Latest news with #livingalone
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
I Thought I Knew What Would Happen When My Kids Finally Left The House. I Was Wrong.
When I was in my 20s and living with a friend, I'd leave cookies in our kitchen, and within a couple of days, the box was empty. For the few years we lived together, I assumed my roommate was sharing in the consumption. It wasn't until I moved into my own apartment and chronicled the expediency with which I devoured a box of cookies that I understood she had never placed her hand in my 'cookie jar.' Back then, I questioned her about my revelation, and she confirmed her distaste for cookies. Maybe I always knew this, but, for years, I validated my cookie binge by imagining she was helping me finish a box (or two). This sweet epiphany shaped my perception of the world. Afterward, I told friends they had to spend time living on their own to figure out who was eating the metaphorical cookies in their lives. Living on your own is an insightful look into who you really are. There's nobody there for you to resent because they left dirty dishes in the sink or to blame for making you stay up too late binge-watching 'Columbo' episodes from the '70s. Conversely, you can't give someone credit for eating the snack food you unintentionally finished in a day or seriously believe the apartment is clean because you're the tidy one. In short, it unmasks you. For the first time in over 25 years, I'm living alone. This is both a luxury and a reckoning. When I was in my 30s, and my children were young, my husband passed away, and I was instantly tasked with balancing a chaotic life. When you're a working single mother, who is also the sole full-time parent in a household layered in a film of grief, you don't have time to think about who is 'eating the cookies.' You simply exist to satisfy any immediate task, whether it be work- or kid-related. During those years, I envisioned a day when my children would be on their own, but it was a concept, like having a fast metabolism or retirement, that seemed either mythical or for much older people. There was no moment for substantial reflection in my chronically busy life, yet there was still time for me to cook up a fantasy version of myself. This figment, born out of my depressed imagination, was the 'ideal me,' the person I could have been if I wasn't saddled with responsibility. The 'imaginary Alison' was more creative, relaxed, successful, civically engaged, well-traveled, and a pile of other hopeful adjectives. I reminded myself that when my kids were adults, I'd finally be able to become this upgraded version of myself. My empty nest years seemed to arrive faster than I imagined, and my kids were both adults. OK, emerging adults who used my Seamless and Apple Pay, but still spent most of the year at school. I was heartbroken. But I was also curious to see who I would become without the constant responsibilities of single parenting. On the drive back from dropping off my youngest at college, I hoped I'd instantly unearth that 'imagined version' of myself. Maybe they'd impress me by composing an opera or by scaling Mount Everest, even though I'm not a musician and am mildly afraid of heights. The next morning when I awoke, I hadn't transformed. Although, I immediately noticed my phone charger was still on my nightstand (with a fully charged phone!). Within a week, I came to the revelation I probably only had to do laundry once a week instead of once a day. Yet I must confess that during my first solo trip to the supermarket, I filled my cart with Yodels, Ring Dings, ice cream and frozen dinners, because I no longer had to set a 'good example' and could finally indulge. Since I'm middle-aged, this sort of 'Home Alone' behavior lasted about a month, before I found myself popping antacids and going back to yoga. But parts of me were being revealed. Yes, my kids required me to do more housework, and my grocery bill decreased by 75%, but when they lived with me, I had to model 'proper adult behavior,' which kept me healthier. However other discoveries took longer to untangle. For instance, did raising kids stop me from being more creative, active or social? Possibly. OK, definitely, but it also deepened my life by making me more selfless. I often used my kids as an excuse for why I wasn't accomplishing certain goals like writing more, and yes, they were eating some of the 'cookies,' but now when I fill a Saturday with unnecessary errands or plop down on the couch and just waste a day watching movies, I have nobody to blame but myself. Truthfully, when I look at my social life over the past year, it looks like someone who is decades younger than me. My calendar is overflowing with trivia nights, book groups, hanging out with my boyfriend, impromptu drinks with my fellow empty nester friends, and although I've taken in a ton of culture, it occurs to me that I was probably more productive when my children were living with me. Naively, I believed if the kids weren't around, I'd be doing more. But my kids weren't stopping me from accomplishing goals — in fact, they were inspiring me. However, despite being one year into empty nesting and finally unmasking the unrealistic version of myself that taunted me for over a decade, I still feel like there is a ghost of my former self haunting me. When I pass by my kid's old elementary school and see the parents lined up, I get anxious that I'm late to pick up my kids, even though it's been years since they've attended that school. Then, I instinctively look for familiar faces in the crowd of parents, but they're all younger than me. It's during those moments when I need to readjust to the reality that being a 'single mom' is no longer the starring role of my life. Although my adult children still need me a lot, we need to give ourselves the space to get by on our own. In doing so, we may also give ourselves the gift of discovering who emptied the cookie jar. Do you have a compelling personal story you'd like to see published on HuffPost? Find out what we're looking for here and send us a pitch at pitch@ Solve the daily Crossword
