To still be scared of being home alone?

[sepa]

DP is away with work for the next 4 maybe 5 nights depending on the booze consumption so it's just me and DC.
I'm 30 years old and can still probably do with this monster spray. thank good for DC's night light

Anyone else think that the boogie man is waiting round the corner and ready to get you when your home alone?

[RhodaBull]

The least brave people actually are pensioners. I had to call at people's houses a while ago and had to tromp round bungalow land. On a spring evening (so not dark) at 3pm most people had battened down the hatches! The doors were locked with many bolts and key chains and people peered fearfully through a crack at me. This is an area which I think actually did have the lowest crime rate in the country.

[tibbawyrots]

Ex worked pretty constant night shifts so am used to being alone.
I prefer it as I can eat, drink what I fancy without having to share and watch any crap on TV without getting 🙄 looks.

[RubbishMantra]

I've got one of those old trap-door coal cellars, the doors weigh a tonne!

I'm always a tad nervous that one may fall on me as I'm making my way down the cellar steps, and breaking my neck in the process.

Before DH died, he would do cellar duties, but I've learned to just suck it up.

And the grabby ankle monster under the bed! Used to have that too. Suitcases and the like are stored under there, so monster would have to find somewhere else to store all the crap stuff. Hopefully have a whizz-around with the vacuum while he's at it?

[ThumbWitchesAbroad]

I used to live on my own for several years, in a house ~100 years old. It rarely bothered me, tbh; but then I started hearing noises late at night. Turned out I had rats and they were gnawing the floorboards around the pipes for the radiators. I ended up with proper Tom & Jerry style holes in the floor/skirting boards!

Before I worked out what it was though, I made sure I had my halogen maglite torch by my bed at all times - blind any burglars first then hit them over the head if they came close enough. Also, phone by the bed.

Now, I occasionally get bothered if DH is away; but he doesn't need to be away for me to get the heeby jeebies!
A couple of weeks ago, I woke to a sudden noise, couldn't work out if I'd really heard it or dreamt it, sounded like muffled footsteps going through our single storey house, only not, because they were muffled and we have floorboards. No lights visible (my door is ajar) and no strange other noises. Went back to sleep after having a word with myself. Jolted awake again shortly after by the same sort of noise, heart hammering etc. - but nothing.
Told DH about it next day - he said he'd heard it too! We decided it was either a ghost (Ha!) or a rat in the roof.

THEN at the start of this week, middle of the night I was woken by noises - sounded like DS1 (8) had come out of his bedroom, tripped over some bags/cases on the floor and scuttled to the loo. So I got up to check he was ok (he almost never does this unless he's ill) - no lights on, how odd.
Then I heard noises among the toys in the living room - wondered if DS1 was sleep walking!
So I put the main light on - no Ds1 - how very odd!
Walked right into the living room, heard the noises again and then realised there was a fuck-off big possum in among the toys!
NO idea how he got in. Woke DH, who said "ah leave it" and then went straight back to sleep, leaving me to evict the possum. Which actually went fairly well, tbh - it seemed stupendously unbothered about me being there, rather like a superior sort of cat - I opened the back door and ushered it out (in its own time).
STILL no idea how he got in. None.

Mostly I'm not bothered though. Mostly.

[Gottagetmoving]

I wasn't scared when my DC and I were on our own when they were little because I felt as if anyone coming into the house was in more danger because I would have gone absolutely berserk if anyone threatened my kids. I just didn't worry about it.
When they were older if I was in the house on my own I was really nervous about someone getting in.
I think both is probably irrational.

[squizita]

Yes. Clickbait and youtube 'unsolved mysteries' = quivering outside the baby room withh all the light on.

[elastamum]

Not bothered at all. I am a LP and live in an old mill built in the 1700's out in the countryside surrounded by woodland and fields. Often on my own when the DC are with their dad and it is really pitch dark here in winter as we are at the bottom of a steep valley. We also had mice a couple of years back and they do make a racket in the rafters. We are reputed to have a ghost, but he appears to have gone quiet since we moved in.
Mind you I do have 2 very big dogs, so I figure no one is arriving unannounced any time soon

[thatwouldbeanecumenicalmatter]

Yes, isn't it kind of 'loved ones' think its funny to grab your ankle/jump out at you etc

I stupidly told DH I was scared of the dark/things under the bed, one night he thought it was hilarious to hide under the bed and grab my ankle when I walked past. He scared me that much I collapsed as my legs just suddenly went all weak -I thought that only happens in the movies!

