Skiing

Specialist Reports Activity Holidays Skiing Resort Childcare 

It is difficult to make any realistic assessment of the care offered by resort nurseries although they often appear useful, located as they usually are close to the slopes enabling parents to drop in during the day.

However, there is not always much guarantee of staff competence or of their English language skills. While small children usually rub along fine with others of their age, even without a language in common, it is important that the child is able to communicate with the adults in charge. Older children may get particularly frustrated and if there are no other English-speaking children, can find themselves unable to make friends. Staff often change from year to year so there is no telling if a good nursery will continue that way. There are tales of places where the children are simply stuck in front of a video all day.

Another issue in France is that the system is rigorously pro-vaccination and most childcare requires certificates of immunisation before they will take children. This may in some cases include the requirement of a BCG vaccination certificate.

There may also be cultural differences. The French for example sometimes demonstrate an approach which by British standards can seem harsh. In one case it was reported that staff refused to change a normally dry child who in an unfamiliar environment had wet himself. The story goes that the child was not accepted back at the nursery next day, thereby ruining the parents' skiing plans, and of course upsetting the child.

There is in all events little resort care in Italy but rather more in Switzerland and France, and a scattering in Austria. The US and to a lesser extent Canada seem reasonably well provided for.