Daily Mail
23-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Lonely Britain: Surge in people living alone to 8.4m fuelled by rise in over-65s
A record number of people are now living alone in the UK with a surge over the past decade driven entirely by a rise in over-65s residing on their own, official figures show. In total there were 8.4 million Britons living alone in 2024 - an increase of 11 per cent from 7.6 million people in 2014 - equivalent to 12.5 per cent of all UK households. More than half were 65 and over with an estimated 4.3 million over-65s living alone last year, up from 3.5 million a decade earlier, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. The statistics body said that 'people aged 65 years or over accounted in full for the increase in people living alone' while the number of people aged under 65 years living on their own remained stable. Some 40.9 per cent of women aged 65 and over lived alone compared to 27 per cent of men of the same age. The ONS said this reflects greater life expectancies in women while data also shows that men are more likely to remarry. Experts have raised the alarm over the epidemic of loneliness facing Britons, with the World Health Organisation declaring loneliness to be a pressing global health threat in 2023. The figures also show that the proportion of young adults living with their parents has risen by almost 10 per cent in a decade. Some 3.6 million people aged 20 to 34 years lived with their parents in 2024 compared to 3.3 million in 2014 - with more young adults now living with their parents at older ages. Young men are more likely to be at home with their parents than women, with 33.7 per cent of men aged between 20 and 34 years living in the family home, compared with 22.1 per cent of women. The ONS said more young adults living with their parents at older ages is part of a 'trend of adults reaching milestones later in life' - such as getting married and having children - and may be 'explained by a number of factors including increased housing costs'. Alison Fernandes, a partner at Hall Brown Family Law, said the rise in the number of women aged over 65 living alone indicated how much more confident women are now than their counterparts in previous generations. She said: 'Some of these individuals will have been among the first to capitalise on the opportunities to develop careers on an equal footing with men as a result of sex equality legislation. 'Having worked hard to establish a sense of financial independence, many will be wary of seeing it jeopardised. 'That is because they know a significant proportion of marriages do not sadly last the course. In fact, some of these women may already have been divorced and not wish to experience a repeat.' She added: 'That contrasts greatly with men of a similar age who are far more likely to remarry after a break-up.'
The Independent
23-07-2025
- General
- The Independent
Rise in people living alone in UK driven entirely by over-65s
A rise in the number of people living alone in the UK in the past decade has been entirely driven by an increase in older people residing on their own. In 2024, there were an estimated 4.3 million people aged over 65 living alone, up from 3.5 million in 2014, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. This age group accounted for just over half (51.1%) of all people living alone last year, compared with 45.5% in 2014. The statistics body said: ' People aged 65 years or over accounted in full for the increase in people living alone in 2024 compared with 2014.' There were around 4.1 million people aged under 65 years old living alone in both 2014 and 2024, the ONS said, adding that the 'increasing proportions of people living alone in older age groups reflects an ageing population'. A higher proportion of women aged 65 or over in households lived alone (40.9%) than men of the same age (27%), which the ONS said is partly because of women having a higher life expectancy than men. The latest data from the ONS estimated there were 8.4 million people living alone in the UK in 2024, up 11% from 7.6 million in 2014. Meanwhile, the proportion of young adults in the UK living with their parents has grown by almost 10% in a decade. Young men – aged between 20 and 34 years old – were more likely to be at home with their parents than women in the same age group in 2024, according to the ONS. There were an estimated 3.6 million people in this age group in a family with their parent or parents in 2024, up 9.9% from 3.3 million in 2014, the ONS said. While a third (33.7%) of men in this age group lived with parents, this compared to less than a quarter (22.1%) of women. The ONS said more young adults living with their parents at older ages is part of a 'trend of adults reaching milestones later in life' and may be 'explained by a number of factors including increased housing costs'. The latest statistics also showed that lone-parent families were less likely to contain dependent children in 2024 – 62.5%, down from just over two thirds or 66.1% in 2014. The proportion of lone parents who are fathers has grown, from 13.1% a decade ago, to 16.7% last year. While married couples still made up the largest proportion of families in the latest estimates, this has decreased to 65.1% last year from 67.1% in 2014. The ONS said this was down to more couples living together without getting married.
