By the time we hit the snow, four-year-old Peggy was unstoppable. She’d been waiting for this moment as eagerly as all her birthdays. So, imagine our surprise when, instead of schussing away, she turned to us, lower lip trembling, and bleated: “Help me. Somebody, PLEASE help me.” No amount of clumping about the house on pretend wooden skis or playing in the park in one inch of London snow had prepared her for the real stuff. Cold, wet snow. And lots of it.

I would have to bribe her. So, thanking God for Swiss chocolate, I stocked up with an array that could be popped into her mouth before and after each lesson.

It worked. On day two, she was happy to give me a chocolatey kiss goodbye before joining her class. By day three, she had a new best friend. Sophie, the daughter of Swiss expatriates from Singapore. They held hands on the magic carpet to the top of the nursery slope and competed on the way down. Peggy, jealous of Sophie’s linguistic prowess, announced that she could speak English and German too. And actually, by the end of the week, she wasn’t bad at all, counting to ten with ease and even managing a few basic sentences — with a strong Swiss accent of course.

For once, we had got something right. We had decided to wait until Peggy was nearly five to get her on the slopes. Not because we felt she wouldn’t be able to cope with the skiing, but in case she felt uncomfortable in a class full of strangers or couldn’t understand the basic terminology used in lessons — break, turn, sidestep and so on.

Daniel Ammann, managing director of the Swiss Snow- sports School where we stayed in Davos, agrees it is best to wait. “Once they are 4 they can make sense of what they are doing and understand terms like stop and turn. Until then, all you can really do is play.” He’s also a great believer in group, rather than private, lessons. “One-on-one is just too intense for children. Group lessons are much more fun and the language barrier doesn’t really exist between children.”

His other tips for parents? To make sure children are well kitted out as they cannot enjoy themselves if they are freezing and also not to expect too much. “The goal is not to have a ski racer after three days but a child that feels happy and confident in the snow.”

And what of Peggy? Well, in true happy-ending style, she did actually end up a ski racer, winning her class end-of-week competition. “I beat Sophie,” she boasted, “and Dominic and Kimmi and all the other children. Does that mean I can have two chocolates?”

Need to know

Chloë Bryan-Brown and family travelled with Crystal (0870 160604040, www.crystalski.co.uk), which offers three nights’ half board at the Hotel Cresta Sun in Davos, including flights and train transfers from £385pp and £270 for children. Extra nights from £69. Flights from Manchester available for £55 extra.

Where to stay: Kinderhotel Muchetta (00 41 81 4104100, www.kinderhotel.ch) is an excellent base for families with small children.

Tips from the top

Martin Bell (www.skimartinbell.com) is a former Olympic downhill skier. He learnt to ski when he was 6 and now teaches children’s and adult ski classes. He is father of Reece, 4, who is learning to ski.

Peter Kuwall, chief executive of the British Association of Snowsport Instructors.

If you plan to ski with your children after lessons, invest in an device to hold ski tips together — it can make all the difference.

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