I canโ€™t wait for the new school year to start. Working from home (see my confessions of a stay-and-work-at-home mum here) the school holidays have been rather a juggle, what with BB off school for six whole weeks and limited childcare for Little B.

Things will be so much easier when weโ€™ve got our normal routine back. Weโ€™ve got the new shoes, the next-size-up uniform and the new winter coat, and everything is labelled and ready for the new school year.

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This got me thinking, though, that after preparing BB for starting school last year there are also some back to school essentials you didnโ€™t know you need.

For example, starting school or going back to school after the summer holidays can be a daunting prospect for little ones, so you could consider getting them a back to school necklace or bracelet like a https://serp.co/best/back-to-school-necklace/ to remind them you’re always thinking about them.

There are also a few other essentials I didn’t know I needed to help the return to school go smoothly.

Back to school essentials you didnโ€™t know you need

1. Kidsโ€™ vitamins. After starting school last September BB caught a string of bugs culminating in a spell in hospital after a particularly nasty cold turned into pneumonia. In a bid to avoid a repeat performance Iโ€™m giving her a daily Haliborange Mr Men & Little Miss โ€˜strawberry softieโ€™ multivitamin (ยฃ4.99 for 30, although they’re currently on offer for ยฃ3.32 at Superdrug), which looksย  – and tastes – like a strawberry flavoured sweet. With a bit of luck they will give her immune system a boost before they all start sneezing over each other and swapping snot again.

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2. Head lice treatment. Famous last words and all that, but so far weโ€™ve escaped the dreaded lice. That said, the last thing you want to be doing if you discover the little critters is fannying around trying to get your hands on the necessary treatment. So weโ€™ve got Lyclearโ€™s treatment shampoo (ยฃ13.99, currently on offer for ยฃ9.29 in Superdrug), which promises to kill head lice and eggs in 10 minutes. Forewarned is forearmed, I say.

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3. Snacks. Iโ€™m sure they get fed plenty at school, but even so after school I feel like Iโ€™m laying on a constant buffet until bedtime. BB gets so hungry on schoolย days it’s unbelievable.ย Itโ€™s time to stock up, people.

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4. A new outfit. Youโ€™ve shelled out all that hard-earned cash on their shiny new shoes and smart winter coat, why shouldnโ€™t you arrive at the school gates in something new too? After all, you have just survived the school holidays.

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5. Wine. Last but by no means least, donโ€™t forget to stock up on the wine โ€“ or gin, or whatever your choice of tipple might be (thereโ€™s no judging here). If, like me, the small matter of pregnancy means you canโ€™t drink at the moment, or itโ€™s not your thing (said no-one I know, ever), make sure youโ€™ve got something to look forward to at the end of the first day/week back. I know Iโ€™m going to need it.

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Are you looking forward to the kids going back to school?ย Areย there any essentialsย Iโ€™ve left off the list?

We were sent the Haliborange multivitamins and Lyclear head liceย treatment shampoo by Superdrug free of charge for the purpose of review. As always all opinions are my own and based on my own honest experience.

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