This new place is ideal for us, it feels like home. There are nice houses in the estate and it’s a nice area.

February 15, 2022

I live with my daughter Aria. I’m from Graiguecullen and have lived there all my life.  Up until I got this new CHI home, I was living with my parents, Aria, and my two brothers in a house very close to here. It’s about five minutes’ walk away, which is very handy. My brothers are 23 and 11 years of age. Our home house was a typical three-bed semi-detached home with a small garden. It really wasn’t suitable for so many of us to be living in it and I think naturally it was a bit tough for my parents having us all there. They were really worried about Covid-19 in the household as we all lived together. If one of us got it, there was no real way to isolate, and we all had to use the same bathroom and everything. It also made it difficult for me to have a routine with Aria, as there were so many other people to consider in the house. They built on a small extension at the back at one stage, but it was still small.

” It’s a huge change for the two of us to have our own space.”

This new place is ideal for us, it feels like home. There are nice houses in the estate and it’s a nice area. The park for little kids at the start of the estate is so lovely to have we know a lot of people in the area. It’s close to Aria’s crèche, which is the same one I went to when I was a child. The local primary school is only a walk away too which will be so handy for when she is older. My best friend got a house just a few doors down which is great, if we run out of bin bags.

It’s wonderful that Aria has her room own and she’s loving it. She has space for her toys and other bits. Every time someone comes over she immediately asks them if they want to see her room.  She’s a lot more independent now too, she’s putting together her own outfits. When her other little cousins are around, she has space to play in her room and we have a lovely sized back garden here for them. We never had that in the old place. We shared a room, and she shared a bed with me. It’s a huge change for the two of us to have our own space.

CHI Member Jodie with Eoin Carroll, CHI’s Policy and Communications Manager during a key handover in Graigue na hAbhainn recently.

I think more than anything I’m looking forward to having a proper routine for Aria. I’ll have more structure and control over the days now that I’ve my own place. I’m also looking forward to being able to be more supportive of my parents now with some things. My little brother stayed here a few days when my parents were sick, and I dropped him to school. We’re hoping to have a birthday party for him too in the back yard as it’s bigger than the one in his home. He really wants a bouncy castle obstacle course for it. It’s been a dream of his for years. It’s great to be able to host that for him, he’s so excited.

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