As the long stretch of summer holidays looms large the expected reaction is one of excitement and anticipation.
But with one in ten children in the UK now estimated to be living with depression or anxiety those long weeks can be a stressful time for both parents and young people.
One West Leeds massage therapist is aiming to tackle this growing trend by providing family massage sessions, so both parents and young people can take some much needed time out over the summer break.
Therapist Sara Hawthorn, who runs Ebor Sulis Massage Therapy, in Bramley Baths, said:
“Most people are familiar with baby massage and it’s become popular with many mums, but there’s a big gap between babies and adults where we just don’t use massage therapy as a beneficial tool to soothe and lower stress levels.
“The long summer holiday is a prime example of how stress can creep in – young people can get bored resulting in increased tensions and frazzled parents. By offering family massage sessions we’re allowing parents or guardians, and young people, a way to take some time for themselves whilst also doing an activity together which improves bonds and the benefits of which can instantly be seen.
“Therapeutic massage in a calm and safe environment can help break down walls if young people are struggling with external stresses and give them some time to just stop over-thinking for a while.”
The family massage sessions can be booked online through the Ebor Sulis website. Sessions are £20 for two, 20-minute massage treatments.