Teach The Children Well -- Parents' Primer: How To Instill Enthusiasm And Enjoyment On The Slopes

Every skiing parent can relate to the dilemma.

Outside, the biggest ski weekend of all time is shaping up in the Cascades.

Inside, the biggest responsibility in the world is running out of patience with Nerf darts and the Disney Channel.

The two don't have to be mutually exclusive. Turn the inside out, and winters can brighten quickly.

Perhaps more than ever, skiing with children is in. And for good reason. Weekend trips to the mountains are unparalleled winter-blah busters for children and adults alike.

But before you load Junior into the four-wheel-drive minivan and head for the hills, be advised there are right and wrong ways to ease children onto the slopes.

First impressions are key, because a bad initial ski experience could linger for life. Setting out with the right attitude - and a few basic kid-psyching tricks - could mean the difference between creating a snow-hater or unleashing the next Tommy Moe.

Veteran Northwest ski instructors offer these pointers:

Don't try to teach kids yourself. Even if you have the skills, training and patience to teach a child to ski, children generally don't take advice from their parents. Ski lessons turn into power struggles, which turn into family fights. Leave it to a neutral third party - a pro.

Don't start them too young. Some eager-beaver parents start children as young as 3. Generally, that's a bad idea. Every child is different, but school-aged (5 and up) children usually are more comfortable leaving their parents, interacting with others and taking directions from a stranger.

Remember, the child's development, not the parent's ego, is key. "Parents like to brag about how young they started their children," said Joy Lucas, a Northwest ski instructor for five decades. "But they have to want to do it. And they have the entire rest of their lives to ski." One or two years won't make much difference in development.

Physically, a child should be able to do situps, says veteran instructor John Mohan of Ski Acres Ski School.

Don't use ski lessons for babysitting. A common mistake is to dump children into ski lessons merely as a means of child care while parents ski. This is fine if the children are ready, but counterproductive if they are not. Besides, group lessons for children younger than 5 usually cost about 50 percent more, and private individual lessons are about $35 an hour. Expensive babysitting.

Spark a desire to ski - at home. Talk around the house about going skiing, then go, leaving youngsters at home, Mohan advises. Talk about it again when you get back. Before you know it, kids will be itching to be included.

The fast track: A weekly, certified ski school. The Northwest is blessed with a rich variety of quality ski instruction, whether administered by the ski areas or private companies that use one or more of the ski areas as their classrooms. More than 100 private ski schools in the Puget Sound area offer instruction for beginners of all ages. Some specialize in children's lessons, but most ski schools offer children's programs.

Sequential programs, in which a child skis every weekend, are the most popular and probably the most effective. Most begin in early January and run from six to 10 weeks, usually on weekends. Some include transportation, others require weekly trips to the mountains. Many are administered on a contractual basis - usually at a discounted rate - through public schools or private groups such as churches and youth services. Prices range from about $65 for self-transported classes to $150 for the full ticket. Depending on the school and ski area, lift tickets might be a nominal extra charge.

Finding the best ski school: Ask around. The phone book is a starting point, but word of mouth works best. With competition and instruction quality both high here, it's not easy to go wrong. Stevens Pass, for example, authorizes more than 20 ski schools to teach on its slopes. And Snoqualmie Pass has a national reputation for its vast number of participating ski-school agencies. Many parents choose a geographic strategy: Decide which area you'd like to frequent, then call and obtain a list of schools offering lessons there. In addition, ski shops usually are stocked with ski-area brochures, which list participating ski schools.

Check their credentials. The ski school you choose should be certified by the Professional Ski Instructors of America, Northwest division. This means they meet stringent training standards and, more importantly, they're fully insured. If you have questions or want a full list of members, call the PSIA-NW at 244-8541.

Let children decide when they've had enough instruction. Some ski instructors give their own children initial lessons, teaching them how to do a wedge turn, then turn them loose to free-ski for as long as they want. Within a year or so, kids will want to know how to go farther and faster, and will come begging for more instruction. Other parents have equal success keeping kids in classes until their early teens, when they tend to go off on their own. Let the child's level of satisfaction speak for itself.

Equipment leases offer best value. Some ski schools include equipment. Most don't. Few parents will find it feasible or affordable to buy new gear for rapidly growing children. Many local ski shops offer seasonal lease plans, allowing parents to rent skis, boots and poles for $100 to $150 per season. Advantage: No weekly rental lines or pickup hassles. Preseason ski swaps usually have lots of kids' gear, and on-mountain rental shops also have gear for small ones. Hand-me-downs from siblings or neighbors also are an option. But make sure a qualified technician checks the gear for safety and fit.

Other ski-school pointers:

-- Terrain of the instruction area is important. A good beginner area has a chairlift reserved for rookies, where lift attendants are more helpful and mistakes are expected. The more this "bunny slope" is separated from other ski traffic, the better.

-- Class size and student-to-teacher ratios are crucial. A class of five 5-year-olds should be staffed by one instructor and at least one helper. Younger children require even more help.

-- Group lessons are lower pressure than individual instruction. Kids take heart in knowing they're not alone in their struggles. And ski lessons are a great way to make friends for life.

-- Don't embarrass your child by telling an instructor he or she is slow or clumsy, Mohan urges. When the lesson starts, leave. Afterward, ask him or her what was learned, and allow a short demonstration, followed by praise. Then go home before fatigue sets in.

It's not too late to start this year. Most sequential ski lessons already have started. But resident ski schools (those staffed by the ski areas, rather than external companies) offer drop-in lessons for skiers of all ages, or private lessons by appointment. For parents who want to give their kids a taste of snow this year, then enter full-time lessons next season, this is a grand time to start.

First trip: Short, sweet. The first trip should last less than an hour, Mohan advises. And parents shouldn't plan to get any skiing in themselves.

Find a flat spot, allowing Junior to play in the snow without skis. Once the skis are on, let the child set his or her own pace. After falls, let children get up by themselves, unless they're struggling. Remember, flat terrain is key, because it allows them to stop on their own.

As soon as a child is having a blast, take him home, Mohan advises. The child won't like it, but he'll want to come back. Remember, parental sacrifice now can pay great dividends with happy ski trips later.