This will be an exciting new beginning for our kids and an opportunity to celebrate the learnings and experiences they will benefit from.

Let’s take the opportunity to put in place some back-to-school habits that children may have lost and give them the support they need to continue developing the core abilities all children need – curiosity, sociability, resilience, self-awareness, self-esteem, integrity, resourcefulness, open-mindedness, creativity, quality time, empathy and love.

As the lazy days of summer wane, we all need to get ready. Here are a few simple tips to help everyone kick-off the new school year with a great start, motivated and full of enthusiasm and optimism.

Ease into it by getting back to a sleeping and waking up routine. Setting up a regular bedtime and wake-up routine before school starts is a crucial step to prepare children being alert during classes and a practical way to cut down on first-days stress.

Plan out your mornings and evenings. Some morning responsibilities children can start practicing might be to get dressed, eat breakfast, brush their teeth, put on their shoes and get their backpacks.

Before going to bed they may take a bath, brush their teeth, put on their pj’s, tuck in bed and listen to a story with mom or dad. Help your child make a list of their morning and evening responsibilities by drawing them together with you.

Make reading a routine. As part of their evening routine invite your little ones to choose a book before bedtime, whether before dinner or before bath time. Once they are on their pj’s cuddle up with them and enjoy reading the book they have chosen.

Get crafty. Make name tags for their backpacks. This is a simple and fun way to personalize children’s backpacks, as well as help them to identify them quickly and easily.

First – draw an outline of the children’s names onto the cards (older kids can of course do this themselves). Make the letters big and chunky to give plenty of room to color them in.

Second – have the children color in their names. Older kids could try creating a different pattern in each letter!

Third – cut out the names leaving a small border all around, and at least an inch before the first letter (this is where you need to punch a hole). If you wish you can write address and contact details on the back of each name.

Fourth – laminate the name tags, re-punch the holes and use key rings or ribbon to attach the tags to the backpacks.

Plan ahead for healthy lunch boxes. Sit down with your kids to plan the lunches and snacks for the week. You may want to practice making these lunches and snacks together during the last days of summer.

Post the meal plan on your fridge at home, so kids know what to expect for lunch the next day and you’ll know what to grab at the grocery store.

Try to include a serving from each of the four food groups for lunch. That’s vegetables and fruit; grain products, dairy, and meat and alternatives. Meanwhile, snacks should include a serving from two food groups. Think about including some of these healthy foods:

• Sandwich
• Tortilla
• Bagels
• Cup of fruit and vegetables
• Cheese
• Homemade muffins
• Yogurt
• Cereal

Get creative, keep it simple and kid sized.

Check out for ideas in our Pinterest Board.