10 ways to child-proof your family snow holiday
So the days of his and hers debauched, drunken snow trips are over and now you're packing a pile of nappies and a box set of In The Night Garden DVDs in your board bag.Here are our ten tips for things to think about when choosing a family snow holiday this winter:
1. Book your ski school and child care early - places are limited and will fill up quickly during busy weeks.
2. Check whether your accommodation has a bath or a shower and whether you can specifically request a room with a bath.
3. Find out what age childcare starts at - many resorts and chalet companies now offer care for very young babies.
4. Investigate the child seat facilities on transfers - smaller transfer companies may provide child seats but ask the question.
5. Ask whether helmets are provided. WhistlerBlackcomb is introducing free helmet hire with all child ski and snowboard rentals but you might want to bring your own if you've got one for your child that's a good fit.
6. Label all your child's ski gear and accessories so that it's easy to identify if they go indoors during creche/ski school time. Also bring a bag with his/her name on to pack a spare change of clothing in.
7. Look at your mobile and decide whether you'll be comfortable snowboarding with it. If you plan to leave your mobile number with the ski school/creche for emergency contact while you're on the slopes, it might be worthwhile packing an old phone if you are worried about riding with your shiny iPhone or another large handset.
8. Pack as much as you can. Resort supermarkets are expensive and you might not be able to find your favourite food/nappy brands - so take everything you think you'll need for the week - and more. If you don't want to carry a mountain of stuff, try www.tinytotsaway.com - they'll deliver your essential supplied direct to your holiday accommodation.
9. Bring some apres boots. Ski boots are not fun for little people to walk around the shops or get the shuttle bus home in so pack a pair of moon boots/warm wellies etc.
10. Check that your child is included on your insurance policy and that they're covered for winter sports.
YOUR TOP TIPS
Skibeat is an independent chalet company offering winter holidays in the Alps - and they have 23 years experience in helping families make the most of their snow time. Here are a couple of brilliant tips from them on making your holiday travel a little easier:
* Retain a drink for when the coach starts climbing the mountain - it really helps young ones with change of altitude and nothing worse than screaming child at the end of a day's travelling (either for parents nerves or for fellow passengers!)
* Pushchairs are useful in airports but useless in the snow - backpacks are better.
More info on Skibeat family holidays available at www.skibeat.co.uk
What tips have you got for families travelling to the mountains with kids this winter? Leave us your tips below. We'll send our favourite a bag of winter goodies!
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November 8, 2009 - 04:58
Well, one would be, that if parent wanna keep the bond with their child they should either teach kids ski/snowboard themselves (if they're really good at both teaching and riding techniques) or be with their child on their lessons with instructors (especially private ones). That way they'll spend quality time with their children, notice their progress and continue from the point the instructor lessons has ended. After all, it wont take that long until that it's the parents who'll be chasing their child down the hill without being able to catch them. And it's a great opporunity for parents and children to become friends and have a family holiday which a child will not consider changing to a holiday with friends and may actually think that it's really cool riding with their parents. Otherwise a more sensitive child left with an unknown group of children (maybe even speeking foreign language) and some strange adult who's telling them what to do, may have a really bad impression of ski holidays with memories filled with not seeing their mom or dad for the whole day, not liking skiing/boarding because of that reason and wanting to go home as fast as possible. And after all, do parents really want to miss their children's "first steps" on skis?
The same goes for the todlers. No matter how good is nursery and everything. Parents should spend several hours with their child in it, then some half an hour outside the door of the nursery. So they can make sure, that no emergency calls about non stop crying and "I want my mummy" will occur.