i've just kicked dp out and could do with someone to talk to :(

[PinkTulips]

It never stopped Dh, and he was so ill he tried to end his life at one point

Isolation is scary, your LO's are small- what's the Irish provide in the way of family support? Sorry, I know it well in britain (used to work in field) but not there. Is there any equivalent to HomeStart (or do they operate there? They were looking into it, though probably not widely available)

You need to start building relationships. Its hard, but a support network is so important for your own self esteem. Or could you go back home?

am dragging myself to toddler groups and have found one with some nice moms but it'll take time.

nothing like homestart that i know of.

Where are your family PT? You were happy in Cork, could you go back there?

I had a quick google and you're right, unless you wantb to go the ultra-religious route- and then surely you'd have your Church? Blimey- you'd think there's be something! Very

Toddler Group is a good start. I know you're not well off, do they do any free story telling sessions at libraries or anything like that? They're often good as the kids are entertained for you to be able to chat- at toddlers I usued to find myself runninga round after the kids more often than not

can't.... can't move down with no job to go to or place to live and don't have the money to travel down for interviews or pay deposit on a rented place

should never have left, my fault. wanted to go to uni in dublin but dropped out as we were living in a bedsit with no money, couldn't get dole, knew no-one at uni... whole list of things.

we left cork to get away from the drugs but it also meant leaving all my friends

Is Uni not an option now? What's the finace situation there? Here most of the mature students are single mums, and they say it is better. And whata way to build a future (says the student who should be doing her presentation LOL)

toddler group i've found is good in terms of everyone helping out and not having to do too much dashing round after the kids. we go to soft play one morning a week too so dd can run round like a mad woman and i've only got ds to deal with.

first thing i need to do is get my licence renewed and get some driving practice in.... and i'm damned if he's taking my fucking car.... it's in my name if the loan doesn't get paid so it's staying with me!

will go back once ds is done bf (or at least feeding less, i couldn't pump enough to leave for him at the moment!) and i'm not eligible for mature student status til next year anyway. not sure what i can get on my crappy results but i'm sure there's something

Do you have no support from your family at all though? I am a bit that you gave up the opportunity of a third level education, presumeably he could have gotten a job. I believe they are not that difficult to get in Ireland these days.

Ahem

just looked, Dublin Uni assesses mature students of life skills as well as exam results so you should be oK

i did go back to college, that's why we're in alway. we hated dublin so when we moved i did a course here but got pregnant before i finished.... chose a stupid course anyway for me.... marketing want to do something a bit more practical and hands on.... but what i really want there's no way i'll get. have tried before.

maths lets me down everytime and there's no point repeating...... i just can't do maths, i'm mildly dyspraxic and maths just eludes me

Galway is lovely, been there. We moved here for Uni and it IS isolating- only 60 miles to family but that's enough

What course do you want?

I failed maths 4 times before I passed, I have dyscalculia but managed to find ways it worked for me- for example, if i write the numbers in word format I can do it quite easilty, its the numerics I cant cope with! Strange but true! There's loads of different techniques like that out there, if you look- even things like brqain gym are supposed to be amazing

will look into that, all my teachers and parents just acted like i was making excuses and could do it if i tried so i sort of gave up trying to make people understand...... it's only recently the dyspraxia has come to light and explained a lot of things from my childhood!

will have a go of writing the numbers as words, it's so simple it might just work as i'm very good at english and languages

want to do veterinary nursing but need maths and possibly chemistry (my chem teacher and i came to the mutual conclusion halfway through exam year it was probably best i gave up before someone got hurt )

right, i'm going to bed to sleep on this.

thanks for the support and patiance everyone, and please don't be too cross at my dithering. it's harder when ít's your own life... if this were anyone else i'd be saying exactly the same thing as you guys.