One of the biggest fears when you go from being with someone to being single is feeling safe. The house is strangely quiet in the middle of the night or when the kids are away. You hear every little thing and often jump in the middle of the night at the slightest of noises. You feel as if you cannot relax and have an alcoholic beverage or any type of medication that would alter your perception in any way. What if there was a fire? Would I awake to the alarm or the smell of the smoke? What if someone had to go to emergency in the middle of the night? Would I be alert enough to drive them there? What if someone tried to break in? What would I do? How can I keep my children safe?
Some things that you can do to put your mind at ease:
~Because many people work they are not home during the day and this is a common time for robberies.
~Leave a light on downstairs at night so it looks as if someone is up and about in the house.
~Make sure to shut your blinds in your house so that nobody can look inside. Do the same in the garage.
~Install an automatic security alarm. You may even consider to install motion detectors and have alarms on the windows.
~Install deadbolts on every door. Do not leave the key in the deadbolt lock that has any type of window in it. They can break the glass and turn the key.
~Park your car in the garage and keep your door closed.
~Keep bushes and shrubs trimmed low around windows. Consider planting thorny type bushes.
~Keep your cell phone by your bed at night at all times.
~Make sure smoke detectors are in good working order at all times.
~Have a trusted neighbor keep on eye on your house, let them know how you feel.
~Have a backup plan if you are not feeling well. Make sure there is someone you can call for help if you need to.
~Use a peephole on your door and always look out it before opening it.
~For sliding doors, place a piece of wood or steel in the door channel.
Using these measures should help you to feel quite a bit safer. If you ever feel unsafe do not hesitate to call the police to check things out. Explain to them your circumstances. You would be surprised at how understanding they can be. I know of a single woman who would call them before entering her home after being away on several occasions. They were completely obliging to her.
It is always better to be safe rather than sorry later on. Many people will laugh that you are worrying unnecessarily. They have not had the experience and again they do not understand this fear, but it is very real. Sleep well.
Angel Lynn writes in weight loss, single parenting, and health