One of my earliest childhood memories is eating crackers on a wood bench, completely bored, waiting for my mom to finish up her mani-pedi. I would whine that I wanted to go home, until the first grade when my mom said I can join her for a nail treatment. That’s when my outer beauty button was “activated.” I’ve loved spa treatments my whole life, and it all started in the 1980s thanks to my mom.
I strongly believe in the importance of self-care — a little TLC never hurt anyone is my theory. I get a manicure, facial, and my hair colored every few weeks. I also squeeze in a bimonthly massage. (And yes, during the pandemic I have been closely following all safety protocols set by my East Coast state.) When I feel relaxed, and a bit dolled up, I feel good about myself — and honestly, I’m a more present and pleasant parent, too.
I bring my older daughter with me to beauty treatments — it’s bonding time for us
She’ll even sit in a corner chair and watch my esthetician shape my eyebrows. You better believe I stress the importance of being your authentic, fabulous self, inside and out. I see nothing wrong with allowing my third-grader to get a salon manicure, and explaining to her how my at-home facial steamer works.
I want her to know self-care routines at any age are important for the body, mind, and soul
Kids and teens shouldn’t feel guilty when indulging in some self-care, even if it’s an at-home beauty treatment. We like makeovers because they make us feel good. And that’s the beauty of beauty — you can wipe it all off and go back to being ‘yourself’ the next day; you get a clean slate. Rinse, repeat.
I also like teaching my daughters that sometimes looking different through beauty products is OK. At the airport, we once saw a woman with bright pink hair.
“Look mommy! She has PINK HAIR! So cool!” they yelled happily.
Worried that they offended a a stranger, my face turned shades that matched her hair
However, the woman laughed off my apology and was thrilled to get compliments from my kids. She told them pink was her “power color,” and of course, my older one completely agreed — life can’t be bad if your mane is magenta. I saw this as a teachable moment for my girls: It’s OK to have fun with products and experiment if it makes you feel special.
So the next time I have a nail appointment, I plan on bringing my daughter again
She can’t wait to do one hand with gold sparkles and the other with pink sparkles. I also promised her we can activate the massage chair at the salon so she can experience her first “massage.” She’s excited — and so am I. We’re overdue for a day of beauty bonding and, honestly, we could all use a little color in our lives right now.
Even if we're only in third grade.
