Skiing with the Kids, EasternMax Style

2007 marked our sixth family ski holiday in Australia and we've taken the kids skiing overseas once (the lucky buggers). Skiing is what we do together as a family. It is somewhat like tearing up $100 notes under the shower and it is a privilege to be able to do it but it's cheaper than sailing, riding horses or owning a weekender and we LOVE it.

A couple of days ago BlueMountainsMary asked if I would post advice on how to organise a family ski holiday. So Mary, this is for you, and for anyone else who is interested.

A disclaimer: This is how skiing works for us. You'll need to decide if it will work for you.

• We ski with at least one other family with children of a similar age. We ski with the same families every year, give or take a family. It is often the only time of the year that our kids see these families but they love catching up and having someone to play with before and after ski-class. We stay at the same lodge-style accommodation and they have a lovely time running as a pack. The bonus is that we adults have other adults to ski with as well.
  
  
• We put the kids in full-day ski school every day. The day we arrive and the day before we leave are "family ski days", otherwise the kids are in full-time ski school and we adults ski together. Ski school is great fun for the kids; they ski with kids their own age, have snowball fights and learn a skill that will last a lifetime. This makes it a holiday for everyone.
  
  
• We stay on-mountain. It is hard enough getting the kids up and ready for ski school in time without adding an additional 40 -50 minutes to the trip by staying off-mountain. In fact the closer to the ski school the better. It's more expensive this way so you will have to weigh up budget vs convenience. For the record, we stay in a Lodge which we book out with our friends so the kids can run wild without fear of upsetting other guests.
  
  
• If the kids are warm, the parents are happy. Don't skimp on the clothes that will touch your children's skin. We now own all our own gear but for first timers or seldom skiers you will need to buy (or borrow) for each child: 2 pairs long thermals, 1 pair of waterproof mittens attached to elastic and threaded through their jacket, 1 pair ski goggles, 2 pairs thin ski socks. Then hire waterproof ski pants/jacket, a helmet, skis, boots and poles. If it's particularly cold it may be worth buying a 'neck gator' as well. The key element here is WATERPROOF. Thin nylon jackets don't cut it in Australia.
  
  
• Helmets. We ALL wear helmets. Kids and Adults. It's just our rule. Apart from obvious safety aspects they are warm and hold goggles on securely. Easy to hire anywhere.
  
  
• Food. Skiing is an extreme sport with greater than normal food requirements. I stuff my kids pockets each day with cut up fruit, biscuits and a sweet treat (eg. sml pkt Jelly Dinosaurs). Believe me, you don't want your ski day shortened by a phone call from an instructor holding a tired child with a sugar-low. When our kids were very young we would turn up to ski school at the end of the day holding a warm Milo and a Jelly Snake and get it into them before attempting the trip to the Lodge.
  
  
• Which Resort? All Australian resorts have excellent children's ski programs. We ski Thredbo because of the mix of terrain types and Village atmosphere, but every skier has their favourite. Perhaps choose the resort closest to you with accommodation that best suits your budget.
  
  
• Equipment Rental. Our kids rent their skis, boots & poles. Until this year we rented from an on-mountain store because it's convenient and you can change the equipment if it is faulty. However, now the kids are older, and know how eg. their boots should fit, we rented in Cooma (Rhythm Sports). The kids rented Demo Twin-tip skis and buckle boots for half the price of the basic rentals in Thredbo. From 2008 I, too, will rent demo skis because it makes more sense than buying. I own my own boots because they are probably the most important piece of equipment after my helmet.
  
  
• Family Ski Day. This is the best day of the week where the kids show us how their skiing is going and show us where they skiied. We take them to lunch on the mountain and we build snowmen, make forts and generally muck around. At the end of Family Ski Day we adults pay our Lodge Manager an exhorbitant fee to mind all the kids while we go out to dinner.

This is what I can think of at the moment. Does anyone else have tips for happy family ski holidays?