That's Beauty and Living: Aldi Baby and Toddler Event: Like visiting a baby ...

That's Beauty and Living: Aldi Baby and Toddler Event: Like visiting a baby ...: Are you preparing for a new arrival in the family? Waiting for a friend to give birth? Or perhaps you already have a little one to buy for? ...

Do you home school?

Many people do. And for a wide variety of reasons. Lack of good educational opportunities in the local area, a child withdrawn from school due to bullying (by fellow pupils or teachers) or lack of facilities for a child with specific needs.

Over the next few months, That's Parenting will carry several articles on home schooling. Please look out for them.

The National Trust reveals kids' want and need more family time

The National Trust has revealed one in five 8-11 year olds want to spend more time with their parents and more than a third of parents said they want to spend more time with their kids.

While watching television and DVDs tops the YouGov poll as the most common way for parents and children to spend time together in the UK 26 per cent of children aged 8-11 years old and nearly half (49 per cent) of all parents surveyed said they would like to spend more time together just going for a walk. 

To help families get out on an autumn walk, users of the website Mumsnet have provided some top tips on making sure that parents have got everything ready for a fun day out such as climbing a huge hill, flying a kite or hunting for some treasure on a beach.

Over the half-term period there will be hundreds of family walking adventures at National Trust properties as part of the Great British Walk, which has been organised in partnership with PruHealth.

These walks are the perfect way for kids to tick off their '50 things to do before they’re 11 ¾' , including collecting and play conkers and picking and eating apples straight from the tree.

Simon Pryor, Natural Environment Director at the National Trust, said: "Despite the fact that TV seems to be dominating family life its really encouraging that children and parents want to spend more time together and that walking is seen as a great way of doing just that.

"Walking is a brilliant way for families to spend time together, get fit and discover the joy of the British countryside.

"And with so many great activities taking place at National Trust properties around the country this half-term there's no better time to get out and go on a walking adventure."

Mumsnet co-founder and CEO Justine Roberts added: "It's all too easy to end up spending all family time in front of screens, watching TV or playing video games. Spending time with the children outdoors can be just as cheap as well as fun and educational and offers a bit of balance in a world dominated by X-Factor and Fifa 12."

Dr William Bird, GP, said: "Children can benefit hugely from walking in the outdoors. High blood pressure, cholesterol and depression can be detected in children as young as 10, due to inactivity. Spending time with family, in the outdoors, can invigorate even the most TV or X-box-obsessed children."

Free family friendly trails can be downloaded from www.nationaltrust.org.uk/greatbritishwalk and families can share their favourite walks online for the chance to win a stay in a National Trust holiday cottage.

The Miffy Bath Care Range

Get your kids squeaky clean with the Miffy Hair and Body Wash, Miffy Mild Bath Bubbles and Miffy Baby Lotion (300ml; £2.99 each). The mild mixtures are made with organic camomile to sooth and calm babies (also paraban-free, allergen-free, artificial colour-free, SLS/SLES-free, pH balanced).

To help get scrubbing, the 100% cotton Miffy Wash Mitt (£2.99) comes in red, yellow, blue or green. The wipe-clean Miffy Blue Bib (£4.99) helps keep babies food-free and the Miffy Single Toothbrush (£1.99) is a soft bristle toothbrush delicate enough to use on children aged 0-3. The gorgeous Miffy Hooded Towel (£9.99) is 100% cotton, is super soft and perfect for wrapping your baby in to keep warm after bath time.

Perfect as presents the Miffy Bath Kit contains 70ml of the baby lotion, hair and body wash and bath bubbles as well as a gorgeous Miffy flannel (£9.99). The Miffy Bath Care Collection also makes a great present, including a 300ml bottle of hair and body wash as well as 100% cotton hooded bath towel (£9.99).

Dot Dash for glory! ‘Push Presents’ with a Personal Touch

The popularity of new mothers receiving a ‘Push Present’ to celebrate the arrival of a new baby has increased in recent years with several high profile celebrity mums being showered with extravagant gifts from their partners. Nick Fitch, owner and founder of award-winning contemporary British jeweller, Nicholas James, is himself the proud father of three young sons. The arrival last year of little Jude inspired Nick to create a very special celebration ring to surprise his wife, Rebecca.

Nick envisioned spelling out the name of the new addition to the Fitch brood in Morse code symbols using a mixture of white and brown diamonds set into a platinum band. The resulting ring was an overwhelming hit with Rebecca, who was absolutely thrilled with such an individual gift. Spurred on by this success, Nick now offers this unusual design concept to his customers.

Hand made to order, each item of jewellery offers fantastic scope for creating a truly unique piece. Additional elements of personalisation including the setting of different coloured gems to reflect the appropriate birthstones or using specific precious metals and finishes to complement existing jewellery.

