Kids Learning to Ski ~ How Young ?

Just wondering if anyone can share their experiences of getting lessons for
their kids at an early age ?

Our son started at 7 and loves skiing (is going to do ESF Gold Star in Feb
05, has been 4 times all with ESF tuition), but our daughter at the age of 4
yrs 8 mths is very keen but still a bit young I think.

I don't want to push it but would like hear other peoples experiences. Is
skiing at 4 only for the French kids ?!

(BTW it would be ESF in the 3 valleys.)

All the best,

Edi

"Edi" wrote in message
...
Just wondering if anyone can share their experiences of getting lessons
for
their kids at an early age ?

Our son started at 7 and loves skiing (is going to do ESF Gold Star in Feb
05, has been 4 times all with ESF tuition), but our daughter at the age of
4
yrs 8 mths is very keen but still a bit young I think.

I don't want to push it but would like hear other peoples experiences. Is
skiing at 4 only for the French kids ?!

(BTW it would be ESF in the 3 valleys.)

All the best,

Edi


Mine started at 5 and 3 with ESF and took to it very easily. There seemed to
be little actual communication between the instructor and pupils but kids
seem to learn fastest just by copying. Last year though they said they
wanted a teacher who spoke good English, which seemed fair enough, so we
went with Supreme Ski and they really enjoyed it.

As far as I'm concerned the earlier they have lessons, the better.

A. Dieu.

"Edi" wrote in message
...
| Just wondering if anyone can share their experiences of getting
lessons for
| their kids at an early age ?
|
| Our son started at 7 and loves skiing (is going to do ESF Gold Star in
Feb
| 05, has been 4 times all with ESF tuition), but our daughter at the
age of 4
| yrs 8 mths is very keen but still a bit young I think.
|
| I don't want to push it but would like hear other peoples experiences.
Is
| skiing at 4 only for the French kids ?!
|
| (BTW it would be ESF in the 3 valleys.)

Very much depends on the child. The ESF "jardin d'enfants" might be more
suitable than the formal group lessons. It's not so important to have
others who speak English in the group when they are very young, but why
not, there are some excellent independent British schools in the 3V as
well. There will be others of the same age.

The French often put their kids on skis as soon as they can walk - and
I've seen a few that are definitely more comfortable on two planks than
walking down the street!

Pete
SNOWeSCAPE
http://bsm.alpesprovence.net

Edi wrote:

Just wondering if anyone can share their experiences of getting lessons for
their kids at an early age ?

Our son started at 7 and loves skiing (is going to do ESF Gold Star in Feb
05, has been 4 times all with ESF tuition), but our daughter at the age of 4
yrs 8 mths is very keen but still a bit young I think.

I don't want to push it but would like hear other peoples experiences. Is
skiing at 4 only for the French kids ?!

(BTW it would be ESF in the 3 valleys.)

In France, I started mine at about 3 or 4.

They loved it :-)))


--
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GAGARPHOF#30 GHPOTHUF#1 BOTAFOT#60 ANORAK#06 YTC#3
BOF#30 WUSS#5 http://www.chateau.murray.dsl.pipex.com/

"Edi" wrote in message
...
Just wondering if anyone can share their experiences of getting lessons
for
their kids at an early age ?

Our son started at 7 and loves skiing (is going to do ESF Gold Star in Feb
05, has been 4 times all with ESF tuition), but our daughter at the age of
4
yrs 8 mths is very keen but still a bit young I think.

I don't want to push it but would like hear other peoples experiences. Is
skiing at 4 only for the French kids ?!

(BTW it would be ESF in the 3 valleys.)


As someone else has said, it depends on the child. We started one of ours
at 3y 4m and this was not a success. We put him in the ESF jardin d'enfants
(Champagny) but he was upset at being left. He cried the whole time and
wasn't cooperative with the instructors. Their attitude was that if he
wasn't going to cooperate then he could just sit alone and be ignored. I
know the instructors have to look after the rest of the class but we thought
they could have made a bit more effort to make him happy. After two days we
took him out of the class and took him to a crèche which he enjoyed.

You also have to take into account how tired they will get. Even a child
who is happy to start with may become a complete misery after two or three
hours.

When he was 5 he started to enjoy his lessons.

Stephen

On Mon, 6 Dec 2004 22:57:05 -0000, "Edi" wrote:

Just wondering if anyone can share their experiences of getting lessons for
their kids at an early age ?

