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:

• Why your goal as a ski parent should be raising a skier who doesn't need you — and how to actually do it
• How your reaction to your child's falls shapes their relationship with risk for years
• Why regression is normal, how long comebacks take, and how to stay out of the way
• How to let your child define success on the mountain instead of imposing your own definition on them

• "The best thing you can do as a ski parent is raise a skier who eventually doesn't need you."
• "Every fall is a data point. Treat it like one."
• "A kid who makes it to the magic carpet and has a blast is building something worth more than dragging them up a chairlift before they're ready."
• "The comeback doesn't announce itself. It comes when the foundation is ready."
• "Your job is to create the conditions where your kid's version of success can happen — not impose yours on top of it."

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

• The critical difference between the full Ikon Pass and the Ikon Base Pass — and which one is actually the better deal for your family based on when and where you ski
• How Epic's new teen and young adult pricing changes the family math, and how to decide between the full Epic Pass and the Epic Local Pass when you're trying to teach kids to ski without breaking the bank
• Which passes deliver the best family skiing tips for specific regions — Utah, Colorado, Vermont, and California — so you stop paying for resorts you'll never use
• Why the Mountain Collective is ideal for families who travel intentionally to world-class mountains, and why the Indy Pass is the smartest option for children learning to ski at smaller, less crowded resorts
• The one thing every ski parent must do before the price goes up — and why spring is the only time to buy

Resources & Links

• 🎿 First Tracks: A Parent's Guide to Teaching Kids to Ski — Jessica's complete course for ski parents ready to stop guessing and start teaching with confidence. Learn more at skiingkid.com
• Ikon Pass: ikonpass.com
• Epic Pass: epicpass.com
• Mountain Collective: mountaincollective.com
• Indy Pass: indyskipass.com

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

• The #1 mistake ski parents make when skiing with kids — and why it can send kids home in tears saying they hate skiing
• Five questions to ask yourself before moving your child to harder terrain
• The non-negotiable skills every child needs before leaving the beginner hill (stop, turn, get up — and why rushing these costs you later)
• What side slipping is, why it matters, and how to teach it before your child ever sets foot on a blue run
• The green-to-blue transition: what's physical, what's mental, and how to handle both
• Why the easy blue to hard blue jump is the first real terrain difficulty spike — and what parallel skills need to be in place before you get there
• The full checklist of skills kids need before skiing their first black diamond
• Practical strategies for encouraging kids on new terrain: how to ski it together so they actually feel successful

Resources and Links

• When are Kids Ready for Harder Terrain (full article)
• How to Encourage Nervous Kids to Ski (full article)

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.

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