Young Mums Stories
Shannon
I heard about the Young Mums parenting program through a social worker at the Woman’s Centre. At first I was unsure and felt out of my comfort zone, but from the start, I was welcomed with a beautiful positive demeanour from all the staff and it wasn’t long until I felt safe – all the anxiety went away and meeting other mums with similar backgrounds meant that there were other people just like me!
I started to really take on the learning after the first 4 weeks of getting into routine and becoming familiar with faces, so that I could focus to learn.
Something that really stood out to me was the Parenting Tool Box – learning new tools for successful parenting that I hadn’t known before. The course included other cool stuff too, like understanding addiction, anxiety and even building your self-worth. This is when my healing journey began.
My life before doing this course was the hardest time of my life. I was in a violent domestic relationship and I had no self-respect, which led to drug dealing and drug use. I found it very hard to navigate through life as a normal person. At Gracegate, I found people who wanted to support me and my children, they really went above and beyond to show me my worth, supporting me and believing in me. Today I am clean and sober, I am a present parent, I have boundaries, values, faith in Jesus and I have held down a job for 3 years that I am truly passionate about! Today I work for Gracegate! I was given opportunities to heal, learn and grow and now I get to pass that onto young mums.
This program has had a huge positive impact on me as a woman, daughter and mother. I have found a village for me and my children. This course truly was the beginning of a brand new journey for me.
If I could give any advice to anyone thinking about joining this course, I would say, “Don’t let overthinking stop you from embracing this opportunity! Step outside your comfort zone and give it a go! There are so many benefits and if you let it, it can be the road to a journey of healing for you too.”
Tahleisha
I found the Young Mums Program one day, while Googling to find something to do and came across the Gracegate website. My first impression of the program was good! Deep down I was ready to do something new, and there was nothing holding me back, other than nerves. I did the course, then returned to do the course a second time. This was when I started to feel more comfortable. I enjoyed doing all the subjects, but what made a massive difference in my life were the modules dealing with self-compassion, confidence and self-love.
Before doing the course, I was a very shy and closed off girl. I would avoid doing anything that involved communication. I was very selective of who I would talk to and trust. It wasn’t until my 2nd time doing the Young Mums course that everything changed. Then, when I started feeling more comfortable with Gracegate and everyone in it, I even started coming to church and really coming out of my shell. I am so different now. I am confident and not afraid to give voice to what I am thinking. I take on opportunities when they come my way and I’ve even started volunteering.
The impact the Young Mums program has had on me and my family is massive! I am much happier with myself and am parenting my children a lot more hands-on than before; I am more present.
I have a community where I feel safe and valued. And my children enjoy being involved in Gracegate’s other programs, such as church and Salt.
I would love to encourage anyone considering doing Young Mums course. Do it! You will find a great community that you didn’t know you needed. A big family for life. Be consistent and your whole life will change.
Amber
I heard about Young Mums through my doctor, when I was looking for some guidance on being a new parent. I wanted to make sure I was going to do it right. She said she had other mums she’d seen that have gone through the program and they all loved it, which gave me the push to check it out.
When I first walked in the doors at Gracegate, I sat down on a chair in the reception area. There was no one at the desk, but there were 3 people chatting at the table around the corner and I remember sitting there, hoping they actually wouldn’t notice me, because I was this 19 year-old with a little baby in a church and I was terrified of extroverted people and new environments. I thought to myself “Wow, these people are the happiest people I’ve ever seen” as everyone had equally as much positive energy as the next. Before long someone noticed me, introduced themselves and walked me through to the Young Mums group and answered all my questions. They even offered me bread to take home! Even though I was only visiting, the mums doing the program were extremely kind and answered all the questions I had, reassuring me it was worthwhile doing.
After the first 2 weeks, I started taking in stuff properly. The initial weeks were spent making sure I was getting into routine and getting to know the other mums I was spending my time with. I liked the Parenting Toolbox module the best – it is super helpful information to know and was pretty to the point, which meant no time was wasted and it was easy to understand. Making posters afterwards helped tremendously with remembering the things that were taught, as it was put into our own words in a way we understand and I always go back and look at them as I like to remind myself what I’ve learnt. But also to judge my creative abilities to improve them for next time.