My son started at 3.4y and loved it. However, only the year after he
really got be able to control what he was doing. Now he is 6 and I
have to stretch myself to keep up with his pace :-(
--

Ciao,
Holger (GUS-KOTAL, GUS#1100)

90-92 Honda CB400 10 Mm | 93-95 Yamaha TDM 850 26 Mm
95-97 KTM 620 LC4 13 Mm | seit 97 BMW R1100GS 50 Mm (Die Renndrecksau!)

cu @ http://www.issle.de

Edi wrote:
Just wondering if anyone can share their experiences of getting lessons for
their kids at an early age ?

Our son started at 7 and loves skiing (is going to do ESF Gold Star in Feb
05, has been 4 times all with ESF tuition), but our daughter at the age of 4
yrs 8 mths is very keen but still a bit young I think.

I don't want to push it but would like hear other peoples experiences. Is
skiing at 4 only for the French kids ?!

(BTW it would be ESF in the 3 valleys.)

All the best,

Edi


It depends on the child. Our son started around his 4th birthday and
immediately loved it (we are british and go skiing a couple times a
year). He did not like the jardin d'enfants at all but wanted to be out
on the mountain skiing and really loved it when out with his mum and
dad. What he disliked most of all was being with groups of other
children where only the russians spoke any english at all. It was going
the whole day without anyone to talk to that was very difficult.

What amazes me is, just how good a skier he has become just by emulating
other people, rather than being in lessons (OK, he had 5 weeks of
lessons)and analysing his mechanics. This appears different to adults
who seem to need teaching much more.

John

It depends on the child. ..........

Def go along with that - we made the mistake of pushing ours, (twin girls)
at the age of 4 in Club Med, they were the only Brits, and again the
following year - luckily there was an English guy working there who looked
after them but the whole "experience" had a profound effect - following
years we did family "hols" with other families and their kids to Claviere,
Serr Ch, Les Deux Alpes and two trips to Andorra - can't remember the exact
order - but there were kids who just took to it and loved it, and others,
like mine, who regarded the whole thing as a "chore" - it must be said, that
having a good English speaking instructor works wonders - and if they are in
a group just with their friends even better......about three years ago, we
canned the family holiday, as it was just not worth the grief - and the
expense - hormonal teenage daughters, non sportif, not the best mix......and
now this year (Dec 28th) we're going to Les Houches (Chamonix), if only to
get them away from PC's - where, I've said they do not have to ski, or go to
ski school etc - just chill, and come out with us for an hour if they want
to - this laid back approach might work, as one of them has now asked about
wanting to snowboard - and then most evenings take them up to Chamonix
centre so they can see and feel the buzz etc - this bit will do my head in
as it's been a long while since I "did" busy ski towns.........no doubt Ace
will disagree with me, and comment about my lack of news group etiquette
(yawn).....

Edi wrote:
Just wondering if anyone can share their experiences of getting
lessons for their kids at an early age ?

Our son started at 7 and loves skiing (is going to do ESF Gold Star
in Feb 05, has been 4 times all with ESF tuition), but our daughter
at the age of 4 yrs 8 mths is very keen but still a bit young I think.

I don't want to push it but would like hear other peoples
experiences. Is skiing at 4 only for the French kids ?!


Hi Edi,

Last winter we went skiing with the kids fo the first time (2 girls). The
oldest one (6 at that moment) was no problem at all. Two more skiingtrips
and she'll probably be skiing better than me.
The youngest one (3 y 10m) on the other hand enjoyed the skiing, but didn't
like to be left alone by dad and mom. She got a lot of attention from the
Dutch speaking skiinstructor in Serfaus and she was accepting it. But in the
morning it stayed a bit of a struggle to leave her "alone". Putting her on
the skis and get off was the best thing to do. She then might cry for a few
minuits (breaks my heart), but after checking out in half an hour she was
joining class and everything was ok.

Marinus

--
http://snow.jeuring.com

"Marinus" wrote in message
...

Hi Edi,

Last winter we went skiing with the kids fo the first time (2 girls). The
oldest one (6 at that moment) was no problem at all. Two more skiingtrips
and she'll probably be skiing better than me.
The youngest one (3 y 10m) on the other hand enjoyed the skiing, but
didn't
like to be left alone by dad and mom. She got a lot of attention from the
Dutch speaking skiinstructor in Serfaus and she was accepting it. But in
the
morning it stayed a bit of a struggle to leave her "alone". Putting her on
the skis and get off was the best thing to do. She then might cry for a
few
minuits (breaks my heart), but after checking out in half an hour she was
joining class and everything was ok.

Marinus

--
http://snow.jeuring.com

Just the thought of the 'bit of a struggle' is bad enough !

Thanks for the comments and please keep them coming.

All the best,

Edi

PS: Can I also say that I find the Dutch always speak the best English in
the resort (and that includes English & Scots like myself !)