The Screen-Free Ski Lesson!

This is the very happy face of a boy cashing in on a well-earned reward - his first ski lesson!  

Xavier really wanted to try skiing this year and we wanted him to have that experience too, so we made a deal that if he earned $15 toward the trip, we would pay for the rest.  Of course, it's not easy making money when you're five, and I had been wondering how to let him monitor his own screen time each day, so I came up with a plan that helped with both.  First, I made a "screen-time cup".  Then I told Xavier that each morning I would put in 12 nickels.  Each nickel was worth 10 min of screen time (the total was 2 hrs of screen time - the daily max recommended by professionals).  If he wanted to watch TV or play a computer game or do anything involving a screen, he had to decide how many nickels he wanted to use.  If he ran out of nickels that was the end of screen time for the day.  If there were nickels left over, he could add them to his ski lesson cup.  Every few days we would use a chart of traced coins to exchange small coins for bigger ones until he had a dollar.  He still had to ask for permission to watch tv each time because sometimes it was bad timing (like when it was dinner time) but most of the time it was just fine.  After a few days he got really good at negotiating short amounts of game time and skipped lots of TV.  I loved it and he was getting richer every day!  After several weeks and as the end of ski season got closer, we had a few "dime days" to help speed up his savings.  :)  And here are pictures of his well-earned reward!

1. Pay for your lesson & get a tag.

2. Get fitted for ski boots & put them on

3. Model your new look & practice walking with limited ankle movement. 

4. Eat a big hot dog from the outdoor vendor so you won't be hungry during the lesson. 

5. Check-in and meet your teacher.

6. Play follow the leader while you learn ski techniques like how to stop and go! (X was lucky, there were no other kids in his level there that day so he had a 2-hr private lesson!)

7. Ride the "Magic Carpet" up the practice hill.

8. First ski run!

9. Occasionally fall down and get back up. 

10. Graduate to the ski lift!

(This is what August did while we waited for X to come down the mountain. She went up the Magic Carpet on foot and then slid herself down.)

(Then we found a sled, which was another good distraction for her)

11. Watch Xavier come down the hill.  He was a natural!  

12. Do it again!  (and again and again!)

13. Go home happy (and ready to ski again!)

It was really impressive to see him take to skiing so quickly.  I hope we can let him do more next year!  What a great day!