To not be able to think of a fun way to spend a day out of the house on my own?

[StinkyHouse85]

I'm going back to work next month and DH is going to be a SAHD. He's not had DS on his own for more than about 3 hours at a time because I'm breastfeeding. He suggested that in the next month it would be good to have a few practice days on his own with DS to see how things go. I think this is a very good idea.

There's lots I'd love to do around the house (it needs a deep clean and the garden is a state) but DH wants me out of the house so he can't just turn to me when things get tough. Frustrating but fair enough I guess.

I can't really think of anything I want to do outside the home though. It would be on several weekdays so no friends available. I don't like spa days. Other people talking at the cinema irritates me too much for it to be relaxing. I'm not really interested in museums or galleries if I'm honest. I like listening to audiobooks and crafting but don't really fancy just doing that all day.

Any suggestions? I'm near Bristol it that helps but don't have a car.

I was off work last summer with stress on the days I was feeling up to it I would buy a day pass for the bus, ride it to the last stop then walk home. One day I took a detour through the graveyard my great-great grandparents are buried in, it was so wonderfully peaceful I spent the afternoon there walking amongst the graves and sitting on a bench just taking it all in.

If it was me and I lived near Bristol I’d defo either be hitting Cribbs Causeway or going to Bath

Buy some magazines and go and sit in a coffee shop.

I don’t think YABU. I’m a real home bird and like nothing more than pottering about inside or in the garden. When my children were preschoolers I used to take them to a fantastic local museum with the best cafe. We had fun but I never got a chance to really look at stuff as they were FULL ON. I always said that once they were all at school I’d go my myself and have a lovely wander around and lunch.

The youngest has just started in Yr2. Have I ever done this? Have I fuck

Enjoy your day, OP. I bet you’ll be surprised that you’ll fill it very easily just pottering. Oh, another thing I’ll like is going around charity shops. This is great. I’m not a shopper at all but I love this. It’s particularly good in an affluent area with lots of naice coffee shops.

Go and watch Bristol City, or Rovers, for one of their home games.
Go for a swim, and then out for a long lunch.
Theatre matinee, and some shopping.
Train trip to London for the day.
Ask if you can volunteer at your local food bank, but make it clear that you will only be available for a limited time. I know ours take students during the summer holidays, so I am guessing that they are used to short term workers.
Go to your local garden centre for coffee and cake, a good browse and then lunch.

Spa day? Cadbury is lovely or jump on the train and treat yourself to a few hours in Bath Spa.

If you are planning to do several days it would make sense to have some in the house and some out. I love going out by myself for breakfast or lunch. Preference somewhere quiet. Take a book, have another coffee you get the idea. Go shopping, get your hair or nails done, take a class, shop for things you like or just browse. Sit in the park, visit a country house or market. Visit a relative or friend - are they all at work? It will do DH good to be both at home with DD and get her ready to go out. Look at parent/child groups. Is there anything he fancies. Could he take her to visit family? My H often took DS to Grannies when I was working or took him out on a bus somewhere. The park or library.

Ignore my suggestion- just noticed you don't like spa days.... sorry!

Do you have a ceramics cafe near you? We have a couple of places where you can paint ceramics or do decoupage and have a coffee. My DH is having DD(5mo) all day, for the first time, while DS(2.5yo) is in nursery, so I am having a solo spa day. I have a paper book at the ready and can't wait to have a whole day of eating my own food and not being climbed on or asked why seventy billion times. I have done lunch by myself in preparation! I definitely value quiet and ability to eat when childfree

If none of the above floats your boat just book a tantric massage.

TBF a million years ago when DH was being a selfish pig and DC were tiny I stormed off for a day without consultation (pay back) leaving him with a list of instructions and party drop offs.

I left at about 8ish and left him to it until 7pmish. It wasn't that great and really dragged. I did Hartods, Harvey Nicks, coffee in Dover Street, National Portrait Gallery, walked the serpentine, St James's and up through Bond Street. Hit Parsons Green at about 5.45 so got the bus down the King's road back to Sloane Square and the bus back up the Fulham Road.

He was absolutely exhausted when I got back and I made him cook dinner. It was never discussed again. Neither did he ever note again at 9pm on a Friday night that he was playing Golf, going to Lords or Silverstone the next day. After that there was consultation.

