Paper Jets

Stressed out five-year-olds are being treated with massages and pedicures in a global trend which has psychologists worried. Auckland based Spa Ayurda has seen an increase in child clients popping in for treatments valued up to $60. And elsewhere around the country, preschoolers are having pamper parties which emulate their mothers', complete with manicures and foot spas. Children get stressed just like adults and need to feel good about their bodies, Spa Ayurda owner Rippan Sandhu told the Sunday Star-Times. "Kids are growing at a super fast speed and their lives are full of activities not just at school, but after school too," Sandhu said. "But they don't know how to express stress. They may throw a tantrum or not eat or sleep properly, fight with their siblings or cry and become withdrawn." Spa Ayurda specialises in the Hindu techniques of wellness massage using medicated oils to remove toxins and stress. The spa has seen a steady increase in...

There will be more than kissing going on under the mistletoe this year - if supermarket condom sales are anything to go by. Condom and lubricant sales are bumped up by 25 per cent each Christmas, supermarket figures obtained by the Sunday Star-Times show. The increased condom sales seems to go hand in hand with the extra effort we put into our appearance over summer. And alcohol consumption: New Zealanders swill back 136 per cent more sparkling wine and 40 per cent more light beer over summer. We also down 44 per cent more cider. A quarter of New Zealanders over-indulge on alcohol, which has a range of consequences, National Addiction Centre director, professor Doug Sellman said. "Using condoms while drunk is like driving while drunk - the risk of accident substantially increases," Sellman said. Then there's the hangover. Pain relief tablet sales jump by 20 per cent, and digestive care product sales reach their annual peak at 20 per cent around Christmas. I...