I know that for most of us it is a little too early for cabin fever to be setting in, but from talking with some other single parents, I think there are those times when it really DOES feel like the walls are closing in—the house is too small, there is too much disorder and chaos, and it seems as though one will never get things into a manageable state again. My words might not help when you are in the midst of one of those periods, but it is temporary—things will open up again.
I live in a moderate-sized, two-story townhouse with three bedrooms and three and a half baths. When I am home alone, it feels quite ample and cozy—but get three kids, three cats, and a few extra bodies in there with all their stuff, mess, and psychology and it can definitely feel like things are getting claustrophobic and the walls are starting to pinch in. Most days, it doesn’t really bother me, but there are those days or weeks when things start to pile up and it feels as though I cannot turn around twice without bumping into someone else’s “stuff” or having them crash into me!
Take a break, gain some different perspective. Definitely, get out of the house if it is possible. Sometimes just getting away for several hours and letting my psyche experience a different environment can help me to decompress. Sure, my house may still feel chaotic when I return, but I will be in a different head space. I also try to keep my bedroom as a sanctuary—that way when the rest of the house is feeling crazy, I have a place I can escape to that belongs to me and has a completely different vibe (as long as the cats don’t sneak in and start romping around my sanctuary space.)
It will pass. Family life can seem crazy and cramped sometimes, especially for a single parent. Unless you have a huge house and endless space to roam to in order to get away, chances are you will have those days when it feels like the walls are closing in and there are just way too many bodies and “issues” in your confined little life. This feeling and frustration will NOT last forever…
Also: What Do You Do with Anger and Frustration?