Ski Vacations

Keywords: packing, Skiing, vacation

By Stacy DeBroff

My husband and I love to ski, but our six- and eight-year-old boys hate ski school. So we came up with the idea of them sharing a two-hour private lesson, which they loved. Then, they can ski a little with us or call it a day and one of us goes in with them. Now, they love to condescend when they ski with me on the easy green trails, instead of the harder blue intermediate trails that they do during their lesson. They tell me how well I’m doing and why I shouldn’t be scared. It has been a great thing for their egos. It’s a fun role reversal that they cherish, and I just play it up with how scared I feel and how high it seems. —Gabriela Romanow, mom of Jake, 8, and Max, 6

• Look for hotel or condominium packages that include lift tickets, ski rentals, and possibly lessons. Find out the type of child care available for young children.

• Ask how your child would be grouped should you send him to a lesson. Many ski schools group children by skill rather than age.

• Find out how far in advance you should reserve your child a spot in ski school, especially during school vacations when spots fill up quickly.

• Borrow or rent equipment and clothing for new skiers until you decide whether your family will ski together frequently. Try to get your gear before you leave home, as ski resorts tend to be pricier. Many ski schools will require your child to have sunglasses or goggles and helmets.

• For your child’s safety on the slopes, use a helmet manufactured specifically to protect skiers, as bike helmets do not offer adequate protection. Use neck gators instead of scarves, and apply lots of sunscreen.

• Tune up skis that you own ahead of time, noting height and weight changes for your child, as these changes affect how the bindings are calibrated.

• Allow your family to adjust to the change in altitude gradually. Go up the mountain as slowly as possible; it’s better to drive than fly to a high altitude. Take a day to adapt, take it easy on the trails, and drink plenty of water.

• When your child is first learning to ski, plan several trips during the season so he has a chance to become comfortable and each trip does not mean starting at the beginning again.

• Play games to pass the time on the lifts: figure out which number chair you’re on and count the number of towers before you hit the top of the mountain. Store a sweet treat in your pocket for the lifts.

• If you child is a beginning skier, ski without poles yourself so your child thinks it’s cool and won’t rebel. Make coming down the hill a fun game, like follow the leader or give them a track to follow, like wide turns around poles or switching sides of the slope.

• Use a helmet manufactured specifically to protect skiers, as bike helmets do not offer adequate protection.

• After ski school or a lesson, ask the instructor about best ways for you to practice with your child.

• Make coming down the hill a fun game, like follow the leader or give them a track to follow, like wide turns around poles or switching sides of the slope.

• Try cross-country skiing together. It’s much less frightening to a child than the steep slopes of downhill, and the family can stay together.

PACKING FOR SKI VACATIONS

• Skis, poles, snowboards, and boots tuned up and bindings checked

• Sled

• Warm layers for top and bottom, such as polar fleece and thermals. Avoid jeans or other pants that can become waterlogged and cold in the snow.

• Extra pairs of socks in several thicknesses

• Snow boots

• Ski helmet and hats

• Thick winter jacket and waterproof snow pants or snow suit

• Mittens and glove liners

• Goggles or glasses

• Neck warmers

• Helmet

• Wrist guards for snowboarders

• Mitten clips

• Mitten and boot warmers

• Lip balm

• Sunscreen

• Travel-size packets of tissues

• Treats to eat on the chairlift

• Skin cream or petroleum jelly for chapped skin

Stacy, heralded as a “parenting guru” by the Wall Street Journal, authored four best-selling parenting books (Simon & Schuster) and launched Mom Central, Inc. (www.MomCentral.com), a company devoted to providing savvy advice to simplify and enrich the lives of busy Moms and their families. Stacy appears as a regular parenting expert on national TV show, including NBC’s Today Show, CNN, The View, Tyra Banks Show, CBS’ Early Show, The Daily Buzz, Mike And Juliet, Fox & Friends, and the Rachael Ray Show. Stacy also serves as a corporate spokesperson, trendspotting for the media on behalf of over 30 national brands.

In the 1990’s, Stacy founded and ran as an attorney the Public Interest Office at Harvard Law School. Stacy lives with her husband, Ron, and happily engages in imperfect parenting of their two teens, Kyle and Brooks, in Boston, Massachusetts.