Taking Little Guy out to show off his mad skill on Wide West seemed like a good idea at the time. Then we got to the top of the run and I found myself suffering from Mommy Amnesia. I had conveniently forgotten the cardinal rules of skiing with a preschooler.

And I found myself buying into his threeyearoldness, rather than thinking like a rockstar ski mom, soon enough, the rules came back…

1. Use humor. My pal Mark was with us yesterday and he kept joking with Little Guy: why are you sitting down? Sitting down is for LUNCH! Ski Uncle and Ski Aunt are also skilled in this area. The bottom line is that much of your preschooler’s behavior is for your benefit, but if you present said preschooler with a grownup who has celebrity status to that child, they will (almost) forget you are there…and remember to ski.
2. Think small. Go to the magic carpet. Lots of runs, cones around which to turn, and lots of feelings of success.
3. Bring treats. Once at the magic carpet, we ran into Nico, a friend of Little Guy from daycare, and his dad. The kids started skiing to impress each other, and Nico’s dad Rick had a pocket full of Swedish fish… Duh!
4. Leave em wanting more. Thunk like George Costanza, Seinfeld fans. You need to stop WHILE the child is having fun! What? Yes, quit while you are ahead. Your child will beg for more skiing!