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The ski season may be winding down, but what you do now with your gear determines how next season starts. In this episode, Jessica — PSIA-certified ski instructor and mom of five — walks ski parents through a complete end-of-season gear care routine: from storage wax for your skis to washing and drying all your soft gear before it goes in a bin. Whether you're teaching kids to ski or just trying to protect a significant gear investment, this episode is your spring checklist.
What You'll Learn
Resources & Links
Key Takeaway "The way you store your gear is the way it greets you at the start of next season. Put it away right, and next fall feels like Christmas morning."
Skiing with Kids is hosted by Jessica Averett, a ski instructor and mom of five who has spent more than 20 years helping kids learn to ski. This podcast helps parents create calmer, happier ski days by focusing on confidence, connection, and simple strategies that actually work with kids on the mountain. She's the founder of First Tracks: A Parent's Guide to Teaching Kids to Ski, a course that walks parents through everything they need to know to skip overpriced ski school and confidently teach their own kids to ski.
Enjoying the Podcast?
Follow Skiing with Kids so you never miss an episode.
More Skiing with Kids Resources
For more tips, gear reviews, and ski parenting advice visit Skiing Kids
You can find me on Instagram @theadventuretravelfam
.
Free Guide for Ski Parents
Want to avoid the biggest mistakes most parents make when teaching their kids to ski?
Download the free guide:
The Most Common Mistakes Ski Parents Make (and How to Fix Them)
https://skiiingkids.myflodesk.com/ffy45squub
This quick guide will help you avoid the common ski day meltdowns and create a much smoother experience for your kids on the mountain.
Most ski parents pack up at the end of the season and try to reconstruct where their kids left off come October, and that gap costs them days on the mountain every single year. In this episode, Jessica shares the end-of-season assessment she uses both as a PSIA-certified ski instructor and as a ski parent herself, so you can capture exactly where your kids are while it's still fresh. If you're serious about how to ski with kids in a way that builds real, lasting progress, this is the episode you didn't know you needed.
What You'll Learn
Key Takeaway
"The notes you take right now are the bridge between this season and next. Don't skip the bridge."
Skiing with Kids is hosted by Jessica Averett, a ski instructor and mom of five who has spent more than 20 years helping kids learn to ski. This podcast helps parents create calmer, happier ski days by focusing on confidence, connection, and simple strategies that actually work with kids on the mountain. She's the founder of First Tracks: A Parent's Guide to Teaching Kids to Ski, a course that walks parents through everything they need to know to skip overpriced ski school and confidently teach their own kids to ski.
Enjoying the Podcast?
Follow Skiing with Kids so you never miss an episode.
More Skiing with Kids Resources
For more tips, gear reviews, and ski parenting advice visit Skiing Kids
You can find me on Instagram @theadventuretravelfam
.
Free Guide for Ski Parents
Want to avoid the biggest mistakes most parents make when teaching their kids to ski?
Download the free guide:
The Most Common Mistakes Ski Parents Make (and How to Fix Them)
https://skiiingkids.myflodesk.com/ffy45squub
This quick guide will help you avoid the common ski day meltdowns and create a much smoother experience for your kids on the mountain.
Episode Summary: The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina just wrapped up, and and ski instructor and mom of five Jessica Averett was watching with a very specific lens. In this episode, Jessica pulls four powerful lessons from the Games and translates them directly into practical, usable advice for ski parents at every level. From Chloe Kim's mentorship of Gaon Choi, to Federica Brignone's comeback from injury, to Eileen Gu's refusal to let others define her success — the stories coming out of Italy have a lot to say about what really matters when you're teaching kids to ski.
What You'll Learn:
Skiing with Kids is hosted by Jessica Averett, a ski instructor and mom of five who has spent more than 20 years helping kids learn to ski. This podcast helps parents create calmer, happier ski days by focusing on confidence, connection, and simple strategies that actually work with kids on the mountain. She's the founder of First Tracks: A Parent's Guide to Teaching Kids to Ski, a course that walks parents through everything they need to know to skip overpriced ski school and confidently teach their own kids to ski.
Enjoying the Podcast?
Follow Skiing with Kids so you never miss an episode.
More Skiing with Kids Resources
For more tips, gear reviews, and ski parenting advice visit Skiing Kids
You can find me on Instagram @theadventuretravelfam
.
Free Guide for Ski Parents
Want to avoid the biggest mistakes most parents make when teaching their kids to ski?
Download the free guide:
The Most Common Mistakes Ski Parents Make (and How to Fix Them)
https://skiiingkids.myflodesk.com/ffy45squub
This quick guide will help you avoid the common ski day meltdowns and create a much smoother experience for your kids on the mountain.
