What is the point?

I find myself, as you will know from this blog, at a problematic time in my life. My inability to actually pull myself together is really beginning to bug me. I feel excluded, as I am sure many people do. I am stuck at home with the kids while my husband is off having loads of fun with his job. And yes, I do know he works very hard, but he loves his job and has a great time while he does it. And yes, he's very considerate and loves me very much. But all I get is the exhausted husband who's too tired to get out of bed when he's home, and too exhausted to be any fun in bed either! There's a shocker for you!

So when I hear about him organizing parties (all in the name of work) and having a great time meeting very interesting people I cannot help myself and feel jealous. We never go to parties when he's home, and wouldn't dream of going out to a club, he's always too tired. So I think, right there is nothing stopping me having a good time while he's away and he certainly wouldn't dream of stopping me having fun, but who with? All my friends are married with kids and work full time, none of them would want to go out and have fun as they are all happy at home with their spouses and offspring. I just don't know anyone who's single and would go out. There is no way I would ever consider going out on my own, I am certainly not looking to meet anyone who might get the wrong idea, and let's face it, it is neither fun or understood to go out on my own.

So what should I do? How can I change my life in order to find the right kind of people to widen my circle of friends with other women who's husbands also travel a lot and they too are bored at home with the kids? I don't necessarily want to go out to clubs and dance the night away, but a nice friendly dinner with intelligent conversation or a trip to the movies or a show would be nice every now and again.

It seems to me that in this age of social networking sites and all the other stuff there is out there, even this blog, gets me absolutely nowhere. No one ever comments on my posts to let me know they agree or disagree with me. My twitter is a total flop. Yes I have fun on Facebook, but all my friends on it live in different countries not just different cities! So as you can see, things are pretty difficult when it comes to socializing. I also live in a residential area where everyone hides behind their fences and no one speaks to anyone else. The only person I have regular contact with who is a neighbor is a woman who used to work for my Dad and lives just up the road! But even she is busy with her elderly mother in a nursing home nearby and her husband in the evenings.

Just to see what would happen, I posted on twitter that I was going off-line for good and thanked all my followers for putting up with my boring posts. The only response I got was from my husband asking me what had happened.

Well what has happened is, I can't really see the point in it. No one answers my posts anyway. And I just feel like I'm having my nose rubbed in it when I get to read all my husband's numerous posts about all the fun he's planning for his next event in Colombia or Mexico.

On top of it all, we will be launching Phase IV of the building work to be done on our house. So not only do I get to be here alone with the kids but I get a house full of Rumanian builders and more dust then anyone can humanly cope with - especially with my allergies.

So yes, I am complaining, I feel as if I don't exist. I feel lonely.

To Facebook or not to Facebook? That is the question.

Since I discovered Facebook I have reconnected with lots of old friends from school and several of my extended family. I find it lots of light-hearted fun and am really enjoying it. It is a quick and easy way to stay in touch. I do not accept friend requests from anyone I don't know and use it exclusively for my own enjoyment.

However, as you are all aware, there is a lot of hoo-ha in the press about social networking sites and I have to say that, where young people are concerned, it can be a very dangerous thing. Children and adolescents are curious and have no sense of danger. The pedophiles are deliberately deceiving them into believing they are friends of the same age and we all know what outcome that has had. Unfortunately for sites like Facebook, these criminals are giving them a bad name.

All parents are worried for their children and try to protect them, and try to make them understand the dangers out there, and how easy it is for them to be tricked into believing something which is a lie. It is not easy to get the message across. Children tend to think their parents don't understand and are talking rubbish or are being prying or over protective. How do you make your child understand the dangers out there.

When we were their age, social networking sites, mobile phones and email didn't exist. The dangers were others. It wasn't as "easy" for criminals to get to us, but it did happen. Now it is so easy for them.

However, I do believe that children should be allowed to use new technology, after all their entire future will be based on the use of technology. They need to learn how to use it to their advantage, but the dangers also have to be emphasized. They have to be emphasized in school and at home.

I have just installed a computer in my 10 year old's bedroom. But before switching it on I had a long conversation with her about Facebook (she's not allowed), Messenger and Skype. For the moment we have agreed that I will be allowed access just to make sure that nothing funny is going on. She says she understands but only time will tell.

Parents should try to have open and understanding relationships with their children. If you are seen by them to be secretive or to keep things from them then they will act in the same way. We should not be judgmental and try to be understanding of them. Getting them to understand that we were young once too, and that our problems were different back then but they were still problems that had to be dealt with.

I had a great relationship with my parents and I could literally talk to them about anything. Open communication is the best thing. I hope that I will be able to cultivate that trust with my own children.