"Being myself again"

I first visited a sure start children's centre when my little girl was 4 months old. I was breast feeding and was having difficulties. I attended the feeding group for around six month when I moved on to toddler groups. My daughter was not a great sleeper and lack of sleep was affecting home life. It was then that I found out about the sleep course that the centres were running. Completing this course has made a huge difference to my daughter, myself and our home life. She is much more calmer during the day and bed time is no longer a stressful situation and we are all getting a good nights sleep. I have attended several other courses at sure start including most recently a peri natal befriending course which, although I am unable to use these skills for sure start I am hoping to work with vulnerable women and children in the future. It is this desire to change career direction and the support from sure start staff that has meant I am now finishing the degree I started before I had my daughter. This was a big step forward for me, as I then realised that I can achieve my goals and that I could get and hold down a job when the time came. I have now been volunteering at my local sure start centres for just over 2 years and have gained an enormous amount of confidence from helping out and am very grateful for the opportunities that sure start have afforded me. If it wasn't for walking through their doors all those years ago I know I would not be starting a new job or completing my degree.