With the premise that the best way to raise children is by making sure parents take care of themselves, a new wellness franchise is offering a number of ways families can connect with others while keeping physically fit and mentally healthy.

WOWMOMSWORLD Montreal is a wellness centre that offers programs and services for people of all ages, even babies as young as 3 months old. The franchise also has locations in Brossard and Laval.

Montreal mother of two Daniela Rusu opened the centre on de Sorel St., on March 8, mere days before the pandemic lockdown. A former lawyer, Rusu says she opened the centre because she wanted to spend more time with her two daughters. “I had my daughters very young, at 25 and 26 years old,” she said. “I didn’t want to go back to working long hours and not being with my kids.”

Because the centre had to close so soon after opening, Rusu has had to restructure the space to adhere to government health guidelines. While the full menu of services is not yet available since it began to reopen on June 15, there are still many activities for families to enjoy including the spa, swim lessons, and flotation therapy sessions for babies between the ages of 2 weeks and 12 months.

During floatation therapy sessions, babies float in the pool near their parents with a little device around their necks. They are given toys to play with, and the pools have little jets and bubbles to help babies relax so they can sleep better. The water in the pools used for flotation therapy has bromine instead of chlorine, which does not cause the baby’s eyes to burn if splashed.

“A lot of moms come here just to do the flotation therapy so the baby can sleep through the night,” Rusu says.

The centre also offers indoor play areas for children and a café, which serves healthy food options for both kids and adults. The spa is open to the public and offers manicures and pedicures, massages, waxing, eyelash extensions, and facials. Nanny services are available for parents.

“The goal was to have a space for families to enjoy while their kids can play and be kids,” Rusu says. It is also a place for new moms to make friends with people who have the same interests and kids of similar age, she added.

The centre has also introduced a new series of parent-and-child classes for children under 5 called Play and Learn. Parents can sign up for morning or afternoon sessions, on either a regular or drop-in basis. The sessions include music, art, cooking, Zumba, and playful math and science classes.

The play areas are open every weekday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. There are BPA-free plastic and wood toys for kids to play with – and they are disinfected between each visit. No more than 10 kids can play in each play area at a time. Parents can reserve time in the play areas by calling 1-855-969-6667

The café, right across from the play area, will also be open at the same time, so parents can eat, have a coffee, and socialize while their kids play. The café is also open for takeout or delivery.

Rusu plans to reopen some programs that were put on hold because of the pandemic. For example, there will be gymnastics programs for kids from 10 months to 4 years old as well as classes that parents and children can participate in together, like martial arts, dancing, and yoga. And don’t be fooled by the centre’s name: Rusu says child-parent courses will be open to dads as well.

There are four party rooms; parents rent one of them, choose a theme and staff take care of all the details including invitations, balloons, decorations, flowers and will even provide the cake, via Les Délices Lafrenaie. Activities will include animation, dance classes, and parents can even book a mascot.

Two sinks have been installed at the entrance for hand washing and everyone must undergo a temperature screening. There are separate bathrooms for staff and guests. Masks are mandatory while inside.

Three locations:

5155 de Sorel St., Montreal
3020 Curé-Labelle Blvd., Laval
3400 de l’Éclipse St.,  #210, Brossard,

Customers can register online for all services. For more information, visit www.wowmomsmtl.com.