Spa day! Bath thermal spa, or aqua Dana at long leaf, or the L'occitane one in bath. Sounds blissful. Enjoy your day whatever you do

Aqua sana at longleat I mean 🙄

Book a hair appointment in town for the afternoon. Shopping in morning, spot of lunch, then relax at the hairdressers and maybe get nails done if there's time. Pamper yourself and enjoy.

If it was me I would

Go and get my hair done in peace
Go to a cafe or restaurant and enjoy a hot meal in peace
Go for a nice long walk in peace
Go shopping on my own in peace
Go to the gym
Go to the cinema on my own in peace
Go and visit my mum and dad

On a serious note OP what interests and hobbies did you have before your baby. You need to make sure you don't lose sight of yourself and your own interests after having a baby. I say this unfortunately from having done the same and learned the hard way.

I think it's really sad that you don't know what to do with a day to yourself, surely you have interests, things you like doing without having a little one around?
I spend a lot of time on my own (by choice), I work weekends so that I can have my days off without having to be with DH & DS .
I live visiting random towns and just mooching around, there is always something interesting to look at. In Bristol I would love a walk around the city, what about the zoo? Or go to Bath for the day. I have been know to spend over 8 hours at Cribbs Causeway, I rarely buy much, just love looking round.
Do you like swimming?
You've got that nice pool in Bristol, or just go to a leisure centre. Take a bus to Portishead or Tyntesfield?
You could easily get to London for the day.
And the cinema is perfect in the day, much quieter. Enjoy your day to yourself.

Oh what I'd give to be able to have a few kid free days out of the house!
I would go to our local petting farm and feed and stroke the animals, I would read in the library, have visits to the museums and art galleries where I could actually read the information on the exhibits rather than being dragged round.
It would be bliss!

Thanks everyone. There's a lot of stuff for me to think about here.

I think my main issue is that the house and garden feel like they are in a bit of a state at the moment (in particular the garden has been rather overtaken by bindweed as I haven't been doing anything much to it for the last year) and so I think I'm a bit stressed out about that and anything else feels like a real waste of time.

• I've always liked walking whilst listening to audiobooks and podcasts, and still do that every day but generally do this whilst baby naps. I'm sure I could do that for a bit of the day but don't really fancy doing it all day long.
• I used to love clothes shopping but am still a couple of stone heavier than I was pre-pregnancy (I've lost a stone and a half but gained a ridiculous amount) and have some wrap dresses that will do for going back to work and don't want to waste money on buying more big clothes that I hopefully won't be wearing for too long. There's nothing else I really need from the shops. If anything I could do with time to de-clutter at home!
• I do like crafting especially knitting and crochet.
• I like watching films and TV but only at home. I've had so many bad experiences at the cinema with people talking (including during the day on weekdays) that I'm not planning to ever go back again except maybe to accompany DS to whatever he wants to watch when he's older.
• Spa days, hair cuts and nail appointments stress me out! DS is a major hair puller so I'll be wearing my hair up for a while I think anyway. I used to like to do my nails myself at home whilst watching telly.

I think there's a couple of things I've remembered I might like after reading all these helpful comments. I want to crochet a hanging organiser for my hair clips and jewellery to put in my wardrobe and there's a book I bought which I couldn't get as an audiobook, so I guess I'll find a quiet spot and do those. I'd rather curl up on the sofa or in bed at home and do them, but I'll make do. I guess I am very much a homebody. If anyone has any more ideas then keep them coming!

Haircut and dentist!

Reading your update, a day boot camp

Go for a swim at the Lido in Clifton.

I know what you mean OP - it seems it's so rare to just get "you" time that if it ever comes up you can get a bit stumped and hard to get out of the habit of always getting things done!

I like Keto's idea - sit and plan your garden. Could go to central library and use the gardening books there, plus there's a nice little cafe in there for cake.

Lido for swim and lunch/coffee?

If you like crafting you could see if The Folk House on Park St had any courses you fancy - I've done a couple of day courses there.

Botanic gardens, maybe Wills tower nearby too? Not done it myself but is on my list!

Matinee at the Hippodrome.

Wander in Leigh Woods with audiobook and back across to Clifton perhaps.

Lots of music venues (st Georges etc) where you could just pick a daytime concert at random and go.

There are plenty of interesting exercise classes to try if that floats your boat (yoga etc).

Also DH won't be at home with DC all day so he also needs to "practice" being out and about for an extended period with them - so you could sell it like that to have time to get the garden done!