It’s not uncommon that Swiss children start to learn to ski before they start going to school. Maybe a few of the parents dream of honing a potential Olympian in their offspring, but more likely they simply prefer to be able to bring their children along when they themselves go for a day out in the snow. Afterall, skiing is a typical family passtime for the Swiss. Especially for many of the farming families who spend the rest of the year tending to their cattle and fields, come winter when the grazing lands get covered in snow and the cattle are safe in the barns, there is but sledding and skiing left to do on the snow-covered hills!

This year we promised our three-year old that he would start to ski. Although there are numerous ski resorts that offer week-long ski-courses for children from 3 years and older, there’s always the risk of running the kid into a wall by overwhelming him with the new sport, and going home as frustrated parents with an uninterested child and no refund.

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