Before doing the Young Mums course, I was really quiet, observant and also felt like I was under a lot of pressure. I felt alone. I wasn’t proud to be a mum, but ashamed and scared. I would avoid meeting new people and even avoid going to new places, due to the stress of parenting alone in a public space.
I am now confident in myself, both emotionally and physically. I feel like I do well as a parent and have a handle on being a parent, with the occasional hiccups as I’m always learning something new. I now make time for myself and my needs, while doing the best I can for my daughter, balancing “me time” and our shared time together.
Young Mums has changed everything in my life in a positive way. It’s only me and my daughter, but I made friends at Gracegate that I’ve kept and see weekly. It has encouraged good eating and sleeping, rules to follow, and even guidance on how to discipline my daughter, in a way that works best for both of us. It has given me support with what to do when I’m frustrated. I’ve learnt my daughter’s love language and I try to fill her cup whenever I can. I’ve learnt praise goes miles with her and that if you focus on what’s good instead of what’s bad, she opens up and learns more. It’s helped me create ideas for new traditions for us. I also have lovely mealtime ideas to make eating easier. My daughter does her best with the routine we have set up and she’s happiest when it’s followed. She’s made amazing friends at kindy and she looks forward to going every single day to see them.
The Young Mums course is a fantastic program. I enjoyed every part of it, always learning something. The range of ways they teach the information is extremely helpful as it wasn’t just reading and writing, there was drawing and colouring, very occasionally acting out scenarios. There are weekly fun physical activities, such as silks, swimming, or you might do fun games in the gym. We had outings with the kids, or outings just as parents together. We were fortunate to have our children enrolled at the nearest Kindercare (just a block from Gracegate), to allow us the time to focus and learn, which is so generous! There are frequent breaks and all our snacks and lunches were provided for, so there are no additional expenses on this program. If you didn’t have your license they pick you up before the program and drop you home again after. I am so grateful I got a chance to be part of the program, as it’s changed my life for the better. I feel confident that it was one of the best things I’ve ever participated in, and I’m so thankful for Gracegate and the facilitators. I couldn’t recommend this program more.
Kristel
My first impression of the Young Moms program was that it felt so homely. Some hard truths were realised and I absolutely wasn’t ready for what I learnt, but it felt great to be learning and growing. Gracegate was the first place I have ever been where I felt a sense of belonging, from the beginning. I was understood, supported and so loved for simply being ME. It became the first place that I run to, when something isn’t going right.
On the course, one topic that stood out to me most was “Red, Green and Orange Flags in Relationships.” This is where I learnt that relationships create a ripple effect in my parenting and my day-to-day life.
When I first started coming to Gracegate, I was a very broken person. I had low self-esteem, I was stuck in old habits of addiction and battling depression, I had no connection with my daughter and my relationships with friends and family were suffering. I was searching for validation in all the wrong ways, causing a lot of trouble in my life. These days, I have a beautiful relationship with my daughter, friends and family, I have been able to gain fulltime work as well as complete my studies.One of the biggest changes in my life was starting my faith journey and later getting baptised. What a blessing!
Before doing the Young Moms program. I was a single mom, struggling alone. I was stuck in a toxic relationship that was damaging to myself and my daughter. I had no family support and little knowledge on how to be the best version of myself, let alone how to be a good mom. Doing the Young Moms program has given me the tools to be able to break toxic cycles, recognise red flags within relationships, know my worth and how to really apply myself in the best way I can, to bond with my daughter. We have been able to grow together in faith, and we gained a life that I could only ever have dreamed of having. Learning who I am and who I want to be has given us the ability to love one another wholeheartedly, and make those core memories in good spirit.
If I could encourage anyone to do the Young Mums program, I would say; It is by far the best parenting course you can do. The lifelong friends, community and support you gain is such a blessing. The skills you learn benefit not only your child at their current age, but also in future. Doing this course gives you tools that you can continue to use throughout your life and your child’s. It is fun, energetic, and encouraging. The amount of love, support and understanding I received is what made me keep coming back.
Contact us
We have intakes for the Young Mums Program at specific times through the year. If you’re interested, or know someone who might benefit from the program, take a minute to complete the form below and we’ll get in contact with you.
