Little Girl Pedicure
Nothing screams “relaxation” more than a trip to the nail salon. Soft hands and smooth feet are at arm’s length. Find Out About Your Litlle Girl.
A Must-Read: How to Cut Toenails if You Can’t Reach Them
The wait won’t belong as you sip your complimentary glass of wine on the massage chair. Right now, nothing matters but spinning the rainbow wheel of brightly polished samples.
And the biggest decision you’ll have to make is which color for your toenails will go best with the color on your fingernails.
She loves to have her nails painted and jump for joy at the thought of a little girl pedicure and manicure! You can’t imagine a moment more tranquil than this. So, you start to plan another trip to bring your daughter along with you.
But how old should you be to get your nails done in a professional nail salon? What risks might come with bringing your little one along?
Continue reading below to get the scoop on the right age for nail salon trips, risks that might be lurking, and ways to reap all the professional nail salon benefits right at home!
Need a Break!
Generally, there’s no rule stating an age limit on nail salon services. The techs won’t stop you at the door to send you back home if you’re dragging along a five-year-old behind you.
Many times, their most reliable customers are moms trying to get away.
Imagine the following scenario: you rush out the office door before your boss can ask you to stay late. Then you get home to more work: homework, dinner prep, and fingerprint-stained walls.
The voices in your head scream, “I need a break!”
With the heavy hustle and bustle of daily life, a quiet trip to the salon sounds amazing.
You’re not the only one. Many moms look to the nail salon for a quick break. So you pick up the phone and make that appointment.
And there’s a general understanding that no one wants to deal with someone else’s kid when finding their moment of peace. They’re here to get a break from their own kids!
On a TODAY Show segment, nail salon goers voted that only kids 13 years and older should spend an afternoon in this “adult space.”
Sometimes
A special occasion visit with your young daughter isn’t a bad thing. But placing frequent manicures for little girl appointments violates that “mom time” that so many others are looking for. Plus, it would be best if you had it too.
You need your space. This is YOUR time. And let’s face it: you don’t get it too often.
It’s important to have the time and space to collect your thoughts, take deep breaths, and reflect on the day. The minute you bring your children into this space, it’s no longer yours.
You know how that goes: what’s yours is theirs. But this is yours. And only yours.
Bringing your kids here is like handing over the only bit of peace you have left in your busy schedule. And self-care is important.
They need you to be healthy and happy to keep them healthy and happy.
However, if a special occasion arises and your little one is tagging along, you want to have the best experiences possible.
Make sure to follow these tips:
It seems like a list of regular everyday rules! But these every-day-manners are even more so required at a nail salon.
Special occasions are acceptable, but here’s an overview of risks to consider if you’re still interested in making the trip.
She’ll Flash Before Your Eyes
Do you know the saying, “time flashes before your eyes?” It’s true. You know she’s not going to be that little girl forever.
Hold her tight while you still can. You don’t want to expose her to an adult space too soon.
Still not sure?
The best advice to have when questioning yourself is this: let her be a kid. As much fun as you know she will have at a girl’s nail salon, she will have as much fun running around the park with friends.
Save her from the harsh chemicals and risks of potential infections, and let her run that energy off! It’s a win-win! She’s having a blast, and you’ll be asked fewer questions during the car ride home from your now tired child.
Going to the park isn’t your only option. There are some other awesome mommy-daughter-date alternatives, such as:
Technology and society have changed drastically since you were growing up. You don’t need research to prove that. It’s safe to say that your daughter has much more pressure from society put on her to be “perfect” than you did at her age.
You don’t want to give her the idea that she isn’t perfect the way she is. Her hands, feet, and nails are perfect! Why expose her to it anymore?
Save the nail salon experience for a later age as she develops into a little lady.
Milestone
Taking a trip to the nail salon is always something to look forward to. And more importantly, it’s a reward. You know that.
But does she know that?
You worked hard all week to earn the downtime. Shoot, you worked hard all month, all year! You deserve to splurge a little on self-care.
Make sure your little one knows how special it is too. Having the extra pampering is something that should be earned.
It’s one of those things that girls can look forward to as they get older. Consider this one of those unspoken womanhood initiations.
