Online and in the shops

Vitamin boost, soothing drops, gut friendly and one-stop shop.

Including protein and wholegrains at each meal helps to slow down the release of sugar into the blood, providing a steady supply of energy throughout the school day, says wholefoods nutritionist Julie Ann Walsh.

A good multivitamin and mineral supplement to cover any vital nutrients they may not be getting is also a smart choice, she says. Higher Nature Vital Vits contains 19 essential vitamins and minerals.

This chewable multivitamin has three fruity flavours with fun- shaped characters to appeal to children: Teddy Raspberry, Alien Lime and Robot Mango. Suitable for age 3 upwards years old Higher Nature Vital Vits are €10.87 for 30; www.highernature.co.uk

Soothing drops:

Another handy product to have in your handbag at this time of year is Bach Rescue Remedy. There are lots of ways to take this remedy which brings a little calm in times of stress.

For children over two years of age try Gummy Stars, which come in handy strips of three, perfect to pop into pencil cases for little worriers.

Each Gummy Star contains four drops of the soothing Rescue combination of five flower essences, in a pleasant natural orange flavour, €5.99; www.nelsonsnaturalworld.com

Gut friendly:

Taking a children’s probiotic like Udo’s Choice Super 5 lozenges, will ensure that your little one’s system is thriving with “friendly” bacteria ready to battle any bugs that come their way in the classroom.

There’s 2 billion good bacteria in each chewable lozenge, with a pleasant raspberry flavour which means there’s unlikely to be any arguments!

Super 5 contains five strains of bacteria including Lactobacillus salivarius and Xylitol to promote good oral health and prevent cavities. Suitable for children aged 5 and over, Super 5 is €21.99 for 60 lozenges; www.udoschoice.ie

One-stop shop:

More than 100 retailers will be exhibiting at this September’s SMA Know-How Pregnancy & Baby Fair including Tommee Tippee, BellaBaby, Tony Kealys, Mothercare, SuperValu, Baby Elegance, iCandy and Dorel.

Now in its sixth year, the Pregnancy & Baby Fair is Ireland’s longest running exhibition for all things baby-related.

It takes place in the RDS on September 26 and 27; tickets are €10 and now available on Ticketmaster; www.pregnancyandbabyfair.ie