Nick explains; “I’ve always been fascinated by codes and conveying secret messages. There’s an inherent beauty in the simplicity of ‘dots’ and ‘dashes’ created by American artist Samuel F. B. Morse in 1836. A Baby Celebration Ring makes a truly individual memento and is a great contemporary alternative to more traditionally styled eternity rings.”

As each Baby Celebration Ring is bespoke please visit the Nicholas James showroom in Hatton Garden to discuss your requirement

Baby Show Celebrates 10th Birthday at Earls Court, 26-28th October 2012

The Baby Show Earls Court is the flagship event in The Baby Show calendar and this year there’s even more to shout about because they are celebrating their 10th Birthday!

They will be joined by a who’s who of parenting experts including Professor Robert Winston (Child of our time), Annabel Karmel MBE (The Baby & Toddler Mealplanner), Claire Byam-Cook (celebrity breastfeeding expert) and Dr Julie Coultas (baby development expert). There is a host of exciting content for visitors including daily fashion shows, The Face of the Baby Show competition, giveaways and of course, lots and lots of opportunity to shop.

With over 300 brands present at the show it’s the ideal opportunity to test and buy in a tailor made environment that includes free changing facilities courtesy of nappy recycling experts Nappies2Go, a free Fisher-Price crèche (bookable in advance), Vtech Smart Play Zone packed with innovative toys to help development through play, a shopping drop off and collect by car service, so that you don’t have to lug your shopping around with you and for the first time you can take the stress out of shopping completely by booking a personal shopping experience with Baby Concierge.

With leading brands such as Britax, Fisher Price, Mamas & Papas, Mothercare, M&S, Stokke, Superdrug, The Gro Company & Trunki in attendance, The Baby Show really is a one stop shop for all of your parenting needs.

The Baby Show, Earls Court 26th – 28th October 2012. Advance tickets cost £13.50 each (Friday) and £14.50 each (Saturday & Sunday) or £20 on the door. To book advance tickets visit thebabyshow.co.uk

Hunter Launch Their 2012 Autumn/Winter Kids Collection

Designed to keep children's feet dry, Hunter Boots' new kids collection is perfect for school trips, rainy mornings and weekends spent in the great outdoors this Autumn. The new Autumn/Winter collection features brand new styles designed to be fun and useful, such as Hunter's first glow-in-the-dark boot and a roll-up kids welly boot.

With the nights drawing in, Hunter are proud to announce the launch of their new Kids collection for Autumn/Winter 2012. Featuring an amazing selection of colours, designs, features and accessories, Hunter Boot have created a collection that will keep kids and their parents happy.

Chris Dewbury, Sales Director at Hunter explains: “The team at Hunter are particularly happy with our latest kids collection because it offers so much choice for all the family, from boots, to socks, to bags. We're especially pleased with our Original Kids' Glow Boot which glows green in the dark and is fitted with light reflective strips and a reflective logo, making it perfect for after dark activities, such as Halloween and Bonfire Night.”

As well as glowing green boots, Hunter's latest kids collection also offers a number of handy accessories that are great for kids and their parents, such as a mini version of the Classic Boot Bag, the Kids' Rucksack Boot Bag. The bag, which is available in two vibrant colours, fuschia and blue, is designed to be useful as well as stylish. Featuring adjustable shoulder straps, a reinforced back panel, a reflective logo and an extra internal pocket, it can be used for much more than just carrying muddy wellies this Autumn.

Because the nights are getting darker and colder, Hunter know that keeping little toes toasty this Autumn is very important. So the collection also features a number of variations on their classic welly socks. Kids can choose to accessorise their welly boots with anything from classic school shades such as navy, green and black, or go for bright stripes that will add a pop of fun to their welly boots. The Autumn/Winter 2012 collection features Hunters Kids’ First Welly Socks which are designed to fit the smallest of feet.

Because welly boots can take up a lot of space in bags and the car, Hunter boots have put their innovative stamp on a pair of boots that kids can take with them easily when they travel. The Original Kids' Tour has a light, flexible leg crafted onto a durable Hunter rubber sole so it can be quickly rolled away and packed into a suitcase without taking up lots of space or weight. With a comfortable cuff top and Hunter buckle to the side, the Tour maintains its good looks, as well as its functionality, making it perfect for camping, weekends away and festivals.

Dewbury continues: “Hunter's Autumn/Winter Kids collection is inspired by our adult collection of wellington boots giving little ones the chance to have as much fun as mum and dad do in their Hunter boots. We've also added lots of little fun features, such as reflective strips and the added bonus of extra colours and accessories to make sure that kids feet are warm, dry and fashionable this year. ”

Hunter Original Kids’ boot is available in sizes 8 – 14 and the Hunter Kids’ First boot is available in sizes 4 – 1.