Girls becoming young women look forward to:
- Shaving their legs
- Buying their first bra
- Piercing their ears, nose, or bellybutton
- Getting their nails done
It will happen in time. Not everything you have or do is appropriate for your daughter. As she gets older, she will become a little woman and have many “initiations” to look forward to.
Money
Manicures and pedicures for little girls don’t last. Nail polish gets wiped away before bedtime. That’s what you’re doing anyway.
They move around too much. They’re into everything, and an hour later, they forget that it’s even there.
After a perfect manicure has your nails looking amazing, you don’t let anything touch them. You used all your spending money on those nails, and nothing is going to mess them up! You’re persistent with watching what you do and are always aware.
Unfortunately, this is not the case for your 7-year-old daughter. She loves the different colors and couldn’t wait to get it done, but now it’s done. The moment is over, and she has no desire to keep still another second.
She’s a kid!
It’s not long before she’s back to running around and splashing in the sink. She just had to sit in the same spot, not moving her feet or hands for 45 minutes. The last thing she wants to do now is worry about messing them up!
Goodbye, 30 bucks!
But take a sigh of relief. Those nasty nail polish chemicals weren’t good for her anyway.
Yuck
The chemicals that fill a nail salon are so strong that you can smell them from your car as you try to find a parking spot. As soon as you open the door, BOOM! Smacked in the face with formaldehyde.
Yuck! It basically reaches down your throat and personally takes the breath out of you. These are not the types of smells that your little one should be inhaling.
Almost everything in nail salons has some chemically attached to it. Allowing your daughter to breathe any of this isn’t on your to-do list. But not everything goes as planned.
Trapped
You’ve gone through all the risks of bringing your daughter to the salon with you. You run through them over and over in your head. But there’s a special occasion, or the babysitter bailed last minute, etc.
You’re stuck in a rut, and she’s coming with you. It’s okay. One trip won’t hurt her.
Make sure you read these tips first:
- Bring your own nail polish free of harsh chemicals
- No gels or acrylics
- Stick to filing and polish only
- Foot and hand soaks for softness only
- No cutting nails or removing cuticles — this will prevent infections
- Bring a mask, although it may not be very popular with your daughter
These are all great tips to ensure a quality experience for both of you. But, would you believe us if we told you that you could get a better experience in your own home?
Bond
You know at this point that your daughter doesn’t need to go to the nail salon. If she didn’t know that you spend time there, she wouldn’t think twice about going anyways.
What she’s yearning for is time with you. It’s a great idea to purchase your own manicure set to use at home, specifically for mommy and me pedicures and manicures.
A good manicure and pedicure can be done at home, even on your daughter’s short nails.
This creates a perfect bonding experience for both you and her. There’s no one there to cause any distractions between the two of you. And she has all the freedom in the world to be herself!
She won’t be silenced by the importance of being polite because the lady next to her took a phone call. This is a great time to catch up on everything. Ask her about the school, friends, and after-school activities.
Can’t set up a shop at home? No worries, taking your personal little girl’s nail salon outdoors is an awesome idea!
There are great places to set up:
- Local park
- Backyard or front yard
- Friend or neighbor’s house
Best of all, you avoid the nasty chemical smells and the chances of ruining someone else’s quiet time.
Age Requirement
No. There is no age requirement put on who can and can’t sit in those super comfy massage chairs. A little girl pedicure can be done in any salon without restrictions.
The age requirement is what you as a mother feel right for your daughter. When you feel that she is ready and old enough to splurge at the moment, go for it.
But being a mother isn’t easy. And some decisions come harder than others. That’s life, but help is here.
Need some guidelines to help you know when she’s ready?
When she’s:
- Come to you about it
- Reached her teenage years
- Old enough to drive
- Earning money
- Paying bills
These are just a couple of suggestions to go by. Some moms are ready to share this moment with their daughters before others. But everyone is different.
The decision is circumstantial depending on each mother and daughter. If you decide to take your little one with you, remember the tips mentioned above. If she’s old enough to drive herself there, make sure that she is aware of all the risks.
You want to keep your daughter safe and yourself safe.
