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My parents sometimes let me stay home by myself for a little while. But here is my problem: the house is so quiet! And when it’s not quiet, the tiniest noises scare me. What can I do to feel better—and to enjoy being home alone? |
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| I stay home alone, too. I also used to be scared, but I’m not anymore. When your family is home, look around your house to find out what things make different noises. Does your air conditioner pop when it turns on? Is that shuffling noise your dog moving around on his bed? Once you know what causes the noises, you won’t be as scared. I used to be the same way, so I just started playing my favorite music loud enough that I couldn’t hear any little sounds. Now I’m not scared anymore. When I started staying home alone, I was scared, too. You could always call a parent or neighbor if you needed to. I think staying home alone just takes practice, so the more you do it, the easier it will become. One day you might even start enjoying the quiet time alone. I feel the same way. One thing that helps is calling up a friend and putting her on speaker. This way, you’ll feel as if there is someone in the room with you and you won’t be lonely. When my parents are at work and my brother and sister are at sports practice, I get really jumpy. I like to listen to music, which makes the house seem a lot less quiet. I can sing along as loudly as I want, and nobody will ask me to stop. I also have two cats, and they make nice company when I read a book or watch TV. Read a book. If it’s a good one, you’ll lose yourself in it. You could listen to music with headphones on to block out the noises. Wow! You’re lucky you can stay home alone for a while. To feel less nervous, make sure that all of the doors and windows in the house are locked before your parents leave. And to make your house feel less quiet, talk to a friend on the phone, turn on the TV, or play on the computer. It always helps me to feel better, even when I’m just alone in a room! Do you play an instrument? Practice while you’re home alone. That way, you won’t be embarrassed if you make a lot of mistakes. Do you have an MP3 player or stereo? Try turning on cheerful music or listening to an audiobook. Spend your time alone having fun. Do your homework and chores while somebody’s at home, and enjoy yourself when you’re by yourself. If you think you’re not ready to stay home alone, be sure to tell your parents. If they know you aren’t comfortable with it, they might not leave you alone as often. This happens to me all the time. I just turn on some music. The great part about being alone is that you can make up your own dance moves and no one will make fun of you! If you’re allowed to go outside when you’re home alone, try that. You could play in your yard or dribble a basketball to pass the time. I had that problem for a long time. Then, when I got really scared one time, I started singing to myself. It really helped me calm down, and the sound of my own voice comforted me a lot. I also sometimes listen to music while I’m in my room, or I read aloud to my dog. Once you get use to it, being home alone can be kind of fun. I started to stay home alone when I was in fourth grade. I would hang out in my mom’s room with the door shut, the TV on, and a snuggly blanket around me. It might make you feel better to keep the phone with you at all times, just in case. Call a friend. You’ll be too busy talking to notice any noises. Being home alone can be a fun, relaxing time. You have the house to yourself to do fun stuff that you want to do alone. I love to turn up the radio and dance while I clean my room. You’ll be getting things done and having so much fun at the same time that you’ll forget about your worries. Being home alone scares me, too. Try to distract yourself by watching TV, using the computer, or playing a game. It’s good that your parents are letting you stay home alone. It means that they trust you and that they know you won’t do anything bad while they are gone. So enjoy yourself. |
