As a ski instructor and co-owner of Redpoint Holidays, Nina Hasinski has taught many children to ski. Here, she passes on some words of advice for parents taking their children skiing for the first time.

It is a well known fact that children learn new skills more quickly at an early age. They have less fear and are less inhibited than adults - handy attributes when learning to ski. It is amazing what even the youngest child can do on the slopes: as soon as they have learnt the basics, they are off, and take to skiing like ducks to water. Even children as young as four can independently get on a lift, ride to the top, get off and ski down in control making turns – sometimes much more skilfully than their fellow adult novices!

Taking your children skiing for the first time can be worrying, especially if you have never been skiing before either. However, there are some simple things that you can do before you leave and in your resort to make everything run smoothly.

Before you go

1. If your family are all first-time skiers, you may want to consider booking a taster session on a dry ski slope or snow dome before you go. One session is enough to try on the equipment and get a feel for what is involved. Your children (and you!) will cope better on their first day in resort having already put on boots, carried skis and encountered an instructor. Don’t expect to learn to ski in this session, but it will give you an idea of what to expect when you arrive in resort.

2. Pay attention to the way you talk about skiing with your children, especially if you are also learning to ski yourself at the same time and have some worries. If you are anxious and think it is dangerous, your child will pick up on your feelings and come to the lessons feeling scared and nervous. If you talk about what fun it will be, your child will come with a positive attitude, making their first day much more enjoyable and saving them unnecessary anxiety.

3. When choosing a resort, pay attention to the instruction on offer - this is the deciding factor in having a good holiday and learning well. Some holiday companies, such as Redpoint, even run special learn to ski weeks which is an option to consider. Ideal beginner lessons are small groups of 4 – 8 people. I advise against private lessons as children benefit from the moral support of other beginners and have more fun learning together. Private lessons with an instructor can be intensive and intimidating at this level. Once your child makes friends with other children in the group, they enjoy going to the lessons and learn really fast. Also, having lessons in English, with other English children will help your child to make friends and have fun. Once your child is having fun, they learn the skiing part more quickly than their parents!

Getting the right kit

Whilst it is amazing just how independent children can be, it is the small things that are forgotten in the hurry to pack, or neglected, that prevent your child being able to do everything for themselves during ski lessons. Getting the right kit for your mini skier can make all the difference to their experience on the slopes.

4. Borrow ski trousers and jackets from friends or family, or hire ski clothing. Some supermarket chains also offer reasonably priced ski gear for a first-time holiday. Make sure the gear fits when your child moves around and bends down – if trousers or sleeves ride up as they move, your child will be exposed to the elements! All-in-one suits may look nice, but they need to fit really well to avoid riding up when the child lifts their arms in the air. Also, going to the loo is much more difficult in an all-in-one suit, so salopettes and a jacket are far more practical.

5. Even small children need children’s sunglasses or goggles and must wear sun cream every day, even if it looks cloudy. (Sun glasses are for sunny days and goggles are for poor visibility). This is essential - no matter how young your child!

6. Get children’s ski gloves that fit and are easy to pull on and off. Mittens are much easier for the children to wear and much warmer. There are some clever designs where you can Velcro open almost the whole mitten to put the child’s hand inside. Otherwise you spend most of your day putting each finger in the separate holes rather than skiing.

7. Ski socks are important, as they affect the way the ski boots feel – they can be very uncomfortable if the socks wrinkle up inside the boot, are ribbed, or if they are not long enough. Pay some attention to the socks your child is wearing for skiing, as it is too late once they have blisters or bruises on their feet. Ideally, get real ski socks from a ski or outdoor shop. Most importantly, the socks must fit the child’s foot size (no tube socks!) and be knee high without patterns or ribs.

8. Most children now wear helmets on the slopes. Although it is not compulsory in Austria, it is a good safety measure and also protects a child from the small knocks that might discourage them from learning. They are also good protection during snowball fights! You can often hire helmets from the ski hire shop in resort. If your child is not wearing a helmet, they will need a warm hat.

9. If your child is over 6 years old, they will need a lift pass. Make sure they keep it safe in a jacket pocket that they don’t use for anything else so they won’t lose it. Choose one pocket that is not to be opened again all week!

10. Put some money your child’s jacket pocket. If it is a cold day, they can get their instructor to buy them a hot chocolate! If it’s a hot day, they can get a cold drink. Also, a small snack or a few sweets in their pocket are a good idea for break times.

As a ski instructor, I still feel a sense of pride when a young child takes to the slopes and learns to love it. As a parent, that pride and pleasure is multiplied many times over. Do all you can to help your child and they will have the time of their life. But be prepared for the downside – they’ll soon be begging to go back for more!

Nina Hasinski is a ski instructor and co-owner of Redpoint Holidays. To view the latest ski holidays and taster weekend offers visit www.redpoint.co.uk