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Home Alone

    - Anuradha
    
"Why can't you manage? " My husband often asks when I grumble about his traveling. And now, when my son and I are alone once again, I ask myself the same question. "Why can't I manage? What am I doing wrong?"

The more I thought about it, the more I came to the conclusion that it was just a state of mind. All that is required to run a house alone is a little organization, and a lot of self-reliance. Though life becomes a little more hectic when your husband is out of town, it can still be possible for you to cope with ease. 

The main problems you are likely to face when you are alone are:

  • An emergency situation
  • Boredom
Here are some tips to handle both situations. 
 

EMERGENCIES

Your child falls ill 

Rule no. 1: Always be prepared for an emergency! I remember the time when I had to disturb a friend at 2 a.m. as my two and a half year old son was throwing up desperately and I did not have the medicine handy. So now I stock up on all the basic medicines. Of course if it is something that cannot be cured by a good night's rest then take your child straight to the doctor. 

Be sure that: 

  1. You have a ready stock of basic medicines. 
  2. You have your doctor's telephone numbers handy.
  3. You know the timings of his clinic and have an alternative plan of action ready if your doctor is not around.


What happens if you fall sick? 

You could probably call a friend to help you out with your child while you visit a doctor. However, if your child is old enough to manage his/her own work, you could just order food from a restaurant until you feel better.
 

The surprise element

Sometimes you could be really caught unawares!  As one of my friends was telling me, she woke up one fine morning to find that her telephone had been disconnected - she'd forgotten to pay the telephone bill! It could happen to you! And heaven forbid that you've forgotten to pay your electricity bill! 

Be sure that:

  1. If you have a cell phone, you keep it charged and switched on thoughout the night when you are home alone. 
  2. You keep a torch next to your bed, with the batteries! 
And finally, remember, whatever happens -stay calm. All that is needed to handle a crisis is presence of mind!!
 

THE BOREDOM FACTOR

Although emergencies crop up once in a while, boredom is more likely to be your main problem. How do you keep yourself occupied? What do you do in the evenings? How do you keep your child entertained? 

I have a friend whose husband works on a rig. As he is offshore most of the time, she has her own circle of friends who meet once a week, along with children. They organize outings together on weekends, celebrate
birthdays and even have their own 'group' magazine. 
 

Read

If you have the reading habit, borrow books from a library both for yourself and your child. If you don't, now's the best time to inculcate it. As most people will tell you, a book can be a very good companion. 
 

Go out

Make it a point to take your child out every evening, just to the nearby park. Once in a while treat him to some food at the local fast food joint around the corner, or take him to visit a friend who has children his age. Sitting at home and wallowing in self-pity will get you nowhere!

So the next time your husband travels don't feel depressed. Instead, learn to use this as an opportunity to prove that you are an independent and intelligent individual.
 

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