Help your child safely up from a fall

Kids on skis fall a lot when they are learning. Unless you are superman, your back and spine are limited resources that run out of flexibility when picking kids up repeatedly from the snow.

You should anticipate that you will need to pick up kids in their first several outings. You do not want to instill fear or concern in them of falling, so often the best way to work with your child early on is to help them up. Falling is a natural part of the skiing process, as is eventually being able to get up independently, which we will cover soon in another post.

Keep a fall a positive experience by protecting yourself and your child on the way back up!

Gear to make falls easier for kids and parents

You will likely need to pick up your kid while skiing, a lot. Especially if your child is 6 and under. So, to make it easier on yourself, invest in a Ski Vest with a big, easily accessible handle on the back. This handle makes it WAY easier to pick a child up safely. And, the handle will allow you to control your child’s body until they are ready to take control again. Call them ‘racing vests’ and get one in their favorite bright color.

Kinderlift makes some great vests in bright colors and patterns so you can recognize your child all over the mountain. Here’s a bright-colored version HERE, and a promotional video below.

Protecting your own body

Before you rush to help your child get up, survey the scene. You want to make sure that your movements will not put you or your child in any danger. Look uphill, maybe wave to a skier who might not see you or your child, and assess what help is needed. Also, make sure your child has come to a stop, as you do not want to head towards them and potentially crash into them.

You are best served helping a child stand up when you are immediately below them. Your skis should be pointed in a direction across the fall line (which means 90 degrees — or perpendicular — to downhill). And, you should take a moment to kick your uphill ski edges into the snow to anchor yourself in place. You will know you are in a stable position when you are able to stand without moving.

When you lift your child up, first crouch your bottom down to make sure you are activating your legs on the way back up. Take a moment when you all are both standing to survey the hill and take a deep breath before restarting skiing.

Protecting your child’s body

Make sure your child’s skis are not crossed and are pointing across the fall line.

To uncross skis, I recommend you practice this on flat ground: have your child roll on to their back and point their ski tips in the air (towards the sky). From this position, it is easy to get skis sorted out and then laid back down in the right position — parallel to your skis.

To point skis across the fall line, I recommend finding a reference point along the side of the ski run that you can use regularly in your lesson. I tend to use ‘Skis to the trees’ as a mantra, which means the kids are thinking about pointing their ski tips at the trees along the side of the hill. If your child’s skis are pointing up or downhill when they stand up, they will immediately start skiing, likely falling again quickly and maybe taking you out with them. Pointing their skis across the fall line, or perpendicular (at a right angle) to downhill, will help ensure your child is stable when they stand up.

To lift your child, do not pull on their hand or arm if you can avoid it. If you do not have a vest, I like to get a big handful of jacket material from their back and pull up on that (like a momma cat picking up kittens). This way you avoid putting too much pressure on any joints, and you avoid needing to coordinate your movements with any flailing your child might do.

I hope this helps keep everyone safe and happy through their first several lessons. More to follow on this blog on how to teach your child to stand up on their own — a welcome relief!

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