John Bowlby's attachment theory proposes that infants are biologically predisposed to form attachment relationships with parents who are the source of comfort and protection. The way parents engage and interact with their baby forges new brain pathways in their higher (upstairs) brain – frontal lobes. When a parent is warm and responsive to their infant when they are distressed or afraid, the brain will connect in a secure attachment style.

When children start school in kindergarten, they are generally excited at the prospect of making new friends and learning to read and write. The charm of unaffected innocence. If only learning (and making friends) was as simple as it was expected.

Literacy, numeracy, problem solving, and reading comprehension attainment are important skills for potential academic success. However, research suggests it is the development of character traits or qualities such as persistence, self-control, curiosity, conscientiousness, grit, and self-confidence that are key to not only developing a resilient mindset, ability to bounce back from setbacks, but also support academic success.

It's almost that time of year when thousands of children don on their shiny new school shoes and head through the school gates for the first time. Some children look forward to making new friends, becoming a whole year 'smarter', and using their new stationery. For others the days leading up to the first day of school can be filled with nerves.