February 14, 2012
Skiing With Kids – Making it to Ski School on Time
· Posted by jennifer in Ski Vacations
My kids are excellent skiers. Unfortunately I am not. Which means, we do LOTS of ski school. From the Breckenridge Bombers program to the traditional ski school experience, we are veterans of it all. One of the toughest challenges we face is getting four kids up, dressed and out the door on time and with all the necessary gear. Here are things we have learned after years of trial and error.
- Wear the base layer as PJs. The kids always sleep in their long johns. It saves valuable time in the morning and is a nice cozy way to start the morning (who wants to put on a cold pair of long johns first thing in the morning?)
- Prepare the night before. Pick a convenient spot near the door and lay out everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) in the order it needs to be put on. Give each child a folding chair or designated spot on the floor so they each have their own space and there is no fighting over territory.
- Need a lunch? Pack it completely the night before (use a labeled zip lock bag to keep the lunch together and dry).
- Load all skis, boards and poles in the car the night before.
- After breakfast, require a potty stop (even if they insist they don’t have to go!).
- Everyone gets ready together and in order. Do NOT dress the kids one at a time – the first ones ready get too hot in their gear. Instead, have everyone do each step together. You can help as needed to keep things moving but kids can do a surprising amount by themselves if you let them.
- Wear ALL gear to the slopes including ski boots (it gives them a chance to warm up before heading out on the slopes) and helmets.
- Double check the essentials as you load the car: gloves, neck gators, helmets.
- Pack an essentials bag – we have a bag of spare gloves, neck gators, ear warmers and even a helmet that stays in the car. That way if something gets lost, we have a back up ready to go.
If you forget something, don’t panic. Ski schools often have a spares you can borrow or buy. Ask to check the lost and found for spare gear to borrow if you don’t want to purchase new.
breck · family skiing · ski school
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