Have Fun Skiing With Young Children - By: Art Gib

So you've finally decided to take your family with small children on a ski vacation? Good for you! Playing on the slopes together is a great way for a family to bond while getting plenty of exercise and enjoying the beauty of the mountains. But skiing with young children presents its own set of challenges too.

Gone are the days when you and your partner could just wing it and roll out of bed and hit the slopes. Skiing with kids requires forethought, organization, and adjusting your expectations a bit. Here are some tips.

-- If the resort you visit offers ski in/ ski out lodging, so much the better. Being close to the slopes prevents the hassle of dealing with hauling gear, waiting for shuttles, and soothing anxious little people nerves.

-- If you will be renting gear, do it the night before. The last thing you want to do is waste your children's most energetic part of the day getting them outfitted. Having them ready to go first thing will get your skiing day off to a great start.

-- Similarly, you should lay out all of their clothes the night before in the order that they should put them on. If you think putting on all of your layers is time-consuming, multiply that exponentially by the number of children you have! Having to help little Susie decide on the pink or purple turtleneck in the morning is a real hassle that you both just don't need to keep your day happy.

-- After a hearty breakfast, hit the slopes as early as possible. If you have to pay a little extra to get early access to the slopes, do it. Children have a limited amount of hours in a day when they are willing to try new things and have the most amount of energy, and that's usually in the morning. Also, you won't have to wait as long in lines.

-- Your children will feel more comfortable if you have helped them become acclimated to ski slope culture beforehand as much as possible. For example, they should be able to recognize mountain patrol staff and employees on sight so that they know who can help them. Familiarize them with skiing protocol and teach them how to get on and off lifts: don't assume they'll just "get it;" they'll need to be shown a few times.

-- To ease their little minds, have a designated meeting place in case you get separated, and put a couple of granola bars in their pockets in case they get hungry later. Some families have their own radios that they use to communicate and rendezvous.

-- Make sure they know how to operate their bindings and put their skis back on themselves so that they feel as self-sufficient and "cool" as possible.

-- Don't push them too hard. When skiing with children, you won't be able to ski all day like you used to and that may require a parental attitude adjustment! Remember that you are there to ski, but you are also working on something more important: building family relationships. Have fun!

About the Author

If you are looking for family-friendly Utah ski resorts, check out the most charming of Utah resorts: Sundance (http://www.sundanceresort.com). Art Gib is a freelance writer.

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