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Calling All Parental Units...

1K views 6 replies 7 participants last post by  KIRKRIDER 
#1 ·
So my son is turning 4 in October so I picked him up the K2 Turbo Grom package. Going to shop for a decent base layer for him, but I have no clue what I am looking for in a helmet. Do you put a hat/beanie under the helmet?

Or how to get him going with snowboarding. Do you still teach the falling leaf and all that stuff or because of their tiny attention span, do you take a different approach?

I figured we would just monkey around with skating around the backyard but sometimes we don't get any snow until January. Or I should say, enough snow. Should I take him to the bunny hill the first day???

Not bragging here - I have ridden for almost 26 years and taught several people, but they were all over the age of 10. I'm just not sure where to start with someone so young. Don't want to F him up on snowboarding forever. Thanks.

The mags should run an article on how to get your kids started, now that there are so many of us with kids.
 
#3 ·
Definitely check at your local resort for learning programs specifically targeted to his age. Our local hill has a really great half-day and full-day program. Below is a link to their site, it will give you an idea of what I'm talking about. The sessions are specifically geared to children, mix in lots of fun stuff to help with the attention span like games during their sessios, etc. It keeps it really fun while also teaching them to ride/ski. As you point out, a 4 year olds attention span isn't going to work with a standard 1-hour lesson on falling leaf, etc.

When my nephew was 6 or 7, he wanted to learn to snowboard. We put him in the all-day class and he loved it. The next year we bought him his own board, boots, and gloves and he started doing regular 1-hour lessons from there.

Kids Ski & Snowboard Progarms | Mad River Mountain
 
#4 ·
Where are you Argo? He knows a thing or two about this.

I really want to see my nephews go far and having trained them I've learned manipulating them to want it themselves and for no other reason is foremost important, and don't forget he's just a grom. And as a dad you know how much he likes to push his boundaries, and his experience with those boundaries will make or break his fulfillment into a good rider.

And avoid ever having your kid think you have expectations of his riding.
 
#5 ·
I know little about kids this age learning. I taught my son and some other kids at 6. Most kids that age i have seen benefit from learning to slide on flat land. Then take them on the bunny slope and teach them the way you ride while holding them and going down the fall line as you would. Then the will get tje feel for how riding is and you can slowly let them go down on their own without holding them. Be super careful, at 4 they have no concepts of speed and they will take off on you not knowing how to stop. Make sure you stay with them and make them stop every couple of turns and always stay with them, like right with them. Do not get behind them until they learn to stop. Most mountains wont teach under6-8 because its a much more complex muscle function to stop on a board than skis.
 
#6 ·
I tried it with my son at 4 last year, he did pretty good and had some fun. Then he tried skis and it was a lot easier for him and he had way more fun. He could go down the bunny hill, over to the carpet, and back up to the top by himself which was awesome. This year I am just going to let him keep skiing because my goal is just for him to have fun in the snow and WANT to be out there. I think the worst thing would be for them to get too frustrated with falling while trying to snowboard and just want to quit. So what ever you do, MAKE IT FUN!
 
#7 ·
got a Burton Chopper on Ebay for my 8 year old back then for $10, and another for my daughter ( with bindings) at $ 20. They both lasted one season.... tmy daughter's one is now a longboard skateboard ;-P
 
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