Episode Summary
Skiing with kids is expensive — and buying the wrong season pass can cost your family hundreds of dollars before you ever click into a binding. In this episode, Jessica Averett, a PSIA-certified ski instructor and ski mom of five, breaks down the four major multi-resort passes (Ikon, Epic, Mountain Collective, and Indy) so you can stop guessing and start skiing with a real plan. She covers every tier, every price point, and the exact questions every ski parent needs to ask before buying.
What You'll Learn
Resources & Links
Key Takeaway
"The right pass is the one that matches how and where your family actually skis — not the one with the most resorts on the brochure."
Skiing with Kids is hosted by Jessica Averett, a ski instructor and mom of five who has spent more than 20 years helping kids learn to ski. This podcast helps parents create calmer, happier ski days by focusing on confidence, connection, and simple strategies that actually work with kids on the mountain. She's the founder of First Tracks: A Parent's Guide to Teaching Kids to Ski, a course that walks parents through everything they need to know to skip overpriced ski school and confidently teach their own kids to ski.
Enjoying the Podcast?
Follow Skiing with Kids so you never miss an episode.
More Skiing with Kids Resources
For more tips, gear reviews, and ski parenting advice visit Skiing Kids
You can find me on Instagram @theadventuretravelfam
.
Free Guide for Ski Parents
Want to avoid the biggest mistakes most parents make when teaching their kids to ski?
Download the free guide:
The Most Common Mistakes Ski Parents Make (and How to Fix Them)
https://skiiingkids.myflodesk.com/ffy45squub
This quick guide will help you avoid the common ski day meltdowns and create a much smoother experience for your kids on the mountain.
Episode Summary
One of the biggest mistakes ski parents make is pushing kids onto harder terrain before they're actually ready — and it can undo months of progress in a single run. In this episode, Jessica Averett breaks down exactly how to know when your child is ready to move up, from the bunny hill all the way to black diamonds. She walks through five key questions every ski parent should ask before bumping up the difficulty, plus the specific skills that need to be in place at each terrain level. Whether your kid is transitioning from green to blue or blue to black, this episode gives you a clear, practical framework so you can make that call with confidence — and protect your child's love of skiing in the process.
What You'll Learn
Resources and Links
Key Takeaway
"Skiing with kids is a long-haul game. When you rush the terrain progression, you get tears and resistance and kids who stop wanting to ski. When you're patient and intentional, you get a kid who reaches the top of a blac
Skiing with Kids is hosted by Jessica Averett, a ski instructor and mom of five who has spent more than 20 years helping kids learn to ski. This podcast helps parents create calmer, happier ski days by focusing on confidence, connection, and simple strategies that actually work with kids on the mountain. She's the founder of First Tracks: A Parent's Guide to Teaching Kids to Ski, a course that walks parents through everything they need to know to skip overpriced ski school and confidently teach their own kids to ski.
Enjoying the Podcast?
Follow Skiing with Kids so you never miss an episode.
More Skiing with Kids Resources
For more tips, gear reviews, and ski parenting advice visit Skiing Kids
You can find me on Instagram @theadventuretravelfam
.
Free Guide for Ski Parents
Want to avoid the biggest mistakes most parents make when teaching their kids to ski?
Download the free guide:
The Most Common Mistakes Ski Parents Make (and How to Fix Them)
https://skiiingkids.myflodesk.com/ffy45squub
This quick guide will help you avoid the common ski day meltdowns and create a much smoother experience for your kids on the mountain.
Episode Summary
If you've ever stood on a bunny slope repeating "make a pizza!" while your kid stares at you blankly, this episode is going to change your next ski day. Jessica breaks down the Edgie Wedgie — a $12 ski tip connector that she's carried in her jacket pocket for 17 years — and explains exactly why it's one of the most effective tools for skiing with kids under six. Every ski parent needs to hear this before their next trip to the mountain.
What You'll Learn
Key Takeaway
"You've taken an abstract concept they couldn't figure out and turned it into a physical action they already know how to do."
About Your Host
Jessica Averett is a PSIA-certified ski instructor with over 20 years of experience teaching kids ski lessons to hundreds of children — and to all five of her own kids, most of whom were skiing before age three. She shares everything she knows about how to ski with kids at skiingkid.com.
Resources & Links
Skiing with Kids is hosted by Jessica Averett, a ski instructor and mom of five who has spent more than 20 years helping kids learn to ski. This podcast helps parents create calmer, happier ski days by focusing on confidence, connection, and simple strategies that actually work with kids on the mountain. She's the founder of First Tracks: A Parent's Guide to Teaching Kids to Ski, a course that walks parents through everything they need to know to skip overpriced ski school and confidently teach their own kids to ski.
Enjoying the Podcast?
Follow Skiing with Kids so you never miss an episode.
More Skiing with Kids Resources
For more tips, gear reviews, and ski parenting advice visit Skiing Kids
You can find me on Instagram @theadventuretravelfam
.
