I can never stress this enough when talking to friends who want to get their kids out on the slopes for the first time: no matter what, just make it fun. I don’t care how many breaks you have to take, how much hot chocolate you have to pump in them, just make sure that they have a great time. If they’re crying all day and you’re frustrated, no one’s going to want to come back. So the first thing is your mindset. Keep your expectations low, especially if your kids are tiny, and just go with the flow.
Step One: In my opinion, the most important thing that helps make your day easier is renting your skis in advance. Take your kids to your local ski shop, get them all set up with their gear and make an event out of that trip. I remember my parents taking me to the ski shop when I was little, and it was super exciting.
Pre-renting your skis means that you don’t have to arrive an hour early for lessons, wait in a huge line, sweating your behind off and smelling other people’s stinky feet in the boot fitting area. Not fun.
Step Two: Next, register online in advance for the lessons. You can buy their lift tickets along with their lessons, which saves you some money. Oh, did I mention this yet, ALWAYS PUT THEM IN SKI SCHOOL! Trying to teach your kids yourself is a recipe for a frustrating day at minimum. Most resorts allow you to register and pay in advance so you just waltz in a little while before the lessons start and drop them off. Hopefully they’re not crying at this point – if they are, have faith that the instructors there are experts at distraction, so give a quick hug and go.
Step Three: After ski school, they’ll want to show you what they’ve learned. You can take a couple of runs together on the easy slope and here’s where low expectations are imperative. Just have fun, at all costs. Make sure to remind them that if you’re not falling you’re not learning, and always dangle the hot chocolate in front of them to get them down the hill.
And there you have it! Three easy steps to get your kids out on the mountain in the most painless way. Honestly, no matter what you do, just remember that bribery is OK when it serves the higher purpose of making sure your kids love being out on the mountain!
