"Why cant 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 cant 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. In this articleEMERGENCIESWhat happens if you fall sick?The surprise elementTHE BOREDOM FACTORReadGo outEMERGENCIES 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 nights rest then take your child straight to the doctor. Be sure that: You have a ready stock of basic medicines. You have your doctors telephone numbers handy. 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 - shed forgotten to pay the telephone bill! It could happen to you! And heaven forbid that youve forgotten to pay your electricity bill! Be sure that: If you have a cell phone, you keep it charged and switched on thoughout the night when you are home alone. 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 dont, nows the best time to inculcate it. As most people will tell you, a book can be a very good companion. Go out So the next time your husband travels dont feel depressed. Instead, learn to use this as an opportunity to prove that you are an independent and intelligent individual.
"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: - You have a ready stock of basic medicines.
- You have your doctor's telephone numbers handy.
- 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: - If you have a cell phone, you keep it charged and switched on thoughout the night when you are home alone.
- 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
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.