Free Guide for Ski Parents
Want to avoid the biggest mistakes most parents make when teaching their kids to ski?
Download the free guide:
The Most Common Mistakes Ski Parents Make (and How to Fix Them)
https://skiiingkids.myflodesk.com/ffy45squub
This quick guide will help you avoid the common ski day meltdowns and create a much smoother experience for your kids on the mountain.
If you've been skiing with kids in the middle of winter and wondering why it feels so hard, this episode is going to change how you plan your ski season. Jessica breaks down exactly why spring is the single best time of year for a ski parent to take their family to the mountain — and what you need to do differently to make the most of it.
What You'll Learn
Learn More
Learn more about spring skiing on this article, and get some get some recommendations for great spring skiing resorts for families all on skiingkid.com
Key Takeaway
"Enjoyment is what creates skiers for life. The mountain in March — with your kid in a cape, eating soup out of a thermos, smiling in the sunshine after their best run of the season? That's what all of this is for."
Skiing with Kids is hosted by Jessica Averett, a ski instructor and mom of five who has spent more than 20 years helping kids learn to ski. This podcast helps parents create calmer, happier ski days by focusing on confidence, connection, and simple strategies that actually work with kids on the mountain. She's the founder of First Tracks: A Parent's Guide to Teaching Kids to Ski, a course that walks parents through everything they need to know to skip overpriced ski school and confidently teach their own kids to ski.
Enjoying the Podcast?
Follow Skiing with Kids so you never miss an episode.
More Skiing with Kids Resources
For more tips, gear reviews, and ski parenting advice visit Skiing Kids
You can find me on Instagram @theadventuretravelfam
.
Free Guide for Ski Parents
Want to avoid the biggest mistakes most parents make when teaching their kids to ski?
Download the free guide:
The Most Common Mistakes Ski Parents Make (and How to Fix Them)
https://skiiingkids.myflodesk.com/ffy45squub
This quick guide will help you avoid the common ski day meltdowns and create a much smoother experience for your kids on the mountain.
If you've ever had a ski day fall apart before lunch and couldn't figure out why, this episode is for you. Jessica — PSIA-certified ski instructor and mom of five — breaks down altitude sickness: what it is, why it hits kids especially hard, and how every ski parent can prepare for it before setting foot on the mountain. Skiing with kids at elevation requires more planning than most families realize, and this episode gives you the framework to do it right.
What You'll Learn
Resources & Links
Key Takeaway
"Altitude sickness doesn't care how fit you are, how excited you are, or how much you paid for your lift tickets. It's a physiological reality of skiing in the mountains. But with preparation, you can dramatically reduce the risk."
00:00 Welcome to the Show
00:24 Altitude Sickness Story
02:37 What It Is and Symptoms
03:54 Who Is Most at Risk
05:28 Kids and Nervous System
06:35 Prevention Steps
10:38 What to Do If It Hits
12:37 Common Mistakes and Planning
14:06 Key Takeaways and Wrap
Skiing with Kids is hosted by Jessica Averett, a ski instructor and mom of five who has spent more than 20 years helping kids learn to ski. This podcast helps parents create calmer, happier ski days by focusing on confidence, connection, and simple strategies that actually work with kids on the mountain. She's the founder of First Tracks: A Parent's Guide to Teaching Kids to Ski, a course that walks parents through everything they need to know to skip overpriced ski school and confidently teach their own kids to ski.
Enjoying the Podcast?
Follow Skiing with Kids so you never miss an episode.
More Skiing with Kids Resources
For more tips, gear reviews, and ski parenting advice visit Skiing Kids
You can find me on Instagram @theadventuretravelfam
.
Free Guide for Ski Parents
Want to avoid the biggest mistakes most parents make when teaching their kids to ski?
Download the free guide:
The Most Common Mistakes Ski Parents Make (and How to Fix Them)
https://skiiingkids.myflodesk.com/ffy45squub
This quick guide will help you avoid the common ski day meltdowns and create a much smoother experience for your kids on the mountain.
You just paid for ski lessons for your kid — now what? In this episode of Skiing with Kids, Jessica breaks down the seven questions every ski parent should ask their child's instructor at pickup, and why skipping this five-minute conversation means leaving the most valuable part of the lesson behind. If you want to actually teach kids to ski — not just survive the day — this is where it starts.
What You'll Learn
More episodes, guides, and gear recommendations also at skiingkid.com
Key Takeaway
"You're not just picking up your kid. You're picking up four hours of professional insight about your child on the mountain. Don't leave it behind."
