Mountain Tips for Parents

 Must Have Gear UPDATE

I was on the lift today with a woman who worked at a local ski/snowboard shop for years.  I told her about the sNOwBoundaries blog and she was more then happy to provide me with some gear advice.  She said that kids should use MITTENS opposed to gloves.  Keeping their fingers together helps keep them warmer throughout the day.  Also, don’t forget to put the mitten strap around your childs wrist and tighten it! This way on the chair lift when your childs takes off their mittens to blow their nose, play with their iPod, or send a text they won’t lose a mitten!

Something else to consider – NO COTTON.  Cotton does not hold in heat, it allows it to flow out of the fabric.

“Heat passes freely through cotton; combining this property along with the absorbency characteristic above, you have an unbeatable fiber for making hot weather wearing fabric.  However, in cold weather, this strength is a weakness; typically cotton jackets are not good at retaining the body’s heat.”  For complete text: http://bit.ly/b914VZ

 I checked my kids long underwear and found that they were 60% cotton.  For now we will keep using what we have, but I will take this advice into consideration when its time to purchase new gear.

Snack Less; Play More

I’ve heard that many people are packing half their cupboard, and taking breaks often for snacks when they are at the mountain with their kids.  My personal not professional opinion is ONE snack in-between lunch is enough.  Save yourself from the stress of trying to prepare for the day with lots of snacks and eliminate taking multiple breaks that eat away at your time  on the slopes.  Grab a box of granola bars or one simple nutritional snack and go have fun! http://bit.ly/bT5XjU

I Have To Go Pee: Tips to Help You Prepare For the Mountain

I’m not going to lie; going to the mountain with young kids can be a challenge.  It also can be a great experience.  The first step to having a great experience at the mountain is to pack your patience.  When you take kids to the mountain your attitude will make or break the day.  A positive patient attitude is going to spread, and so will a negative frustrated one.  Below you will find some tips that will help you prepare for an awesome day at the mountain.

“I’m cold!”

It’s guaranteed every time you go to the mountain one or more of your kids will complain that they are cold.  One thing you can do to try to prolong the inevitable complaint until lunchtime is dress them with the proper gear.

Must Have gear

*I will provide certain product recommendations at this time via email request. 

Socks: Specifically designed for skiing/snowboarding

Under layer: This layer that is designed to keep you warm in mountain conditions.

Long Underwear: They don’t need to be too fancy.  You can buy one size up so your kids can wear them over their under layer, or vice versa.

Quality Snow pants & Jacket: Look for waterproof/resistant outerwear for maximum comfort

Gloves/mittens: Look for gloves that have a pocket for hand warmers.  Don’t skimp here. Toes and fingers are the first step to the “I’m Cold” complaints.

Neck warmers: You can get the traditional ones, or ones that have a hood.  We use both depending on the weather.

Helmet! Of course you want a helmet for obvious safety reasons but they are WARM too!  Make sure the helmet is adjustable.  This way your child can wear a hat with it if they want to.  Also, ask for a helmet bag.  This makes it easy for your kids to carry it to the car and take care of it.

Goggles: On nice days they will provide protection from the sun, on snowy days they will help improve visibility, and they will also help keep your child warm.   They are essential to having a good day at the mountain.  They should come with a bag to keep the lens in good shape. Your child should put them in their helmet in the helmet bag when putting them up for the day.

Extra Shirt: Always have an extra shirt/sweater available.        

Sunscreen: It gets pretty chilly here in the Northeast so often we are covered from head to toe, but when its nice out make sure you put some sunscreen on before hitting the slopes.  Any exposed skin is susceptible to getting sunburn.

“My ankle hurts”

Injury’s are bound to happen on the slopes and the majority of them aren’t serious.  I struggled with this for a bit because I didn’t want to discount the discomfort my child was in.  Over time I realized that every ache does not constitute a need to panic.  We have a “tough it out” policy.  I ask them if they think it is a serious concern, or can they “tough it out”?    If they choose to “tough it out” I will check back in with them after a couple of runs.  They always seem to forget about the injury by then.  I always make a point to acknowledge their strength and toughness by moving on from the injury.  That being said if a child is in a lot of pain and discomfort then you should take a break to evaluate the injury more closely.  The Ski Patrol is always available to help if needed and I have always had positive experiences with them.

