Keeping busy in retirement

Pollycat

What does your Mum want to do?

Have you asked her?

pollypenny

An introverted teacher? That's a strange beast, as we are continually performing.

As your mother was a headteacher, she's not likely to be lacking in initiative, either.

I'm a retired teacher. OH and I find U3A, and its range of activities, takes up most of our time.

We've made lots of new friends, too.

elsien

Parent was a teacher, then ran her own business. She also struggled a bit on social situations, not being naturally someone to strike up a conversation with people she didn't know. She was fine in the summer when she retired but got quite down in the winter - hated being in the house all the time but didn't know what else to do so took to going out for drives just to get out. (She didn't tell me how depressed she'd got till much later.)
She started doing a bit of consultancy work, but what's really helped her is joining a gym - not one for gym bunnies, but an all women's one where they do circuits of the resistance machines. She goes at the same time mist mornings and met a group of women of similar age (60s and 70s) who sit and have a coffee and chat afterwards. They've now started doing other social activities as well.
I'm not suggesting your mum necessarily wants to join a gym, but wanted to show building up new friendships is possible even for the shyer types. Parent says she sat outside the gym for nearly an hour plucking up courage to go in, the first time.

rsdiscos

When I say introvert I mean more with groups of adults than children.

Person_one

pollypenny wrote: »

An introverted teacher? That's a strange beast, as we are continually performing.

I don't think its that unusual for someone who has a job that requires them to be fairly outgoing/gregarious to be much more of an introvert and happy in their own company when they're off duty.

divadee

My mum volunteers in the local care home and goes and sits and talks and does jigsaws with the dementia patients. She loves it. My mum is a retired minister so can talk for ages to them. Most weeks she says they have the same conversation but slowly some of the residents have remembered my mum week after week.

Maybe something like that?

NoWayJose

My mum joined a local bowls club when she started reduced hours at work. She met lots of like minded people and it opened up lots of new social opportunities. She says it was a great decision and is hardly ever in!

martinthebandit

I know what sort of discussion I would be having with any of my kids that tried to organise my life now I'm retired. :cool:

Mojisola

rsdiscos wrote: »

My mum has just retired from being a headteacher and I am worried she hasn't planned for the big change in her life.

She is in very good health and is young at heart but really has to pushed herself in social situations as is an introvert.

Mum and dad always thought they would relocate but now he's gone she finds it hard to make big decisions.

I Know she needs a rest but I am worried she could get depressed without having a regular routine.

martinthebandit wrote: »

I know what sort of discussion I would be having with any of my kids that tried to organise my life now I'm retired. :cool:

I wouldn't want my children to start organising my retirement but I would like to think that if they were concerned about my welfare they would talk to me about it and offer to help if I needed it.

meer53

Retirement is about doing what you want to do. I'd hate it too if someone tried to organise things for me. As the lady was a headteacher i'm sure she'll be capable of organising herself once she's had a few months to think about it. My close friend retired in April, she says she still feels as though she's on an extended holiday !