Skiing with a Four Year Old by @TexasHolly
Our family skis together.
Just because we are Texans, doesn’t mean we aren’t willing to hop in the SUV and drive 14 hours (straight…don’t even ASK to go potty) to a mountain.
A mountain covered with snow.
Last year was the first year that all three of my boys were chair-lift-riding-up-to-the-top-of-the-mountain skiers. They all started at the age of 3, but taking a 3 year old up to the top of the mountain is not my idea of fun. Three is more about the bunny hill, trying to eat granola bars with mitten covered hands, and the never-ending sage that is winter clothing.
Give a 3 year old a year and then you have a 4 year old skier.
They are awesome.
Skiing with a 4 year old is the winter equivalent to stopping and smelling the roses.
Last year it was Rhett who was 4.
Barely 4.
Skiing with him changed the way I look at skiing.
It all starts with the magical ride up the hill. He gave full appreciation to the mechanics of the chairlift, the wonder of skiers below, and the consequences of dropping a mitten.
Could we go down and find it?
The chairlift dismount is always an issue. There just seems to be too many skis and poles and flailing limbs to ever execute it gracefully, but Rhett would giggle the whole way down the “tiny hill” at the lift end no matter how forcefully I was dragging him with my pole.
We would then fall into a pattern…
- ski slowly for 5 minutes while singing the theme song from Max & Ruby
- stop and draw in the snow
- take off your skis
- build a snow mound
- tell an elaborate story
- have mommy put skis back on
- ski slowly for 5 minutes while singing the theme song from Max & Ruby
- repeat
The first few runs I took with Rhett took more than an hour. My husband and the older boys would lap us 6 or 7 times and stop for snacks. Rhett didn’t mind. He was excited to show his brothers and dad all the places on the mountain that we built snow mounds…some of them had caves and roads.
During the week, Rhett’s skiing technique, control and speed improved and we were able to get a little further down the hill during those 5 minute stretches.
We are returning to the snow covered mountains next month. The boys will be 5, 7 and 9. Rhett has improved to the point where we will probably be able to all ski together. I love the thought of all that family togetherness, but a tiny part of me is mourning the loss of my 4 year old skier.
Winter Family Fun. What winter activities does your family do together? Skiing, Snowboarding, Tobagganing? How do you love winter and love the snow?
Holly is the stay-at-home mom of three boys. She believes that motherhood has made her mushy. Prior to the birth of her children, she could watch Hallmark commercials without shedding a tear.She writes about her life as a mom in Dallas at June Cleaver Nirvana. A mom blog. Yep, she writes one of THOSE. If ya stop by, she will give you a tour of the tree house that her dad built which proves that some of her issues are genetic.
That’s how it starts. This year, both kids and their dad will be competing on ski teams. And I’ll be there, cheering them on.
Oldest is begging for us to go. You make me rethink waiting another couple of years until Youngest reaches 6.
Now, what can you do about the fact that I hate to ski?
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That is precious! And now- I have the theme song to Max and Ruby running through my head on a loop!!
I cant wait to hear how your family trip goes this year- I bet your 5 year old skier will be full of all kinds of new hijinks:) Perhaps the theme song will change to “Dinosaur Train?”
I don’t ski with a four year old, but I do a lot of walking with one. We draw in the dirt instead of the snow, but other than that, very similar experience.