SKIERS ONLY: “I can’t get my skies on”

 My middle son is a skier.  When he falls and loses his skies sometimes it’s impossible to get them back on. Apparently, when the snow is wet and sticky (warmer temps) it sticks to the bottom of his boots and he can’t get into his skies. Honestly, I am struggling with this one.  He kicks his boots together to get the snow off but once he stands up the snow sticks again.  I have no good solution for this problem yet.  All I can say is it does happen and be very patient. I will have him walk to a different part of the trail (where there is less of a slope or where the snow is more groomed or packed down) and this has helped.  I would love to hear from you if you’ve experienced this and have a solution! Email snowboundaries@gmail.com

“I want to do a black diamond trail”

When you are going to the mountain with multiple children you will discover that they will learn to ride/ski at different paces.  If you have two parents this is not such a struggle because you can split the kids up, but when you only have one adult you need to be cautious without holding your child back too much.  I recommend familiarizing your children with two or three of the “basic” trails on the mountain.  In my case I will allow two of my children to go down the “basic” trail together while I take my other child on a more challenging trail.  We all meet at the lift after the run.  I recommend that you DO NOT allow your child to go on a challenging run without you IF they have never been on it before.   I also recommend that you DO NOT allow them to go solo on trails.  The buddy system is a must so have them bring a friend, or let them go with a sibling.

“I’m tired”

Always make sure your kids get a good night’s sleep before going to the mountain; especially if you go often. Skiing & riding can take a lot out of a child physically and mentally.  If they are not prepared for the day with a good night’s sleep you are already setting yourself up for premature or unwarranted “I’m cold, I’m hurt, & I’m tired” complaints.

Kids like to know what to “plan” on.  So identify the times (10:30ish, 12:30ish) that you will be taking a break and/or eating lunch, then your child will know what to plan on.  It is important to make sure your child is comfortable and if it is an extremely cold day, you may need to take some “warm up” breaks.

My children know we ride/ski until lunchtime.  We take our time and we do not rush through our day, but when we get geared up the expectation is we will be playing in the snow until lunch.  They know this and while the words I’m tired do slip out sometimes, it is generally is not an issue.

“Mom, I think we lost Tayler”

My son said this to me one afternoon as we were leaving the restaurant at the mountain.   It didn’t phase me much because honestly we are always losing Tayler.  Fortunatly, he was only several steps behind us.  You should make sure you & your kids have a plan for if you are seperated.  Cell phones are great, but they don’t always work at the mountain.  It’s still good to have a “meeting place”.

“I’m Hungry”

One word: Breakfast. You need to make sure your child eats AND drinks water before hitting the slopes.  Also, have them pack a light snack like a granola bar in their pocket.  This should hold them over until lunch time.  Something to consider: Lunch time always seems to be the beginning of the end of the day for us.  There is something about a full belly that slows us all down, reduces our ambition, and coordination.  We will go back for a few runs after lunch (we usually eat around 1ish) and then call it a day.

“I have to go pee”

It will happen.  Your child, if they are young will have an accident on the slopes.  You will get off the chairlift at the top of the mountain, and the words you dread hearing will come out. “I have to go pee.” Your child will stand there and look at you like you have a magical potty in your pocket.  My response is always the same, “well, there is only one way to get to the bathroom so you better get moving!” You can try to avoid this by having your child go to the bathroom before you hit the slopes, and checking in with them when you reach the bottom of the trail.  Also, have them use the restroom before you leave the resort at the end of the day.  We have an hour drive to get home and I always get burned on this halfway home.  In case an accident happens, it’s helpful to have an extra pair of bottoms with you.

Final Thoughts

Prepare for your day at the mountain the night before.  This will eliminate chaos and crankiness in the morning.  I have all of our outfits washed and ready for us in the morning.  Helmets are on the table with the gear bag packed and ready to go.

I can’t stress the importance of having patience with you when you go to the mountain with kids.  Always be excited and appreciative of the day you get to spend with them, and that should create a positive vibe for everyone.  The day is not about how many runs you can get in, it’s about how many smiles and laughs you can share.

Please share your tips in the comment section, or email them to snowboundaries@gmail.com.