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Home Alone with a Toddler



Recently, when my 3-year-old son’s school made an announcement, I thought to myself ‘This can’t be happening to me.’ They were shifting to a new location and they were closing for a week to make arrangements at the new place. So, there you go. I would be spending an entire week with my son. Now, to most people, that might seem the most normal thing. After all, parents do live with their children all the time. Of course, spending time with children is a beautiful thing. But with me and my son, we have an arrangement of wanting space for each other even if it’s just three times a week. And now, when we both were forced to live with each other 24/7, we got to see the worst and the best of each other.

I got a few sympathetic messages from various friends who offered me with ‘awww, you poor little thing’ and strength for the coming week. I decided to get through the week as smoothly as possible, so I charted up events for each day. I kept the car to myself and told my husband to find his way or carpool or UBER to work. A toddler has immense amount of energy and burning that kind of energy is no joke.

Day 1: We are out of the house to the local library where I plan to spend at least two hours after which my son could go down for a nap at home (Note: that’s MY plan). However, at the library, my son brings out his worst and gets into snatch-fights with other kids. I end up trying to save other kids from my son. Once we’re home, he decides to skip nap-time. Clearly, he is messing with my agenda. By the end of the day, I feel like a soldier, battered and crawling my way out of tiredness.

Day 2: Again, we are out of the house at the local library again. This time they have a structured dance session which is perfect because my son doesn’t get into fights. Plus, the session helps him burn his energy. Yet again, I receive a shocking surprise when he doesn’t go down for a nap. His days are now from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. where he is constantly rolling like a top around my head. I am now feeling battered.

Day 3: Today, I decide to change the schedule. Instead, I take him to a place where he plays with sand, water, and dirt. It’s the perfect combination to keep a toddler busy and occupied. Plus, it helps him burn out his energy. I punch the air in happiness when he agrees to nap for a couple of hours. Sweet reward!

Day 4: I have learned my lesson with evidence. So, this time again, it’s sand, water, and dirt. It works like a charm. Still after his cat-nap sessions, he had oodles of energy left. By the end of the day, I am so exhausted that I barely have the energy to remove my contact lens and drift off to sleep.

Day 5: Come Friday, we are cheerful and happy because we crossed most of the week. We head outside in the sunshine and make the most of it.

After my son drifts off to sleep at night, I think about the times we have kissed and cuddled through the week because we had so much time together. And then of course, we did have our fights too (sometimes, we get into fist fights with each other). We saw the best and the worst of each other and still can’t get enough of each other.

Perhaps, it was not so bad spending all day in the dirt, endlessly staring at birds and insects, chasing butterflies as we ran on the lush green grass, enjoying the cool breeze and the warm sunshine.

That being said, I am truly looking forward for the next week to roll in. Yay! School begins. Hey, I still love my son but we both totally need the space to keep the love flowing. 

About the Author Chital Mehta loves to explore new books. After becoming a mother, she started this blog to share her experiences as a mother. Apart from being busy with her baby, she makes times for writing, reading and watching movies. She has authored 4 fiction novels. You can find details on her Facebook page :Chital Mehta facebook

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