Yummy treatment: Kids today can also enjoy beauty treatments such as facial masks, manicure-pedicures, hair-creambaths and hair-coloring. Courtesy of Baby Spa

Some were having their nails done. Others had their faces covered with edible yoghurt masks.  

Next to the beauty outlet, located at Plaza Indonesia, Jakarta, a gym had opened to welcome other young customers. A sign on there read: I Like Gym.

There, kids happily exercised with instructors (some with their parents), using mats, balancing bars, monkey-rings, trampolines and a wall-climbing pad painted in kid-friendly colors.

Today’s children’s world doesn’t only revolve around chic clothing and expensive toys. It has become more interesting, more fashionable, and more beautiful, partially thanks to gyms, salons and spa services.

“Even young children deserve to look and feel good,” says 27-year-old parent Marita Eka, who often takes her five-year-old daughter for creambath and hairstyling sessions.

“I sense that she was more excited about getting her hair than getting a new doll. She tells her friends,  ‘my hair is clean and smells nice’.”

It is more than just business when dealing with children. Knowing both children and parents is key. For Ivonne Wahjudi and her friends, including teacher Susan Bachtiar, Dini Sembiring, Mitzy and Cindy Christina — who run Spa Baby and I Like Gym, it’s part of daily life.  

“Some of us are mothers too, so we know the children’s world very well,” says marketing director Ivonne.

“We have long interested in this world, and we have been searching for fresh ideas [for parents],” she says.

As parents themselves, the owners thought they should explore businesses that would benefit both children and parents. The concepts of spa and salon were attractive when combining both healthcare and fun. In 2009, they opened the first Spa Baby outlet in Dharmawangsa Square City Walk, South Jakarta. After receiving a positive response, Spa Baby opened their second outlet in Plaza Indonesia.

Earlier last month, Ivonne stepped into a new business — a children’s gym center. The center, I Like Gym, claimed to be the first of its kind in Indonesia, bringing together children aged from six months to 12 years to enjoy various types of exercise.

“The gym is more than just a place to play. It’s a center for child development”, explains Ivonne. “We don’t just instruct classes. We design curriculums based on the USA Gymnastics Jr. Olympic program. We have instructors with years of experience.”

One satisfied parent is fashion model Koming, who enrolled her children in the center’s unique classes.

“Some parents think its alright for children to watch TV and play videos games and browse the Internet all day,” Koming said. “But for me, this is a problem because these activities have negative side-effects like childhood obesity.”

Similar to I Like Gym, Spa Baby also introduces parents and children to activities and programs that combine both health and fun. Although salon and spa services might sound superficial, especially when targeting kids, Ivonne and her friends underline that such activities introduce young children to the importance of taking care of themselves.

Because it deals with children, Spa Baby seeks out child-friendly, organic products.

Baby Spa services do have a price. The facial mask service, for example, costs Rp 225,000 (about US$23), and the creambath and manicure-pedicure cost Rp 80,000 each.

Hair cuts, coloring and perm services range between Rp 65,000 and Rp 100,000. Those interested in the basic Aqua Swim or Organic Oil Massage services should expect to pay Rp 200,000 per session.

Like Ivonne and her friends entering the children’s salon business, Sarah Darmawan, Lisa Samadikun and Andha Soekrisno started D-Katz in Kemang, South Jakarta, in 2000. At that time the salon business for children hadn’t blossomed to where it is today.

“As mothers, they had difficulties taking kids to hairdressers, as most children don’t really like to have their hair cut,” says D-Katz operational manager Yus.

“They then tried to find salons that are ‘child-friendly’, but failed to find one.”

So, based on this experience, Yus says, these women opened a children’s salon.

According to Yus, setting up a children’s salon isn’t as easy as people may think, because it takes more than just decorations to keep children sitting still.  

“It takes more than just colorful chairs and walls. We have to provide mini monitors, toys, and good meals,” Yus said.

“For us, it takes extra patience to work with little customers. I myself am a stylist, and always have to make sure kids are comfortable before I can start cutting their hair.”

A package including shampoo, haircut, blow dry, a kid’s meal and a computer game with juice and a snack, as well as a toy and take-home hair accessories costs Rp 55,000.

While D-Katz is a children’s salon, Yus says some parents also request beauty sessions for themselves.
“More and more parents also come here to be treated,” said Yus.

“This is like a family salon now.”

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