It’s done, your holidays in the mountains are reserved! To you, the pleasures of skiing: snow, sun, invigorating air! The only small problem is that the youngest has never skied. Good rest assured, we have all been there.
So, it’s time to think about learning to ski your child. The ideal, age to learn skiing is between 4 and five years old. Starting too early will not be beneficial for the child, because, for example, he will not have the necessary strength in the legs to brake. According to the general rule, there are two approaches to learning how to ski a child: either by teaching him or using a ski instructor.
If parents are skiers, choosing the 1st option (children only learn with parents) may seem obvious. Other reasons are still possible for this:
You want to follow his first runs carefully. So you have decided to teach your child how to ski yourself. Or, you have delayed booking the course, and the ski school of your favorite station has just told you that all classes were complete.
For economic reasons, the holidays in the snow are expensive, you have a good level of skiing, and you think you can do without this expense. Remain, however, positive, because with a lot of calm, an ounce of diplomacy and a hint of pedagogy, you should be able to get away with it.
However, the best and least expensive strategies to teach your children to ski would be to combine these two approaches. If you do not ski, the question does not even arise anymore. Though.
So, in this article, we will focus on this strategy. The goal is to see how it is possible to learn the basics of the pleasures of skiing to your toddler and then pass the baton to a monitor, which will give him the necessary tips to be able to brake and turn correctly.
The treadmill
To get started, the treadmill, present in many stations, will be your best ally. The purpose is to get your child accustomed to wearing ski boots and standing on skis. It sounds trivial, but it’s the base.
At first, you can go down the track at his side, wearing your après-ski, keeping it in balance. At this point, it is not compulsory to know how to ski to make his first descents. You will be tired after a few runs, but be happy to see his proud smile!
How to teach a child how to ski
There are different positions for the adult to learn to ski to the child in the right conditions. Here are some of them.
1. Between the legs
The child stands between the parent’s legs, the sticks “fence” in front of him, preventing him from “escaping” and allowing him to stick to it.
This position makes it possible to apprehend the steep sections of a track in a more precise way (for the child and the adult). It gives him a good feeling, but in terms of learning, let’s be frank, it will not bring him much.
2. Child and parent side by side, holding his hand
This position, on a steep track (elementary track ), is ideal for learning balance and turns. The child is reassured because the parent is at his side. However, this technique requires a share of learning and others. Skis can cross very easily. Parents must learn to hold the child without pulling or unbalancing.
3. Child and parent side by side, holding it with ski poles
Same as the version with the hand, but the stick will bring better stability. An old method that has proven itself. Be careful with your back. Children must use the stick to stand and not lean against it or wallow on it.
4. The parent without ski follows the child
The perfect method with little children. You can run behind them, put yourself in front of him and catch him at the bottom of the slope, and quickly help him in case of a fall. This method works very well for real beginners and on shallow slopes.
5. The parent skis back to the runway face the child and direct it with the ski poles
Another beneficial option on a low slope. This facilitates the work of the child in learning turns. However, the adult must have an excellent level to ski back to the track.