If you love skiing so much that you’re always counting the days before your next ski trip, chances are, you’d wish your kids to share your love and dedication for the sport.
But while it may not be hard for some kids to learn and love skiing, bruises, wipeouts and all, some may not be too eager to scale the hill. Others quit after a day on the bunny slopes.
So what are their parents doing wrong? Here are a couple of things that could possibly put your kids off and make them swear off ski vacations for the rest of their lives:
Taking the reins from them. While it’s understandable that you’d love your kids to appreciate the sport as much as you do, you need to remember one thing when getting your children acquainted with the sport: They’re in charge, not you. Many parents commit this mistake by forcing the sport on their kids and getting frustrated by the end of the day with their kids’ lack of interest and enthusiasm.
Going straight to the hard stuff. It’s not just overwhelming. If you go straight to teaching your kids how to ski on day one without giving them a chance to love being on the snow, you’ll only make skiing sound more compulsory than fun.
Expecting too much and comparing your kids’ learning curve to yours. Shredding skills and enthusiasm for the sport is not hereditary. So don’t expect your kids to be good at the sport as much as you are the first time they set foot on the bunny slopes. Remember that nobody becomes a pro-skier overnight, even with the most rigid training. While some people can learn how to go from point A to point B with no problem at all, some may have a steeper learning curve, and it’s normal. So stop comparing your kids’ learning curve to yours.
Not entrusting your kids to the experts. Most parents think that they’ll be able to save a few hundred bucks by teaching their kids how to ski themselves. They’ve seen other parents do it, so why can’t they?
Unlike most parents, trained and licensed ski instructors know how to gauge a child’s potential and skills on the slopes. Hence, they know how to help your kids improve their shredding skills.
If one-on-one ski lessons sound like too much money for you, some resorts ski vacation destinations offer group classes for different age groups at discounted prices.
So what if you’ve done everything you could possibly do to make your kids at least give the sport a chance, but to no avail?
Don’t be too hard on yourself. Do remember that your kids are individuals too. So if your mission to convert your kids into ski fanatics by the end of your ski trip has failed, relish the fact that you: (1) have tried your best, and (2)at least got a chance to bond with your kids on the snow.
