Fighting the Loneliness

 

As I sit an the couch with my laptop looking out at the blue sky my mind starts to wander. "What are my children up to?", "Do they miss me as much as I miss them?", "I wish I cold have them with me right now" It doesn't seem to matter that the current week on, week off arrangement my ex wife and I have for the school holiday period has been going on for over a year and a half now, I still occasionally get lonely and a little bit down when they are away for more than a few days.

Having had at least one child in the house 24/7 for the 7 years before my ex and I separated it's easy to see why the sudden inability to be able to spend time and see your children whenever you like can be challenging. I can only imagine how much more challenging this must be for the men who have older children and are now alone for the first time in 10+ years.

Here are a few of my favourite things to do when the loneliness tries to creep in:

• Read a book - Helps to take your mind away from the current situation. Depending on what book you are reading you may also be able to better your skills and yourself as a person while you do it.

•  Fix any broken toys or play equipment- The children get a kick out of coming back and finding that the toy or scooter that was broken when they last left is now fixed. It also shows your children you think about them while they are gone.

• Go for a walk/ exercise- Not only will this help you to feel better in the short term it will keep you fit so you can keep up with all the children's games when they return.

• Go out with friends/family- It may seem pretty obvious to some but going out with friends and family doing things you enjoy is a pretty easy way to beat the loneliness and it also keeps you out and about.

Some of these may work for you and some may not, I believe that each man is different and will find different ways to beat the loneliness. I also am aware that some men don't have a close relationship to their children and enjoy the time spent alone, I am not one to judge these men as we all have our own path to walk and every mans decision is his own.