It's raining, you're late for school, and the children's wellies come out of the cupboard for the first time in months. But do they still fit? Why the welly check matters, what to look for in children's wellies and socks, and how retailers can turn a rainy-morning scramble into something better.

A trade show is where you see a brand's heart. At Harrogate International Nursery Fair 2026 three stands stayed with me: Will & Finch, a changing bag designed by a stay-at-home dad; EcoKinly, the Irish reusable nappy brand that asks parents to start with just one; and Newlife, the charity turning brands' dead stock into equipment for disabled children.

Halloween fun doesn't have to cost the planet. Not everything we do is perfect, but a charity shop dress, a borrowed top, reusable spider buns and pumpkin soup are little steps in the right direction, without taking the fun away from the children.

JoJo Maman Bébé just marked ten years as a certified B Corp with a T-shirt designed around ideas from its own young customers. I heard founder Laura Tenison speak about how she built the business this week, and there's one thing, even I can't work out: why she called it JoJo Maman Bebe?

There is a working summit on circularity in London next month, with roundtables on resale, takeback, digital product passports and the economics of it all. Maternity, baby and children's product has every structural advantage the conversation needs. We are in the room. We are just not loud enough in it yet, and that is worth changing.

From 19th July 2026, large companies selling into the EU can no longer destroy unsold clothing, footwear and accessories, not by landfill, incineration or shredding. Here is why brands destroyed unsold stock in the first place, why the economics pushed the wrong way, and how curated resale keeps product in use and pays far more than a liquidator.

Children's resale is heading for $12.8bn by 2030, a genuine new revenue stream for brands, not a threat. But not everything should be resold: some items are unsafe or even illegal to sell second-hand. Three resale models to learn from, which children's products you can and cannot resell, and how to open resale without taking on the heavy logistics.