"It's normal for children to look down at their own skis while gliding downhill. This is a problem with adults too, but because children's heads are larger in proportion to their bodies, for kids it can create a really awkward stance on the skis. An easy way to solve this is to ski a little ways in front of them, and ask them to watch your hands. Move nice and slow and ask them to call out how many fingers you are showing. Mittens make this game tricky, so it might be just be thumps up and thumbs down."