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Rise in people living alone in UK driven entirely by over-65s
A rise in the number of people living alone in the UK in the past decade has been entirely driven by an increase in older people residing on their own. In 2024, there were an estimated 4.3 million people aged over 65 living alone, up from 3.5 million in 2014, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. This age group accounted for just over half (51.1%) of all people living alone last year, compared with 45.5% in 2014. The statistics body said: 'People aged 65 years or over accounted in full for the increase in people living alone in 2024 compared with 2014.' There were around 4.1 million people aged under 65 years old living alone in both 2014 and 2024, the ONS said, adding that the 'increasing proportions of people living alone in older age groups reflects an ageing population'. A higher proportion of women aged 65 or over in households lived alone (40.9%) than men of the same age (27%), which the ONS said is partly because of women having a higher life expectancy than men. The latest data from the ONS estimated there were 8.4 million people living alone in the UK in 2024, up 11% from 7.6 million in 2014. Meanwhile, the proportion of young adults in the UK living with their parents has grown by almost 10% in a decade. Young men – aged between 20 and 34 years old – were more likely to be at home with their parents than women in the same age group in 2024, according to the ONS. There were an estimated 3.6 million people in this age group in a family with their parent or parents in 2024, up 9.9% from 3.3 million in 2014, the ONS said. While a third (33.7%) of men in this age group lived with parents, this compared to less than a quarter (22.1%) of women. The ONS said more young adults living with their parents at older ages is part of a 'trend of adults reaching milestones later in life' and may be 'explained by a number of factors including increased housing costs'. The latest statistics also showed that lone-parent families were less likely to contain dependent children in 2024 – 62.5%, down from just over two thirds or 66.1% in 2014. The proportion of lone parents who are fathers has grown, from 13.1% a decade ago, to 16.7% last year. While married couples still made up the largest proportion of families in the latest estimates, this has decreased to 65.1% last year from 67.1% in 2014. The ONS said this was down to more couples living together without getting married.
CNET
23-07-2025
- CNET
7 Helpful Home Security Gadgets When You're Living Alone
Being alone in your home can be a luxurious and freeing experience, from wearing whatever you want to setting the temperature to your perfect comfort level. But if you spend plenty of time solo, you may also feel more exposed or at greater risk of property crimes like break-ins and theft. Let's address that part. In addition to making friends with your neighbors, I've also found several home security gadgets and smart home devices that can help your home feel safe when you're the only one there. Quick additions like the right kind of locks, lights and motion detectors can make a big difference whether you spend certain times of day alone or you're fully solo in your apartment or house. Here are my favorite choices. Read more: Essential Security Tips When Staying at an Airbnb or Rental 1. Install a motion sensor or tinkly bell A basic motion sensor is a cheap way to tell if anyone is around. Amazon/HTZSAFE/CNET One of the best safety measures to take when living alone is to know when someone else is around. A traditional option is attaching a string of bells to your door handle, but we have more dependable choices these days like this $12 light-up LED motion sensor. If you prefer an outdoor alert or a motion sensor that can cover a long hallway/open floor plan, then you can choose this $35 weather-resistant sensor and hub with an adjustable chime instead. This tip works especially well for those living alone because detectors old or new can be easily triggered by kids or partners, creating more confusion than confidence. You'll want to put them at locations and heights pets can't reach or activate too. 2. Grab a portable door lock to give a room extra protection Portable locks aren't just for traveling: They can make bedrooms, home offices and other areas feel safer. Amazon/PASSDONE/CNET Portable locks can give any traditional, non-deadbolt door an extra lock that's harder to force through, for people truly worried about a violent breakin. You can easily put them on bedroom doors, rental doors or any other door where you want more defense – no matter what other security the house has. It's a useful, versatile solution if you're not sure how long you'll be living alone and you want something extra for a specific room. Portable locks are affordable too. Here's a two-pack for only $16. And if you want a more substantial upgrade, you can always choose a smart lock with app controls. 