This past week, Dadjogger and I embarked on a daring adventure: taking our three boys—none of whom had ever been on skis—skiing! We knew it would be a challenge, but nothing could have prepared us for the sheer chaos of that first hour on the mountain.
We headed to Camelback, PA, planning a fun-filled trip: snow tubing on day one, the indoor waterpark on day two, and skiing on the final day. Neither of us are expert skiers—we only started in our twenties—but we’re decent enough for occasional trips. After years of back-to-back pregnancies, I was eager to finally get back on the slopes. We debated whether to include our 4- and 6-year-olds in the experience, but in the end, we wanted this to be a true family adventure. And oh, it was! There were plenty of tears, frustrated parents, and a whole lot of learning moments—but by the end of the day, we were beyond proud of what we had accomplished.
The Morning Hustle
We started our day early—well, early-ish for a vacation—waking up at 7 AM. Determined to keep up with my mile-a-day challenge, I squeezed in a quick workout at the hotel gym before our ski day. By the time we packed up, ate breakfast, and wrestled the kids into their layers of snow gear, it was already 9 AM.
Then came the next hurdle: the shuttle ride to the mountain, followed by the rental process. Picture two parents, outnumbered, trying to wrangle three wiggly kids into helmets, jackets, snow pants, gloves, scarves, hats, and ski boots—all while juggling our own gear. I could have used at least four extra arms! But somehow, by 10:30 AM, we were at the base of the mountain, ready (or so we thought) to ski.
A Rough Start
Will had a bold idea: start on a green-circle trail. The slope wasn’t steep, but it was long. And that’s when the reality of skiing with three kids set in. The boys didn’t know how to move in skis and were terrified of falling—even though we were barely moving! The younger two had no poles, making it nearly impossible for them to get up once they toppled over. To make matters worse, I quickly realized that once I skied down even a little, I couldn’t get back up to help anyone. Cue the panic—for all of us!
Our poles became makeshift extra arms as Will and I scrambled to assist. Getting down that first hill felt like an eternity (probably 20 minutes, but who’s counting?). One kid’s skis fell off, another needed a tissue, a third clung to me for dear life. And who signed up for this madness? Oh, right. Us.
Finding Our Groove
Determined to reset, we tackled the chairlift to reach the bunny hill. This was where things finally started to click. Will and I discovered that the best way to move the kids around was by having them hold onto our jackets—essentially dog-sledding them to each destination. Our youngest, Charlie, took an agonizing 15 minutes just to walk in ski boots through the snow. And since I was already carrying three pairs of skis and poles, there was no way I could carry him too. Let’s just say my daily workouts paid off that day!
You might be wondering—why not just enroll them in ski school? While that would have been easier, it wasn’t the experience we wanted. We had only one day on the mountain, and spending the entire time apart didn’t feel like a true family trip. Sure, skiing around with just Will would have been fun, but we were here for the adventure together—even if it meant spending hours on the bunny hill.
Small Wins, Big Confidence
Once we got to the bunny slope, things improved. The magic carpet made getting to the top easy, and we did about ten runs. Each time, the boys gained more confidence. Will and I developed a system: we held our poles horizontally for the kids to grab onto, giving them stability while we guided them down. Another method was placing our skis under their armpits and letting them glide ahead—tricky, but effective.
By lunchtime, Billy was skiing down mostly on his own, and even after the rough start, the boys were excited to keep going. I had fully expected Ben and Charlie to beg to go home or sit in the lodge all afternoon, but to my surprise, they were eager to get back out there after a well-earned break (complete with hot chocolate, of course).
Flying Solo (Sort of)
After lunch, Will and Billy ventured off to explore bigger trails, giving Billy the challenge he needed. That left me with Ben and Charlie—solo. I won’t lie, I was nervous. But I also wanted Billy to have that special experience with his dad.
The temperature was a real feel of 12 degrees, so we bundled up again and trudged to the bunny hill—an ordeal in itself, as I had to carry all the skis while guiding two small, slippery children uphill. Once there, I felt like a full-fledged ski instructor. We developed our best system yet: me in the middle, Ben on one side, Charlie on the other, all holding onto my poles horizontally as we glided down together. People stared as if we were some kind of circus act, but we were doing it! The boys even let out happy rollercoaster-like screams as we cruised downhill. We didn’t fall once!
Meanwhile, Will and Billy returned, buzzing with excitement about their adventures on the green trails. With newfound confidence, we decided to revisit that dreaded first slope. This time, we tackled it with our perfected tandem-ski method. Charlie was hesitant, but we encouraged him to push past his fear—and he did. We all made it down successfully, and by the third run, Billy was skiing alongside me solo, a huge milestone!
Wrapping Up an Epic Day
By the time the sun began to set, we had skied from 10:30 AM to 1:00 PM, then again from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Knowing we had a drive back to New York that night, we called it a day just as the temperatures started to drop further.
What started as pure chaos turned into a victorious, unforgettable experience. I’d absolutely do it again—especially next year when the boys are a little older. Skiing is expensive, and not every kid gets to try it at 4, 6, and 8, but giving our children these kinds of adventures is a priority for us.
Tips for Skiing with Kids
- Have zero expectations.
- Go with the flow.
- Take deep breaths—lots of them.
- Try our tandem skiing method with horizontal poles.
- Take breaks when needed.
- Invest in ski goggles—essential for warmth and visibility.
- Keep tissues in your pockets (constant runny noses!).
- Keep going! When things get tough, just push through.
At the end of the day, the chaos, the challenges, and the victories all made for an experience we’ll never forget. And who knows? Maybe next time, I’ll finally grow those extra arms!