When it comes to skiing as a family, managing expectations is key. We don’t, for instance, expect to ski first-to-last chairs. Big Guy can handle it, but little guy is good for about three runs, max. 

We also don’t expect to do what most people would consider skiing. Family ski days cater to the little one. Big Guy offers tips, a pole-tow, or just encouraging words. Dad and Mom offer pointers, encouragement, lifts up from falls, and also try to keep the little guy safe from other beginners.

 A note to other families: It’s great that you want to videotape your kids. We do it, too. But it’s a good idea to either recruit someone to man the camera while you manage the skiing kid, or enlist another adult from your party to do so. 

Little Guy got knocked down by a child, perhaps 5 years old, who was skiing down the “Candyland” section of Wide West, completely focused on his ski tips, and rather out-of-control, so he did not see that there was another child on the course.

Even that is a teaching moment, showing both kids that skiing is as much about coping with the unexpected as it is about sport performance. More on that in another post.

But I definitely encourage families with young beginners to do some laps on Candyland—the course is set up to coax beginners into making turns, and it’s on a mellow-enough grade that they have to work hard to go super-fast. Most importantly, it gives the kids (and their parents) a taste of success, so they have something to build on with each additional run.