Slopeside Daycare Tips

This story was published in Published in Parents Papers
 

By Heather Burke

It is amazing how your skiing priorities change with the arrival of children. Gone are the days of selecting ski destinations based upon vertical drop, lift capacity, snowmaking ratios. Once a parent, you inquire as to childcare facilities, caregiver training and child ratios. After all, what are parents to do with their infant or toddler until they are 3 or 4, the requisite age for ski camp?

Handing over your most precious commodity to a ski area daycare can evoke anxiety and a twinge of guilt. “I was concerned because this was the first daycare experience for Sydney”, explained Rebecca Kahn as she assigns her 18-month old and her trust to the Sunday River daycare provider. “This is our family ski vacation and she is the main focus of our family. But after spending the morning in the crowded ski lodge with me, my daughter went right in to the daycare and started playing.”

How can a parent be sure their child will be safe and happy, so that they can enjoy a day on the slopes? Skiing as a new parent is not a venture for the unorganized, it requires some advance research and coordination. If before kids it was: “grab your skis, boots, poles, goggles – let’s go!” now it is “call ahead, request the childcare brochure, pack the wipes & dipes.” “Parents should feel free to call ahead and ask very concrete questions about the resort daycare, checks & balances should be in place just as they would expect in a daycare situation at home” explains Robert Walrath, Psy. D. specializing in daycare’s impact on early childhood development at Notre Dame College.

“Our daycare is licensed by the State, which gives space requirements for each age group and for the number of caregivers, each of whom are required to have child care training.” explains the supervisor of Loon Mountain Resort’s child care facility. State licensing indicates that the facility is inspected annually for cleanliness, adequate space, safety and emergency procedures, and ratios of caregivers to children.

Once you find a facility you are comfortable with, what should you tell your child about this new experience? “Prepare the child ahead of time with where they will be going and what is going to happen. Be truthful, children are very perceptive. When the time comes, be firm and say “I’m leaving to go skiing, I will be back after your nap”, and then go. Don’t just sneak out on your child. You can call us back within 15 minutes from an on mountain phone to check that your child is adjusting okay”, says Amy Laban –Daycare Supervisor at Sunday River, Maine. Stopping in, on the other hand, is not encouraged as it creates confusion for the child, who then anticipates that it is time to go with Mommy.

Parents and daycare providers share a common goal of wanting the child to be happy and comfortable. “Parents need to be positive themselves, and realistic too. Put your trust in your child’s new caregiver. When the parent is apprehensive, the child can sense that distrust” adds Amy.

The number one concern among most parents these days is security. Ski areas are responding with stringent identification systems. Most resorts have a kid/parent tag system, which parents must present to pick up their child. Some resorts also keep record of a secret code word to screen the parents.

How is a skiing parent reached in the event a child is sick or inconsolable for an extended period of time? Most resorts contact the parents via the message board at the base of each lift if there is a problem. Sugarbush Resort gives each parent a beeper so they can be reached immediately if they are needed. A few other resorts offer pagers, but charge $10-15 per day for this service, on top of the already pricey $29-$75 (depending upon the resort) for the day’s care.

To help daycare personnel make your child feel more at home, share with them your concerns and your child’s habits. At Smugglers’ Notch Resort in Vermont, noted countrywide for its great children’s programs, Daycare Manager Iris Dixson-Woody affirms, “Anything that parents want to convey or provide from home in a non-recurring care situation is wonderfully helpful to us in caring for their child.”

Once you have asked the questions, encouraged your child, and calmed your parental nerves, go have fun and remember the joy of skiing! The proverbial meter is running. In a few years, you will be lugging two pair of skis across the parking lot, worrying about the intricacies of kids’ ski camp…

Daycare Do’s and Don’ts
1. Do ask friends for ski area daycare references
2. Do call ahead, ask for brochures & registration forms
3. Do pack a “diaper bag” with change of clothes, favorite toys, all labeled.
4. Do bring a list of your child’s likes, dislikes, phone numbers, etc.
5. Do ask what the schedule is for the day, ie: any outdoor play, snacks, meals, movies.
6. Do prepare your child for their new experience.
7. Don’t make the goodbye too long.
8. Do ask for a pager or phone number for checking in.
9. Don’t be late picking up your child.
10. Do enjoy your precious time.

 

 

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