2 weeks just Me and Aanya (my 4yo): Challenges Faced...

Being a Parent is tough. And being a Single Parent is tougher. I have high respect for single parents and I know the challenges they face every single day of their lives. But do I understand those challenges? Probably not. I got the taste of raising my 4 yo child single-handedly for 2 weeks when my husband had gone to India. Yes, he travels a lot, but 2 weeks overseas was a long time.

So, what are the challenges that I faced in his absence:

1. I had to play with Aanya all the time. Keeping her constructively occupied was too challenging.
2. As much as I limit her screen time, during these 2 weeks there was less limitation. 
3. I ate zucchini for almost 3 days continuously. Yes, cooking for a single person is boring and how much less you cook, it's ample for a few days. 
4. Unfortunately those 2 weeks were super hot with temperature soaring above 95F, outdoor activities were too less. In short, we were mostly banging our heads indoors.
5. The house, that I always try to keep clean and organized was in chaos.
6. The refrigerator was full of little little boxes of leftovers.
7. Though my girl was such a good girl, I lost my patience a number of times.
8. The chores that he does, I had to do it. As in, doing vacuum cleaning and bathroom cleaning.  
9. After Aanya would go off to sleep, sitting alone, quietly, no one to talk to, made life dull. The biggest pro of marriage is, you have a partner to talk to and listen to. These 2 weeks, I was just Into my world of thoughts ;-)
10. And finally, probably the biggest one, Aanya developed pink eye and taking care of a child's infected eye alone is a nightmare. 

One thing I understood, raising a child ALONE is a difficult job. Did I learn anything from this experience? Yes.

1. It’s easy to lose your cool when you have to be “on” all the time. Don’t yell, because it’s not healthy for the child and you’ll regret it afterward. 
2. After one chaotic morning, I realised the only thing that has to be done in the morning is feed Aanya and myself a good breakfast and get a shower. No one is keeping a score of unmade beds or dirty dishes but me.
3. Always be prepared. I never leave the house without a water bottle and a snack. I learnt it's good to carry crayons, coloring books or little games in your purse. It was upto only me to entertain my child while we waited to be seated for dinner in a restaurant.  
4. Plan play dates, activities and supplies for the activities well in advance. So that when your partner goes away on a business trip, thinking part is already done, only execution part remains.