“Hi, I’m Tracey and I’ve been a Relax Kids Coach for four years in the North-East of England.

I first became aware of Relax Kids when I had my own children (twin girls) and bought a couple of books and CDs of relaxation/visualisations. They are turning 21 this year so it’s a while ago but they used to love listening to the CDs before they went to sleep. I worked as a Dietitian in the NHS for 25 years prior to doing my training and felt I’d had enough. Initially I thought I’d try doing Relax Kids as a sideline but decided to take a leap of faith and go for it as my only source of income. It’s been a great decision.

I remember thinking on the training weekend “this is just me” and feeling like it was the right thing. I heard other participants talking about how their children had done Relax Kids and how it had been life changing for some. That’s what I wanted out of life, I wanted to make a difference. A former colleague said to me as I was leaving my job, “This is perfect for you, you love teaching and working with groups, and you love kids!”

Qualifying just before the pandemic made my start a bit slow, so I didn’t really get established until September 2021. I’ve ended up doing stuff that I never would have imagined when I did the training, including adult sessions over Zoom and sessions as part of team building days for staff groups. Mostly though I work in primary schools delivering sessions with groups of between 2 and 30 children. I love how adaptable Relax Kids is, with numbers, ages, abilities, space available, indoor/outdoor, you name it, it can be done!

My proudest moment was when I received a message from a parent of a child I was working with in school. She said that even in week two, the difference in her son was huge and had an effect on the whole family because he was happier, calmer, less angry and she talked about how his sparkle had returned. It made my heart burst!

I am without doubt a happier person doing this job. I’ve learnt so much and am continuing to learn every day. I love having young children in my life again and getting to know so many, seeing them change as they go through school and above all feeling useful and valued!”

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