The seven questions cover:
1. What the child did well
2. Where they need work and how a parent can help
3. The exact words/phrases used
4. What runs they skied and which to do or avoid next
5. What to practice to reach the next level and how to make it a game
6. What the child responded best to
7. What games were played and how they work.
00:00 Ski School Sticker Shock
01:35 What You Miss at Pickup
02:59 Surviving Pickup Chaos
05:00 Question One Praise That Sticks
06:59 Question Two How to Help
08:51 Question Three Magic Words
10:49 Question Four Best Runs
12:23 Question Five Practice Games
13:39 Question Six Learning Style
15:09 Question Seven Steal Their Games
17:26 Bonus Two Runs Together
19:55 Why Parents Skip This
21:41 Quick Recap and Sendoff
Skiing with Kids is hosted by Jessica Averett, a ski instructor and mom of five who has spent more than 20 years helping kids learn to ski. This podcast helps parents create calmer, happier ski days by focusing on confidence, connection, and simple strategies that actually work with kids on the mountain. She's the founder of First Tracks: A Parent's Guide to Teaching Kids to Ski, a course that walks parents through everything they need to know to skip overpriced ski school and confidently teach their own kids to ski.
Enjoying the Podcast?
Follow Skiing with Kids so you never miss an episode.
More Skiing with Kids Resources
For more tips, gear reviews, and ski parenting advice visit Skiing Kids
You can find me on Instagram @theadventuretravelfam
.
Free Guide for Ski Parents
Want to avoid the biggest mistakes most parents make when teaching their kids to ski?
Download the free guide:
The Most Common Mistakes Ski Parents Make (and How to Fix Them)
https://skiiingkids.myflodesk.com/ffy45squub
This quick guide will help you avoid the common ski day meltdowns and create a much smoother experience for your kids on the mountain.
If you've ever squeezed in one more run and watched the whole day fall apart, this episode is for you. Jessica — ski instructor of 20 years and mom of five — breaks down why knowing when to stop is the single most underrated skill in skiing with kids, and why the ski parent who leaves early is often the one raising a lifelong skier. This isn't about doing less. It's about understanding how your child's brain actually remembers experiences — and using that knowledge to build something that lasts.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
RESOURCES & LINKS
Ready to stop guessing and start skiing with a real plan? First Tracks: A Parent's Guide to Teaching Kids to Ski walks you through exactly how to structure your ski days so your kids build confidence, stay regulated, and keep wanting to come back. 👉 skiingkid.com
Also mentioned: Jessica's episode on The First Hour of the Ski Day — a perfect companion listen if you're building your family skiing framework from the ground up.
KEY TAKEAWAY
"Leave them smiling. Leave them wanting more. That's the whole game."00:00 Welcome to Skiing With Kids
00:27 Why Stopping Matters
01:17 Value vs Kid Experience
02:56 Nervous System Budget
03:41 Spotting Limit Signals
04:28 Peak End Rule
06:03 End on a Win
08:39 Teach Self Regulation
09:15 Realistic Time and Breaks
10:20 Car Ride Debrief
11:55 Hard Lessons and Regret
14:11 Skiing Is a Long Game
15:13 Next Day Action Plan
16:25 Wrap Up and Share
Skiing with Kids is hosted by Jessica Averett, a ski instructor and mom of five who has spent more than 20 years helping kids learn to ski. This podcast helps parents create calmer, happier ski days by focusing on confidence, connection, and simple strategies that actually work with kids on the mountain. She's the founder of First Tracks: A Parent's Guide to Teaching Kids to Ski, a course that walks parents through everything they need to know to skip overpriced ski school and confidently teach their own kids to ski.
Enjoying the Podcast?
Follow Skiing with Kids so you never miss an episode.
More Skiing with Kids Resources
For more tips, gear reviews, and ski parenting advice visit Skiing Kids
You can find me on Instagram @theadventuretravelfam
.
Free Guide for Ski Parents
Want to avoid the biggest mistakes most parents make when teaching their kids to ski?
Download the free guide:
The Most Common Mistakes Ski Parents Make (and How to Fix Them)
https://skiiingkids.myflodesk.com/ffy45squub
This quick guide will help you avoid the common ski day meltdowns and create a much smoother experience for your kids on the mountain.
From the publisher's feed
Teaching kids to ski doesn't have to be a battle of wills at the top of a run, a meltdown in the lift line, or a day that ends with everyone in tears — including you.
Welcome to…
Whether you're trying to teach kids to ski for the very first time, troubleshoot why your six-year-old suddenly hates skiing, or figure out how to actually enjoy a ski day instead of just surviving it — this is your show.
Each episode, I'm bringing you real, practical, been-there-done-that advice on skiing with kids at every age and stage. We'll dig into ski technique, gear that actually works, how to handle the hard days on the mountain, resort tips, and the mindset shifts that make all the difference when you're a ski parent trying to raise confident little skiers.
No fluff. No generic advice. Just honest, expert guidance from someone who has taught thousands of kids to ski and raised five of her own — and knows that the best ski days of your family's life are absolutely possible.
This is Skiing with Kids. Let's get your family on the mountain.