Meehee, mother of two

“If it wasn’t for Playcentre, I would have found it very hard to feel settled in New Zealand, especially as English is my second language.”

Meehee is originally from Seoul in Korea, but moved to New Zealand in 2018 with her New Zealand husband and their two children who are now five and seven years old. She didn’t know any other families when they moved to Mount Maunganui and although her eldest had started at the local kindergarten, Meehee still didn’t have the community she missed from home. After visiting Playcentre one day, she soon found what she had been looking for, and formed friendships for herself and her children. 

“It has not only been great for my children, but I have unexpectedly learnt a lot in a safe, kind environment. Learning about the way of life in the Mount, the New Zealand culture and even about local things happening. It’s been amazing meeting people with similar interests and children of the same ages, and I have also been lucky to meet other foreigners like myself”.

She is also grateful that her bilingual children have had the chance to learn and play in this lovely environment. “It has also been really good for my children to build social relationships before starting pre-school and school”.