Raising your Kids on the Slopes

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Far West Ski A.


	The Family That Skis Together, Stays Together
Sam Chosa in his tuck

NWskiers' Article Links:

	By Barb Parshall
Barb with daughter Kristina and her friend Sienna	Going to Mt. Hood because my family has a business in Government Camp. My dad first taught me to ski on what used to be the groomed Glade Trail from Timberline all the way to Huckleberry, my grandparents’ restaurant and lodge. I wasn’t so lucky at age 3 when Dad made a bad turn while I was in between his legs and accidentally fell on me when he caught an edge, breaking my leg. My Dad felt really badly about the incident, but I was young and resilient and got back on skis the next year. I thought it was fun getting to ride down the trail in the ski patrol sled. My first words of wisdom: don’t teach your kids to ski in between your legs. Use a racer chaser harness the first few times they are on real alpine skis. It has been wonderful seeing many old time ski buddies who now have their own families getting their little ones up and running on the slopes. Everyone has their way of doing it, but the main thing is they are doing it. Many people lose their way to the mountains after having babies – don’t fall into that category! Keep it an active part of your life from their infancy to teenage years - they will appreciate you for it. Trust me.
	The first question is “when should we start our baby on skis”? My husband says when they start walking, which is partially true. Every child has her own tolerance level of cold and activity. Make it enjoyable and don’t worry about the time - even if all they do is slip and slide up and down the magic carpet a couple of times, at least you had a practice run of getting them in their snow gear and getting used to gliding on the snow.
Barb's daughter, Kristina, with brother Andrew learning to ski	I started my daughter Kristina (now 12) at age 3 on my aunt’s hand-me-down old wooden skis with leather straps to step Sorel boots into. My aunt started both of my cousins that way, and the skis hang in her coffee shop today waiting for her granddaughter to step into them this next season. They were light enough for Kristina to be able to walk, glide and get the feel of snow beneath her, and the confidence that she was a skier. She worked up to skiing down the mountain house driveway and towards the end of the season even took a trip up the beginner chair at Timberline. I sat close by her side and lifted her off, but she skied down, while I used the racer chaser. She only lasted an hour or so; those little legs couldn’t take too much. Last season my 2-year-old son Andrew was on lightweight plastic kid skis with step-in strap bindings that went around his Sorels, and he slipped and slid down Nana and Papa’s long snowy driveway for a couple of hours, and then on the cool Magic Carpet at Meadows – a great little corral for kids, and it’s free.
	Most ski areas these days offer children under 5 free skiing, so there is no excuse to not take your little ones. If it’s a sunny powder day and the bowls are beckoning, you and your spouse will need to work out who is going to be on kid duty, but both of you should share the experience of getting your children skiing. Ski areas tend to be very family friendly, offering day care and special packages for teaching children of all ages. It’s a good idea to take advantage of the professionals to teach your children the basics - kids seem to be tougher when an “outsider” is with them. My daughter would get cold a lot quicker when she was skiing with me, but miraculously skied for a few hours when with her peers in a small group lesson, and was excited about her experience when she met me for lunch. A bonus was I got to really ski as well.
	I know the expense is a problem for many. But consider borrowing, trading, or going to ski swaps for equipment. You can work out a hand-me-down arrangement if you know someone with kids a year or two older than yours. Take your child up with you whenever possible, put in your time on the hill with him, and then pay a few times through the season for a group lesson. A lesson series may really give your child a head start, and the rest of the season you can work with him. Try out different ski areas for variety. Many Canadian and US destination ski areas have total family ski setups. Have you seen the magic snow village at Whistler? Kids and their parents can ski right into a playland on the hill. Big White, Canada, has all sorts of family activities at their base, and I can’t wait to check them out. Mt. Bachelor’s lodges and their “kid corral” are quite accommodating. Maybe I am a bit partial to Mt. Hood, since it’s where I grew up, but all the ski areas up there, from Cooper Spur to Ski Bowl and Timberline to Meadows, are great for helping families raise their kids on skis. Mt. Hood Meadows now has “Radio Disney” set up as a safe, fun place to hang out for elementary and older children. As your child gets into elementary school, you will find that many schools offer very reasonably priced ski buses to local ski areas with lessons and lift packages. Take advantage of those deals. Consider signing up to chaperone, but even if you don’t you can trust your child will be well taken care of. Another option is Mitey Mites - a gateway into racing, with team camaraderie and special uniforms - great fun! Even if your Mitey Miter doesn’t want to be a speed demon, it’s one of the best ways to teach the basics at an early age. My daughter did it for a few years and, while she isn’t racing now, she is a great recreational advanced skier - we can ski black diamonds together. If she later decides to get back in the gates, high school racing is a blast. If your child does love speed, watch out, the next thing you know you’ll be in for the next ten years of every winter of weekend training, racing and traveling, but it is a good life. We are lucky here in the Northwest to have the mountains in our backyard. Don’t just let them be part of the scenery as you raise your children - let them be a part of your family recreation, and you’ll all have happy, healthy family experiences to remember for a lifetime!


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