Children are life-changing. No question. Not just in practical terms but emotionally, intellectually and spiritually.

The change happens in varying degrees. For some mums and dads, it’s a cataclysmic change that inspires cosmic realisations and for other parents it’s a more subtle in its nature.

I value my small daughter as an unconsciously brilliant teacher; she brings me insurmountable masses of joy and equal amounts of frustration, and I learn from it all. Mostly she has reminded me that generosity of spirit is essential and that a sense of humour priceless.

Celebrities, although denizens of the far off land of celebdom, become slightly more accessible to us ‘normal’ folk when we realise that many of them go through the same parenting struggles as we do (albeit with the help of nannies and au pairs). Parenthood binds us together in common goal and mind – to do the best that we can for our children.

Here are ten celebrity parenting tips from some celeb mums:

1. Kate Hudson: Trust your instincts – “I got so much advice I just started turning it out. If one more person told me what I had to do, I was going to shoot ‘em.”

2. Heidi Klum: Have self-confidence – “When your kids need you to be very strong and secure, it’s very natural to be.”

3. Catherine Zeta-Jones: Remember what’s important – “I have to be passionate and committed about something if it’s going to take me away from my kids.”

4. Eva La Rue: Forgive yourself – “You’re always going to feel guilty about something but it’s okay. There’s no way around it.”

5. Jennifer Garner: Relax – “I am in jeans that are on the floor and one of five T-shirts that I rotate.”

6. Gwyneth Paltrow: Learn to lighter up – “Could I cook butter, cheese and eggs without going down a kind of hippie spiral? Yes, of course!”

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Two lovely ladies from the US are in the process of selling their idea of a new portable high chair as a solution for active families with small children

Kim Strong and Jamye Baker have put a toddler twist on the lightweight, foldable chairs available in most department and discount stores.

The new portable high chair looks sort of like one of those nifty, fold-up canvas ‘camping chairs’ that have become so popular in recent times. It differs in that it is suited for children from 4 to 18 months and includes an attached tray.

The chair is called ‘Ciao! Baby’ and its inventors want to take it global.

Kim Strong, whose youngest child was 6 months when the inspiration for the chair was birthed, began contemplating alternatives to towing her baby’s high chair “from home to Grammy’s and back” week after week.

“It was so big and bulky and took up so much space,” she said. “I thought there has to be a better way.”

Kim and Jamye recently debuted the new portable high chair at the ninth annual ABC (All Baby & Child) Kids Expo at the Kentucky Exposition Centre in the US.

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Is your baby a boy or a girl? The current trend seems to be to wait and be surprised.

When I was pregnant with my daughter I absolutely had to find out if it was pink or blue that paved my future. I have no sense of the notion ‘delay of gratification’. I wanted to know, and I was happy to tell anyone else who wanted to know.

Initially my husband wanted to do it the ‘old school’ way, and keep it a surprise.

I graciously told him that if he really wanted to wait, I would oblige – what a good wife I am. As it turned out, patience is not his strongest trait either. So we found out at our 20 week scan that pink it was.

Many of my friends are second time preggers at the moment, and most are playing the waiting game. But one of my gal pals has come up with a great idea – that involves surprise but also a little bit of foreknowledge as well.

At her last scan, she and her hubby asked the scanographer to write down their baby’s sex on a card but not tell them. As a special gift to themselves, my friends plan to open the card on Christmas day (their baby is due in late January) – that way  they will save the lovely sense of excitement and anticipation but also have a month’s psychological and practical prep time for their impending arrival.

It’s a win-win scenario.

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Big news at the moment is that the ASA has decided to impose tighter controls on sexualised images in advertising.

I don’t have a television at home so I’m not totally clued into what’s on the box but I know what’s on magazine covers and billboard advertisements, and as the mum of a two-year-old girl I often wonder what those images are burying into my child’s subconscious.

I am no prude but I am also a mum – a protective and concerned parent.

The decision to clamp down followed the publication of the Bailey Report into the commercialisation and sexualisation of childhood – based on the report’s findings, the ASA has decided that the current standard of sexualised images in advertising is not acceptable and is going to tighten the reins on sexualised imagery in the media. Perfume and clothing advertising is likely to be the most affected.

The Bailey Report is an independent review by Reg Bailey who but took on the task as someone who is passionately interested in supporting family life, not only through his job as Chief Executive of Mothers’ Union (a charity supporting parents and children in 83 countries of the world), but also as a parent and grandparent.

In summary, the Bailey Report into sexualised images in advertising recommends that the relevant authorities, bodies and parties concerned need to:

1. Ensure that magazines and newspapers with sexualised images on their covers are not in easy sight of children.

2. Reduce the amount of on-street advertising containing sexualised imagery in locations where children are likely to see it.

3. Ensure that the content of pre-watershed television programming meets parents’ expectations.

4. Introduce age rating for music videos.

5. Make it easier to for parents to block age-restricted and adult content on the internet.

6. Develop a retail code of good practice for retailing to children.

7. Ensure that the regulation of advertising reflects more closely the views of parents and children.

8. Prohibit the employment of children as brand ambassadors and in peer-to-peer marketing.Define a child as under the age of 16 in all types of advertisement regulation.

9. Raise parental awareness of marketing and advertising techniques.

10. Quality assurance for media and commercial literacy resources and education for children.

11. Ensure greater transparency in the regulatory framework by creating a single website for regulators.

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To continue our support with NSPCC and the ‘All Babies Count’ campaign, we have teamed up with one of the World’s most famous jewellery designers, Theo Fennell, and created something of real beauty!

The unique Theo Fennell Sudocrem Bracelet will be auctioned off to raise money for the NSPCC. We commissioned Theo to craft the charm bracelet to mark our 80^th anniversary.

The Sudocrem bracelet is made from white gold and features a white gold mini Sudocrem tub encrusted in 24 (Sudocrem) red rubies. The Theo Fennell Sudocrem bracelet has just gone live on eBay with all proceeds going  to NSPCC.

Theo Fennell – a favourite of Lady Gaga and Elton John – and his team took 3 months to make the Sudocrem bracelet in Theo’s South Kensington workshop.

British Theo said: “I loved the idea of designing something for Sudocrem which appealed to the big baby in me. I hope it raises a huge amount for the NSPCC.”

You can now bid for this amazing unique Theo Fennell Sudocrem bracelet, just follow this link…and Good Luck!!! The auction ends on 22^nd December at 14.41.