3. Pick a portable cam you can move wherever you need Ring's battery cam is on the higher-end but offers a versatile, weather resistant option to watch from any location. Tyler Lacoma/CNET A security cam can be a welcome eye on your home if you're living alone, but our experts recommend a portable, wireless indoor model in this case. You can move a portable cam to watch over whatever room you want or any particular hallway, corner or shadow that's giving you the creeps. Our favorite cams for these purposes include the Google Nest indoor/outdoor camera ($176) and the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery ($80). Both these cams can work outside as well if you're worried about a dark yard. 4. Equip the main door with a video doorbell Blink's affordable doorbell is well-rounded cheap pick. Blink/Amazon A video doorbell alerts you when someone is approaching, allows you to talk with a visitor remotely and can even sound sirens or speak up with automated messages. It's an all-in-one security device that's especially useful if you're home alone, and we have a full guide on the best models for your door. If you're keeping an eye on your wallet, we can also recommend several excellent cheap video doorbells. Keep in mind, most doorbells require a subscription or microSD card to store video footage. Some even allow you to set the doorbell to recognize familiar faces and warn about an unfamiliar face, which users may prefer. 5. Set your indoor/outdoor lights to turn on at night Ring smart lighting lets a home seem active and full. Ring Most random trespassers or burglars don't know you're home alone. You can make the illusion even more convincing with smart lighting that turns on at scheduled times to make it look like more people are arriving home and active in multiple rooms. It's a lot more effective than trying to mimic a flashing TV or other old-fashioned tactics. Smart bulbs are more affordable than ever, with options like this Amazon Basics 4-pack available for $36. They're made to fit into standard home sockets, and many no longer require hubs to work so they're very flexible. Set and forget a "turn on" schedule to keep your home looking busy no matter what's happening. And take a look at my picks for the best LED floodlights for larger options. 6. Change the passwords for your device and lock logins Change the password on your wireless network for extra security. CNET People living alone, especially women, are far more likely to be attacked by someone they know when they are at home. So I recommend that when your living situation changes, you should prioritize changing the passwords on your security apps, Wi-Fi routers, security cameras and even your phone. Don't forget to change codes for your locks and garage door, if necessary. This is a basic security step that's all-too-easy to forget when you're getting used to living alone. Read more: We Asked a Criminologist About The Most Common Ways Burglars Break In 7. Choose a high-quality keychain pepper spray A keychain pepper spray isn't only useful outside if you're living alone. Sabre You never want to be in a situation where you feel physically threatened by someone, but if it happens it's great to have a little can of Mace or pepper spray close by. This Sabre spray is available for $10 and attaches to your keychain so you always have it nearby. You could even loop it to some phone cases, purses or belts. It has a quick detach clasp for easy access, plus a twist lock for safety. Bonus tip: Invest in a panic button A panic button is a more expensive option for solo living, but gives you immediate emergency access. Ring If you want to go the extra mile for solo safety, you pick up a panic button that you can carry with you or set nearby to immediately contact responders whenever you need to. These panic buttons are a common part of home security systems. Ring Alarm offers one for $30, while SimpliSafe has a wall-mounted $20 model. Systems like ADT Plus combine panic buttons with their access fobs, and you can even find standalone models from brands like Silent Beacon. These devices take a subscription to work properly and aren't for every wallet, but they do complete your home security when no one else is around (or home safety for a loved one in a similar situation). For more spot-on security tips, check out if you can use a security cam in an apartment building, how to deter burglars from your home, if a dog is good for home security and the worst places to put a security camera.
