Spa Lé La was founded by Trina Renea, herself a hands-on mother, to allow parents to take time off and enjoy simple pleasures like having a massage or a facial. Ensuring that their self-care time is truly guilt-free, the Log Angeles-based spa offers complimentary on-site childcare and even short classes to keep children occupied while their mums and dads unwind. Going beyond the usual range of beauty and wellness services, the spa also provides parents spaces for ‘alone time’ where they can nap, work, or just read a book. “Our goal is simple: to make a parent’s self-care a guilt-free and gloriously relaxing affair,” says Renea.

American parents have hardly any 'me time'David D (2017)

Becoming a parent often comes at the expense of ‘me time’ – 23% of mums and dads in the US have just one- to two hours to themselves. Setups like Spa Lé La let parents know that they don’t have to choose between self-care and being a good parent, taking the guilt out of relaxing. It’s a refreshing message, and timely, too – the average American parent feels guilty about their parenting decisions 23 times a week. Other lifestyle brands can ease the perfection pressure on parents by getting the whole family in on the wellness action, showing them they don’t have to compromise on their leisure time just because they've had kids.

Helen Jambunathan is an anthropologist and writer at Canvas8, which specializes in behavioral insights and consumer research. She’s currently based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and holds a Masters degree from the University of Cambridge and has spent five years researching the specialty coffee industry. Outside of work, she is a die-hard tennis fan, wearer of many rings, and reader of many things.