European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 24, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Ski Europe skiing with kids no Point in pushing them by Norm Zeigler travel outdoor writer parents planning a ski vacation must consider additional factors that need not concern singles or childless couples. In general the younger the children the More variables there Are to consider. If possible most of the planning should be done before leaving Home. If you and your family Are travelling a Long distance by car make sure you take along plenty of snacks and Stop frequently. Try to think of games and activities to entertain children during the Long hours you Are under Way. This will not Only make the trip More enjoyable but will also help assure that the Little ones Are not worn out before you arrive at your destination. In some cases it May be better to leave your car Home. Most children love Riding trains. If they Are restless you can walk with them to the dining car. Or they May find other children to play with. Arc in conjunction with the Deutsche Bun Desbah offers special Low Cost train tickets to its customers. When you arrive at the ski area the kids will probably be excited to be in a new place. But try to get them to bed at a reasonable hour so they will not Start the vacation with a sleep deficit. One of the More difficult decisions for parents who ski is when to Start their children on skis. Hans Jorg held academic director at the University of Regensburg and a certified ski instructor has researched the subject for the Munich based Deutscher  German ski instructors association. According to held the time to Start teaching kids to ski is when they Are about 5 years old. Quot there Are children who can do it earlier but the Rule of thumb is Between 5 and 6,&Quot held says. He says there Are some who can learn earlier but most children s nervous systems and motor coordination Are not Well enough developed before age 5. The earliest any child should Start is 4, held says. Helmut Steger head of tyrolean Tours a Kirc Dorf Austria firm that caters mainly to americans says his company follows similar age guidelines. Quot we recommend the age of 4 years Quot Steger says. Occasionally parents will insist that their child is Quot the smartest and the biggest Quot if the child is at least a he or she May be allowed to enrol on a trial basis in the ski kindergarten. If there Are any problems the child is merely transferred to the company s Nursery school Day care Center. Quot there is no Point in pushing them Quot Steger says. John Schwartz manager of Scherer Tours an avid skier and father of three said he started teaching his oldest child when she was just 13 months old. Quot it made no sense Quot he says Quot but it was a great photo Opportunity for the parents. At 4 she actually started to enjoy it and improve. It s amazing the Progress children can make once their legs Are Strong. In a weekend she could  the consensus among experts is that the Best Way for children to learn is in a ski school. Quot it is much better when a stranger does it Quot held says because the Parent child relationship precludes a Good teacher student relationship. Many ski instructors forbid parents from even watching while their children Are taking lessons. This View is echoed by Bernhard Bruckdorfer Winter sports program manager for arc Carmich. Quot put them in a ski school because Mommy and daddy do not have enough patience. Or training Quot Bruckdorfer says. Steger agrees. Quot nine out of 10 times they parents teach them incorrectly Quot Steger says. Another advantage to ski classes is the group setting. Children learn not just from hearing an instructor but from watching other children. In the Best ski schools special attention is Given to making the learning process a play like activity instead of a chore held says. Quot the children have much More fun when they Are together with other children Quot Steger says. Quot they just play around and they Are having fun and they Are  held says that despite their Small size children face no special dangers on the slopes and Are Quot relatively robust Quot in cold weather. His research shows that there is no particular injury that is More common among children and in general they have fewer injuries than adults. This is a result of several factors the most important being that they Are More flexible and Don t ski As fast. Siegi Baumgartner owner of Siegi Tours in St. Veit Austria said his company has a special area set aside for its ski kindergarten. Adults Are no allowed on the slopes. Quot sometimes adults come Down and lose control Quot he says. The restricted area eliminates the possibility of an adult crashing into a child. Held recommends that parents rent ski equipment for their children who Are just learning. But if they do buy gear he says it is a Good idea to let the kids try on the skis and boots at Home maybe walk around on the Lawn or the living room carpet to get the feel of them. Steger says that buying ski equipment does not make much sense for families that Only ski once or twice a year. Children May outgrow their skis and boots before they have used them a half dozen times. Most european ski resorts including arc put a lot of Effort into programs for children. They know that parents cannot enjoy themselves on the slopes if they Are worried about their son or daughter being unhappy or uncomfortable. Quot it is very very important to know they can leave their child in Good hands Quot Baumgartner says. Lessons Are the Best Way to go. October 24, 1990 13