[Lollypop27]

My brother who is 5 years older made me watch nightmare on elm street when I was 10. He then set his keyboard up under my bed and played the recording of 'one two Freddie's coming for you, three four better lock your door...' I was hysterical for months about it. He then made me watch Chucky when he was babysitting me and set up scenes on my bed of one doll ripping another dolls head off. He wasn't allowed to look after me anymore after I slept in my parents bed for months.

I used to be scared of staying on my own until we got dogs. I can't watch anything scary though especially crime watch!

[TooGood2BeFalse]

I can get a bit edgy/uncomfortable on my own unless I'm really tired, but not if my son (aged 4..) is with me. He's a big strong boy haha!

[Cutecat78]

I used to but then became a single parent so had to man up a bit.

OH works away (lives away) most of the time so I am much better than I used to be and now DS1 is 18 and pretty protective.

That was until last weekend when a bloke tried to climb into my next door neighbours downstairs bedroom through the window

[SecretWitch]

Dh works the overnights, so I am always alone with my child. I do feel vulnerable..or used to..I have a license to carry now...and a very nice Smith and Wesson close by..problem solved.

[SecretWitch]

Of course, that does not solve the issue of ghost that lives in the basement..or the DarkMan as my daughter calls him. When I must get up to pee in the night I close my eyes and run by the basement door without looking.

[teafortoads]

My house is very unscary and I make sure I do't watch/read terrifying stuff (lone parent and DD2). Weirdly, the least scary place I ever lived was on a 70ft narrow boat - Very vulneable but could easily survey the whole of my domain in just 2 glances!

[leotwist]

We live in an old house full of creaks, which can get really spooky. I'm okay when hubby's home but when he's away, I avoid watching spooky TV before bed, especially anything about the supernatural. It doesn't help that, when we had a dog, he used to jump out of his skin for no apparent reason, as though he'd been touched or heard something, and a guest once claimed to see a shadow moving on the stairs. I figure it was one of the trees outside in the wind, as some of the windows don't have curtains. Having said that, when we slept in the original house, I did once wake up terrified and feeling there was something looming over the bed. We sleep in the new extension now, which I much prefer. But when I'm on my own, I always debate whether or not to leave the bedroom door open, whether to wear earplugs like I usually do, etc. I also hope we move before the baby has to have their own room, as it would need to be in the original part of the house...

[ReadyPlayerOne]

I used to be terrified of the dark as a child and a teen living at home. Overactive imagination and a thirst for the macabre...bad mix! I was totally fine at university in halls and then nervy again when I lived with DH who worked nights. Finally we had children and now that fear is gone completely. I still have that overactive imagination but I'm brave for them. When he works late I'm unfazed.
Or maybe I'm too knackered by three kids including a baby who wakes regularly throughout the night to care!

[Bringiton2016]

Sorry op but I can't get the image of the "boogie man" out of my head! . You should think of him when you get frightened!!!

[Clarissa69]

Oh my god - this is me! When DH goes away ALL the lights on, pepper spray (some sort of dye stuff from Amazon), a glass vase and I sometimes have been known to sleep in the inflatable mattress on the kids bedroom floor. I am 46 fgs!
Wish no one had mentioned the grabbing of ankles thing......😱

[crapfatbanana]

I don't really get the heeby-jeebies about spooky stuff when home alone at night (well, not totally alone as I have four kids) but I do get anxious about stuff like protecting them if intruders got in, or if there was a house fire. I can't rest until I've secured the house properly, switched off anything that could cause a fire and left a clear route to the nearest way out, with no trip hazards. I usually do all this, go up to bed, start dozing off and then realise I've left my mobile phone downstairs so have to drag myself out of bed to get it, which wakes me up enough to start worrying again. I also wind myself up imaging the police knocking on the door to break bad news about my husband dying. I think it's just the being alone that makes my imagination go into overdrive.

[Tiggywinkler]

Starry - what am I looking for in that picture?

[Oysterbabe]

Look at the bed, or the gaps in the bed..

[Oysterbabe]

It's like this one.

[Tiggywinkler]

I don't see anything in that one either! Are my eyes broken?

[Oysterbabe]

How about now?

[Clarissa69]

Oh that picture...the eye....that's done me no favours with my ankle grabbing fear!!
It's not real though is it?