Skiing With Kids: Expert Tips for Ski Parents
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 Skiing with Kids, the podcast for every ski parent who wants to raise kids who genuinely love the mountain. I'm Jessica Averett, a professional ski expert with over 20 years of experience teaching kids to ski, a mom of five kids I taught to ski before age three, and someone who has spent two decades watching families transform their ski days from stressful to spectacular.
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.
Episodes
16 episodes
The End-of-Season Gear Routine Every Ski Family Needs
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 gea...
The 20-Minute Assessment That Makes Next Season So Much Easier
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 us...
What the 2026 Winter Olympics Can Teach Parents
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 t...
Choosing the RIGHT Season Pass for Next Season
Episode SummarySkiing 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 s...
Don't Take Your Kid Down That Run Yet: How to Know When They're Actually Ready
Episode SummaryOne 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 exact...
Do Edgie Wedgies Actually Work? A Ski Instructors Honest Take
Episode SummaryIf 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...
The Case for Spring Skiing: Softer Snow, Shorter Lines, & Happier Kids
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...
Preventing and Treating Altitude Sickness While Skiing
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, an...
7 Questions Every Ski School Parent Should Ask at Pickup
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 m...
Stopping Your Ski Day Early So You Can End on a High Note
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 wit...
First Hour Strategies for Stress-Free Family Skiing
If you've ever had a ski day fall apart before 10am, this episode is for you. Jessica breaks down why the first hour of the ski day is the single biggest factor in how the day goes — and why this is true whether your kids are brand new to skiin...
The Science of Fear: What Ski Parents Get Wrong
In this episode of Skiing with Kids, your host Jessica Averett, a ski instructor and mom of five with 20 years’ experience, explains that kids’ ski fear is often accidentally created by well intended parents on the mountain.This happens thr...
Unlocking Confidence: The Crucial First Three Days of Skiing with Kids
In this episode of Skiing with Kids, host Jessica, the parent ski expert, explains why the first three days on skis can shape a child’s entire relationship with skiing. These early days aren’t really about technique. They’re about buildi...
The EXACT Moment Kids Decide Skiing Is For Them
There's a two-second window on the mountain when your child quietly decides whether skiing is going to be their thing — and most ski parents have no idea it's happening. In this episode, Jessica breaks down the exact psychology behind that mome...
When You Kid Refuses to Ski...and What to do about it!
When your child refuses to ski, it's easy to feel frustrated, defeated, or just plain confused — especially when you've been looking forward to the day. In this episode, I share my 4-step rescue plan for turning a resistant skier around, drawin...
7 Mistakes Every Ski Parent Makes with Their Kids
If you've ever had a ski day fall completely apart and had no idea why, this episode is for you. Jessica Averett, a certified ski instructor with 20 years of experience and mom of five, breaks down the 7 most common mistakes ski parents make wh...