How to teach a kid to ski

You can teach your own kid to ski.

Plenty of parents do.

The hard part usually isn't knowing what skiing should look like. It's resisting the urge to explain everything you know about skiing while your child is trying to stay upright on two slippery boards.

Bend your knees. Stay forward. Make a bigger turn. Slow down. Look over there. Don't sit back.

That's a lot for a 4-year-old.

The better approach is usually much simpler.

Start by lowering your expectations

This is probably the biggest mistake parents make.

Every kid learns differently. One picks something up in two runs. Another needs ten. One listens beautifully to Dad and ignores every word Mom says. Another does the opposite.

There's going to be some experimentation.

Your job isn't to squeeze a certain amount of improvement out of every ski day. It's to help them get a little better without making them hate the process.

If they learn something and want to ski again tomorrow, you're winning.

One thing at a time

There are a lot of moving parts when you're learning to ski, and adults naturally want to correct all of them.

Don't.

Pick the one thing that matters most right now.

Maybe it's making a wider turn. Maybe it's slowing down. Maybe it's keeping their balance in a better position.

Whatever it is, make that the focus for the next several runs.

When they get it right, make a huge deal about it.

Then do it again.

And again.

After five or six good repetitions, maybe you introduce the next thing.

You will see other things that need work.

They can wait.

Show more than you tell

Kids often understand a movement much faster when they can see it.

Take something as simple as a wide turn.

You can try to explain how traveling farther across the hill — or even slightly back uphill — helps reduce speed.

Or you can say:

"Follow me."

Make a big, obvious turn and let them follow your line.

Now they can see what you mean.

Watch them for a run or two. Figure out the biggest thing that's missing. Then show them.

A good rhythm is:

Watch. Pick one thing. Show it. Let them follow. Repeat it.

That's usually more useful than shouting a paragraph of instructions from twenty feet away.

Safety is different

There are things you can let slide for another run.

Safety isn't one of them.

A young skier may finish a run and immediately shoot back onto an open trail without ever looking uphill. They're not being reckless. They're simply thinking about their skis, their balance and where they want to go.

But that habit needs to be corrected immediately.

Think of it like teaching your child to look both ways before crossing a street.

"Before you go, look uphill. Make sure nobody's coming."

Calm. Simple. Every time it's needed.

The rule is pretty straightforward:

Correct safety now. Prioritize technique.

You don't need to nag them 30 times about a slightly imperfect turn. You do need to intervene when what they're doing could get them hurt.

Let the chairlift be a chairlift

One of the easiest ways to overcoach a kid is to turn the entire day into a lesson.

They get instruction down the run.

Then they get a review at the bottom.

Then the chairlift becomes an analysis of everything they did wrong.

Give them a break.

Talk about lunch.

Talk about the trees.

Talk about something funny.

Talk about anything other than skiing for a few minutes.

Then when you get back to the top, remind them of the one thing you're working on and go again.

You don't need to coach them 24/7 for them to improve.

Pay attention when frustration starts

Sometimes kids need instruction.

Sometimes they need space.

Sometimes they need a snack.

And sometimes they're just done.

That's where knowing your own kid matters more than any skiing advice we can give you.

If they're getting frustrated, don't automatically add more instruction. Maybe they need one run where you barely say anything. Maybe they need ten minutes inside. Maybe they're hungry. Maybe today has simply run its course.

A tired, angry kid doesn't become a better skier because Mom or Dad squeezed in three extra runs.

Use whatever helps

Harnesses. Tip connectors. Following your tracks. A private coach.

Whatever.

If a tool helps your child learn safely and have more fun, use it.

We've had a lot of success with ski harnesses and tip connectors like Edgie Wedgies for certain kids. They aren't some permanent crutch.

They're a tool.

When the kid no longer needs it, you stop using it.

Then throw it on eBay, take it to a thrift store, or pass it along to the next family.

Mission accomplished.

And give yourself some grace if you're learning too. It's hard enough figuring out your own skiing without also trying to teach a 4-year-old at the same time.

Be careful with the between-the-legs method

Lots of parents start by skiing with a small child between their legs.

It can work.

It can also wreck your back, and if you fall, there's a child directly underneath you.

So use judgment.

There isn't one magic parent-teaching technique everyone has to follow.

The question is whether what you're doing is safe, controlled, helpful and still fun.

Know a little of their language

You don't need to become an instructor, but it helps to understand the simple words your child may already be hearing.

For young skiers:

Pizza usually means making a wedge with the skis to help slow down and stop.

French fries means bringing the skis more parallel and allowing them to glide.

There's nothing magical about the words. They're just easier for a young child to understand than technical ski terminology.

The goal is to speak enough of the same language that you're reinforcing what they've already learned instead of adding a completely different set of instructions.

When should you bring in a coach?

Whenever it helps.

There is no rule that says parents can't teach their kids, and there is no point where a coach suddenly becomes mandatory.

But eventually you may reach something you don't know how to teach.

Maybe you can see the problem but don't know how to explain it.

Maybe your child isn't responding to your explanation.

Maybe they're ready for something beyond your own skiing ability.

Or maybe you simply want them to improve faster in one specific area.

That's when a coach becomes valuable.

And that's true at every level.

Plenty of advanced skiers still work with a coach. Some of ours do — a moguls coach, for things they want to get better at.

Kids are no different.

If you have the means for private coaching, it can be a great luxury and can accelerate progress considerably.

But it isn't required.

Teach what you know. When you reach the edge of what you know, bring in somebody who knows more.

Remember what you're actually trying to build

Your goal isn't to become your child's full-time ski instructor.

It's to eventually ski with your child.

So help with safety.

Give them one thing to work on.

Show them a good line.

Celebrate when they get it.

And then sometimes just shut up and ski together.

Because if every run feels like homework, they're eventually going to stop wanting to do the assignment.

If skiing stays fun, they'll keep coming back.

And if they keep coming back, they'll keep getting better.

Want help building the foundation?

Let a coach handle the technical progression.

Small-group classes and private lessons help kids build skills indoors so family mountain days can be more about skiing together and less about teaching.

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