Ah, the life of a kid these days. It can be hard work with soccer practice, gymnastics and homework. A kid really needs a little "me time". So the spa industry has stepped up to help out.
Kid spas are a new trend and it appears hotels and resorts are offering kids their own selection of services. Some spa companies are popping up in strip malls like Sweet & Sassy. It's a spa directed at kids complete with all the services of a princess including tiaras and a limo.
Sweet and Sassy is a franchise and has locations throughout the U.S. They offer licensed cosmetologists that are trained to work with kids. They have a bright pink limo that can pick up your kids as well as some of her closest friends for a complete afternoon of fancy makeovers.
Scoops Kid Spa is located in all of the properties of the Great Wolf Lodge. They offer complete spa packages that range from chocolate organic facials to kids choosing their flavored fizz soak, which is followed by a sherbet scrub, then topped off with an icing massage.
If kids are involved and princesses are mentioned you can be sure Disney will be on board, and they are with the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique – Four Disney Locations. Their service includes a royal hairstyle, shimmering makeup, face gem, cinch sack and princess sash.
Want to thoroughly spoil your wee one? You know they have to have a princess package -- Fantasy’s Royal Sea package, which includes three makeovers, princess gowns and tiaras. Don't worry little boys are not left out. Landlubber boys can join in the fun with a Knight package that includes a hairstyle and sword.
Teens ages 13 and up can enjoy several custom teen spa packages at the Hotel Del Coronado in Coronado, CA. One package, the Teen Spa Sundae, features an ice cream float bath, a 25-minute sugar scrub (using Spreckels sugar) and a 25-minute frosting massage. The Teen Treats package is also popular and includes services such as salt scrubs and back facials.
It's not just in the U.S. this trend goes as far as London. The Armathwaite Hall Country House & Spa in Keswick, England, teens are treated to a variety of spa services designed to meet the needs of teenage skin, such as exfoliation and purifying gel masks. The spa also offers a “Parent and Teen Just Be Together Half Day Spa” package, which includes side-by-side facials and relaxation at the spa.
The International Spa Association, which tracks industry trends, said that 25% of the country’s approximately 20,000 spas now offer services specifically for the under-13 set — up from 15% just four years ago. Most spas have some type of package for teens.
Not appropriate
Not all agree that the world of being a princess is really appropriate for the under-15 set.
“Oh my God,” said Christine Carter, a sociologist and the author of “Raising Happiness: 10 Simple Steps for More Joyful Kids and Happier Parents,” in recent New York Times article. “What are we coming to? Spas for our children?”
Carter cautioned parents against sending their offspring to places where they are told, “We’re going to treat you like a Kardashian.”
Some kids learn self-indulgent from their parents. In an interview with Barbara Walters, Michelle Obama said that she makes herself her first priority. When asked if that could be seen as selfish, she remarked: “It’s practical… a lot of times we slip pretty low on our own priority list because we're so busy caring for everyone else. One of the things that I want to model for my girls is investing in themselves as much as they invest in others.”
I personally think a little self-indulgence is a good thing after a game of kickball.