Amanda’s story
“She’ll have her Santa bag forever.”
Amanda is a young mum who arrived at Merivale (a residential programme for mothers and their children run by Iosis) when her daughter, Oceania, was just two weeks old. She says her parents weren’t great role models and didn’t teach her how to raise a family or be a parent. She’s determined to be a good parent and to show that people like her can change.
Merivale provides young mums with a safe stable home as they learn how to overcome past challenges, to parent and prepare for a different future. Women receive counseling and attend a range of life skills, self-development and parenting classes.
In her sixteen months at Merivale, Amanda has learnt how to be a better parent to Oceania, and how to establish routines and a structure to her days. “I’ve learnt how to take care of my daughter, to be present and to love her,” she says.
“The staff have been amazing – they believe in mums like me. All it takes is one person to believe in you and encourage you.”
Last Christmas was her first with Oceania. “It was really special – for me, and most of the Mums at Merivale, it was the first Christmas with our children. Seeing the Santa bag with Oceania’s name on it was something I’ll never forget. You should have seen the faces on the older kids when they saw their bags!”
Oceania was little at that stage, but she wouldn’t let the bag go for two weeks. We hang it in her room and she’ll have it forever. It made me realise that a lot of people have good in their hearts.“
We mums were like kids ourselves on Christmas day – it was so much fun!” she remembers. “I hope Oceania has a lifetime of happy Christmases ahead with her Santa bag. When she’s too old for it, I’m going to put it away for her 21st birthday.”
At Present for You, we’re thrilled to get feedback like this, and to know that our Santa bags really do make a child’s Christmas so much more special.