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I told my husband for many years,
“I married you for better or for worse, but NOT for lunch”. We always laughed about it, but thankfully after one full year of retirement, we both still enjoy day trips, camper trips, gardening, walking around our property, and lots of summer pursuits. Many of which include lunch. But I do enjoy my time alone at home now and then, when he’s out with ‘the boys’ . I suspect that’s the type of time you are looking for. It’s awfully hard to manufacture interest in something for another person.
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Reply to ForWhatItsWorth
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Vixen67: If he is depressed (unsure if this is the case, but you did list 'Depression' as a category in your post), he may need to see a counselor.
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Reply to Llamalover47
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One of the problems I have found in retirement is that activities for women are nearly always day-time, and things for men are nearly always evening. Evening activities don’t meet your needs to get him out of the house, and they get more and more difficult with driving in the dark.

I think perhaps volunteer activities would be best to ‘research’. Make sure that the activity will be with at least one other person. Some places meet their own needs by putting a volunteer on a desk on their own, and it doesn’t meet the volunteer’s needs at all.
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Reply to MargaretMcKen
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We need more information.
What is the problem with getting your husband out of the house?

Do you want to do things together
or
Do you want him to leave the house so you have time to yourself?

What do YOU want to do?
Join senior community centers.
Get calendars of events.
Plan ahead.

Let him be if he doesn't want to do anything with you.
You create the adventures / activities you want to do - for you.

Gena / Touch Matters
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Reply to TouchMatters
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Plan adventures you both want to do together and do then
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Reply to Sample
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I just retired and am the full time caregiver for my 91 year old Mom with Alzheimer's who lives in my home. My husband is several years into full retirement. It is challenging to see him spend way too much time watching TV or surfing the social media sites. All I can do is try to model making healthy choices (I do yoga 3 times a week with online classes, read books, jigsaw puzzles, sew, teaching myself to paint watercolors) that I can work around the care of my Mom. I don't have the time or inclination to be the "cruise director" for my husband's retirement.
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Reply to gjreno
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A few things to consider....
If he just retired and has had been working for a long time especially at the same place there might be a few things going on.
Depression is possible.
Obviously since retiring he has changed his routine depression can be a possibility.
He may be missing co-workers and the comradery that goes with the workplace.

There is a possibility that there may be things medically going on. Even things he may not have shared with you. Was the retirement a long planned goal or did he decide recently? The reason I ask is if he feels that there may be some cognitive problems he might be having that can be worrisome. And I have read that some people have been able to hide signs/symptoms of cognitive problems for years before others notice. Think back over the past year or so have there been any little things that might have been "off" just a bit and you either ignored or brushed it off as a fluke? (It was 1 incident that made me question my Husband and what might be going on)

Since it is end of the year maybe suggest that he schedule his "Annual Medicare Physical" and part of that should be a mini mental test. but also discuss or send a note to his doctor that he recently retired.

You also might want to start planning little day trips. I am sure that you live in an area where there are places that you would like to explore. make believe you are a tourist in your town.
Discover what programs your local Senior Center has. Trips, activities. And I am sure they need Volunteers and your husband might find that he can help.
You can also try VolunteerMatch.org put in your area and it will bring up organizations looking for Volunteers.
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Reply to Grandma1954
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Take violin lessons 3x a week in the house? And singing lessons 2x a week.
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Reply to lealonnie1
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funkygrandma59 Dec 16, 2024
OMG lealonnie, you made me laugh out loud with your response to the OP! I love it!!!
(8)
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You are new to the Forum.
As you can imagine, we don't know your husband's history.
You put this under "depression" but we need now for you to fill us in a bit about hubby.
His age?
His health?
His interests before retirement?
His explanation for why he doesn't want to do much?
You own hopes for sharing retirement with him? (Hobbies, travel, grandkids, building a second home? whatever they may be). Your history of being close.
And lastly, what discussions have you had with him and what does he say to you.

Without a little information about all we could say is why not ask him out to dinner and a bowling date tonight?
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Reply to AlvaDeer
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How long has be been retired?

Has he always been a home-body? If so, just because he's retired doesn't mean he will magically become someone he has never been. Maybe agree to have a month of once a week "activity dates" where you each pick something to try out together and see how it goes.

Volunteerism is a good way to put skills to use and feel good doing it. Join Nextdoor.com and you'll find all sorts of needs posted by your actual neighbors and nearby communities (and non-anonymous).

I too question if the depression is you or him... if it's him I think it's not uncommon to have a period of adjustment after a lifetime of a work routine. FYI retirement is one of the 3 times when divorce risk increases.

I wish you all the best as you create an enjoyable retirement together.
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Reply to Geaton777
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Ohhhh, I've been there! There is actually something called retired husband syndrome. Google it when you get time. It's real, and they can drive you up the wall.

It takes time to adjust, a year or more, some people are just lost. I was a stay at home mom for 4 boys for years, so I adjusted pretty well. But I would look at my husband when he was outside and he looked so lost. Then his friends started stopping in, and one beer after another and 20lbs later I put a huge end to that.

Now the only difficult time is the dead of winter, which is now! 😖 It's not easy, I'm not sure what your husband likes to do.

Mine was cleaning the basement today, but I just got a sence he needed to get out, so we went for a ride and put for lunch, honestly the last thing I wanted to do, but it's not his fault I'm with mom 2 or 3 days a week.

I'm not sure what your husband likes to do. Mine tinkers on old trucks. Built me a patio , and we rebuilt are deck this summer.
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Reply to Anxietynacy
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An age old question! You might have to start by getting out regularly and leaving him to fend for himself. Make yourself a little scarce.

While you’re out having coffee with girlfriends, taking a class, a hike or volunteering, give him lots of chores to do at home. It’s amazing how quickly he will find something elsewhere when housework becomes HIS job.

When all else fails you might have to spend some serious money to encourage a hobby - buy him a classic car, a fly fishing rod, a greenhouse, an e-bike, golf clubs, a bowling ball, a gym membership, a table saw, if you can afford it.

Hook him up with a local service organization, Lions or Kiwanis clubs. Maybe look into monitoring city council or local utility board meetings or sitting in on trials at the courthouse. Adopt-A-Road!

Once he finds something he enjoys and it becomes routine, you can quit all your activities and have time to yourself at home again. The truth is, if you are enough for him (as many wives are for their husbands) he may not be interested in looking elsewhere for activities.
Good luck! Retirement is a hard transition for some men.
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Reply to Peasuep
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You have your post listed under depression, so if your husband is suffering from depression, I hope that it is being treated, so he can enjoy his retirement.
And if it's not being treated, and he's in denial about his depression, then you may just have to go on and start doing things that you enjoy without him.
I'm sure that's not what you intended when you both retired, but if one party has chosen to be a party pooper or even just more of a homebody, it doesn't mean that the other party has to go along with them.
Life is too short and precious to not do the things that bring us pleasure and joy, so get out there and start enjoying your retirement with or without your husband.
And maybe just maybe when he sees you out having all this fun he may just want to join you one day. One can only hope huh?
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Reply to funkygrandma59
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