Holidays for babies and children to de-stress

In this mad, mad world, kids need to chillax, too.

New Age celebrity Gwyneth Paltrow was last week forced to deny she sent her two children for daily massages.

A spokesman for the star of Sliding Doors and Iron Man said there was no truth in the rumour her and Chris Martin’s children, Apple and Moses, went to a luxury spa.

But holidays for stressed babies and older children are available for parents worried their children need some rest and relaxation.

Specialist spas help newborn babies relax with hydrotherapy, by floating them in a tank of warm water.

Buoyed by inflatables around their necks, the therapy helps the babies unwind from their presumably stressful lives and exercise their limbs.

Laura Sevenus runs the Baby Spa, in London. She’s a former Olympic swimmer and has been teaching infants to swim for 40 years.

“Baby Spa creates a calm, soothing and fun experience for both the parent and baby,” Laura, a former South African competitive swimmer, explained.

“It’s amazing to watch the intense pleasure, contentment and curiosity the babies of just a few days or weeks old show as soon as they float in the warm water.

“The comforting experience strengthens muscles and bone structure, whilst providing an environment where they can build confidence in the water.”

The Spa treatments start at £60 for one hour. Meanwhile, relaxation spas for older children are taking off in the USA.

A Vermont-based retreat, Stowe Mountain Lodge gives burnt out teenagers the chance to unwind. It’s called Chillax Kidspa, and is designed for ages 6 and over.

Children experience refreshing aromatherapy washcloths, cool cucumbers, strawberry-infused hand and foot treatments, deep breathing exercises and chocolate masks.

Maggy Dunphy, who runs the spa, said: “It’s about pampering them, but also just letting them just be still.

“We think that kids aren’t affected by things we talk about behind closed doors, but it does impact them.”

While other luxury spas offer kiddie manicures and pedicures, Dunphy says her spa focuses on children’s relaxation.

“There’s a need for it,” she said. “As adults and parents, we understand the need to get away and do something for ourselves. Kids are living in the same crazy world.”