drive to get home and eat. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Teaching Kids to Cross Country Ski<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBeth\u2019s daughter learning from Grandpa\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBeth\u2019s daughter on a x-country adventure\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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When I was a kid my dad tried teaching us to cross-country ski. We had been downhill skiing for years, so I thought Nordic was hard and boring and I hated it. We whined so much Dad gave up on us and I didn\u2019t try it again until I was in my thirties. We stuck our new baby in a backpack and headed out. Being in nature in the snow with our newborn was liberating and I fell in love with it. To get tips on teaching your kids, I talked with Beth Nelson. She (along with husband Eric) taught two very little kids who grew into young adults who love x-country skiing.<\/p>

Gear<\/strong><\/h4>