My husband really wants to try teaching our 3 year old daughter skiing. He started skiing even before he can literally walk...hence he's eager to apply his experience on our little one. I myself can ski a bit(beginner level), therefore we are looking for a ski resort around Zurich, where we can ski with her. She just skied once when we traveled in France Alps. But she wasn't very keen after a few trial. We probably need to take turn to babysit her.
Any advice about convenient, kids' friendly ski resort is welcomed and appreciated.
I've taught my children from a very young age, and husband too- and they all took to it like ducks to water and loved it from the start.
But if your 3 year old was not keen after a few trials- I really truly think she would be much better learning with others of the same age in a class. I've seen so many fathers who are excellent skiers, totally put off their kids from skiing (and other sports- windsurfing in my case) for life. There are exceptions, I am absolutely sure- but most do not have the patience and although excellent skiers (and perhaps because of it) - just do not have the skills to teach a little one.
I tried to teach both daughters to drive- and it was nearly the end of our great mother-daughter relationship! I threw one out of the car once and told her to take the bus home!
Perhaps I didn't explain clearly. When we took her to ski in France, she was with my father-in-law and my sister-in-law while my husband escorted me to the green slope as I still felt scared(haven't skied for years since gave birth). My little one was crying for her dad and quickly gave up. That's the reason my husband need to take care of her, mostly teacher her by himself(at least he wants to give it a try). While I haven't skied in Switzerland at all- we always went to Alps in France as my father-in-law owns a holiday house just next to their favorite ski resort.
And we weren't lucky this year during new year holiday- we stayed there for two weeks and only managed to ski once as the weather was too warm(bad).
So we are thinking to try in Switzerland...your advice makes sense. We will consider a kids' class if teaching her by himself doesn't work...
Group class sometimes works, sometimes doesn't. It depends on the kids. That's why we want to try before we put her to any class, either group or one to one.
Thanks.
BTW, any place with child friendly environment recommended?
You hear of kids skiing at 18months/2 years old... but what is never mentioned is that they grow up in a ski area, where mum and dad take them to play in the snow on skis, for an hour (no more) on a good weather, good mood day. These kids didn't spend all day up the mountain skiing in all weathers and when they didn't really want to.
So go somewhere, where the nursery slopes are easy to reach from your accommodation and she can "play" on skis for an hour at a time. It must be fun... or she won't want to do it. If you can't do it like this, wait until she is 5 or 6 and can do the ski holiday/ski school thing.
I also think all day or half day is too much for her(even for me to be honest). Since my husband spend half of his childhood in the French Alps, he probably couldn't realize skiing is hard... I am from the tropical South of China...I cannot stand with the cold...
You beat me to it Longbyt- so so true. If a kid gets poor teaching as a beginner, they will mostly not progress for the rest of their lives.
Same for 'normal' teaching- an excellent nursery/primary school teacher needs to be 100x better than any 6th Form/Uni teacher. Good foundations are paramount- for all learning, be it reading, sport, music, whatever. And I say this as a 6th Form specialist and teacher.
So true! My husband learnt skiing from his dad so suppose my father-in-law is a good teacher as least my husband enjoyed it and became another good skier. But this time on our little one, it didn't work...I think what's a good teacher really depends on "who" and "to whom".