What to do with a retiring parent

[Z]

So my widowed mother is retiring pretty soon. She's the kind of person who got her job at 22 and just stayed there for almost 40 years, has never taken any kind of proactive steps towards anything outside of work and generally tries to avoid independence as much as possible.

She's now going to be living alone in the middle of the countryside  with nothing to do for every day until either some grandchildren arrive or her health takes a turn for the worst.
Any suggestions for what I could do with her? Are there any courses or hobbies that are especially good at stopping this kind of person from just rotting away at home?

[Sebastian Cobb]

My dad got an avm in his early 60's and was written off from work. My mum gave up working shortly after. They now seem to have more holidays than santa.


Perhaps she could take up folk music?

[Danger Man]

1) Make a will

2) Get her on the internet. It's a whole world in a box.

[madhair60]

I'll take care of her.

[Nowhere Man]

Me Mam retired last year after years of working for the NHS, got back into the old Politics field big time as well, becoming a speaker for her local Momentum group and even a Labour candidate for her constituency. Is your Mum interested in politics? That seems like a decent way to kill some hours.

[paruses]

What was her job?

[Blue Jam]

Shave his belly with a rusty razor.

[shiftwork2]

I'd just be a son to her, keep an eye on her and let her do her own stuff.  Keep interested in her life and let her into yours, and make the most of it together.  I think you knew this tbh.

[Sebastian Cobb]

[tag]Dionne Warwick's first drafts[/tag]

[Small Man Big Horse]

I'm pretty sure Bridge was created to give old people something to do. My mum's played it throughout her life and at 75 still does so three nights a week, and most of her social circle comes from it.

[Dex Sawash]

Errr, lie in the morn-ning?

[Elderly Sumo Prophecy]

Have her stuffed and mounted.

[steve98]

Pimp her out.

[Gregory Torso]

Watercolours. Although it all gets a bit much when pictures of kestrels and rock walls and smaller kestrels and birch trees start piling up in soggy pillars throughout the house.

Dog walking, if she favours the canine. Dad does this a lot, gets him out and talking with other walking dog walkers.

Put her on a mystery barge and send her off downstream to adventure.

Buy her an enormous jigsaw of the moon and tell her "I want that finished by August".

Buy her a Chinese zither and tell her "I want that mastered by September. I want to walk into this house and hear the raging plucks of a masterful zither player."

[Isnt Anything]

Errr, lie in the morn-ning?

ive just got this. very good.

[Depressed Beyond Tables]

New contract?

[Urinal Cake]

Go on Jeremy Kyle.

[Buelligan]

I think probably talk to her is quite important - about this, about stuff generally - she may have plans, she may have fears, maybe you can help with those.

Also, paint her a strong colour.

[Excellent_Biscuits]

I bought my mum a barrel of mints.

Way too big for one woman to finish.

I feel daft about that now

[baptist]

Buy her an air rifle.

[Emma Raducanu]

I've got a big chunk of money I need to deposit somewhere
If you could just give me her bank details, please

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Any suggestions for what I could do with her?

Spade, grave

Cheers

[Pijlstaart]

Couple of years in jail will sort her out, and she'll be more than happy to mulch down in a cottage. Frame her, steal curly wurlies from the local tuck shop, GBH, flasher mac outside primary school, all in a "her" mask. It is a kindness really, and even godly. They go a bit odd at that age and need some perspective. Father got into "luxury" microwave meals and only a jail sentence will put things right, they'd do the same to us.

[mothman]

[tag]Last Day. Carousel begins[/tag]

[drummersaredeaf]

Buy her an air rifle.

I read that as 'an afterlife'.

[Ferris]

Errr, lie in the morn-ning?

Bollocks! Too slow.

[Buelligan]

I don't understand, his mother isn't a mariner is she?

[Ferris]

I don't understand, his mother isn't a mariner is she?

What to do with a retiring parent,
What to do with a retiring parent,
What to do with a retiring parent?
Ear-ly in the morn-ing!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4-ytFOS9TI

[Buelligan]

Yes.  I was joking.  Sorry.

[Ferris]

Yes.  I was joking.  Sorry.

Ah, disregard then!