to wonder what you do at the weekend?

[ACupOfTeaSolvesEverything]

What do you do with your weekends (or days off if you work weekends)? I think there’s loads to do (from chores to fun stuff to relaxing) and am rarely bored. Friend says there’s nothing to do and the weekend is an interminable stretch of waiting for Monday. We both have families and both work Mon-Fri. Friend doesn’t have many local friends to nip round to or go to the gym with (friend won’t go alone) and says that’s the difference between us, but actually I don’t do much of that anyway, I maybe see a friend at the weekend once every couple of months.
So.
YABU: the weekend is dire and I’d rather fast forward to Monday
YANBU: there’s loads to fill your time with, no need to be so bored

I work every second weekend so the weekends I have off are always busy. Usually out for date night with my husband on Friday night, meet up with friends for a night out on Saturday night. On Sunday we'll normally pop out to visit my MIL or else she'll pop in to the city to visit us because she's living an hour away whereas my parents are very close. We'll normally try to do some kind of project around the house during the day too.

If we're not meeting friends and the weather forecast is good then we might head off somewhere coastal in the campervan.

Try to sleep in but usually get up early as I’m in routine from work. Have coffee, clean the kitchen, put on washings for the week and hang clothes out to dry. Clean/tidy rooms, listen to radio, make a nice dinner. Catch up on gogglebox, love it to bits! I also study part time for my degree so do that usually mid day. Try not to fill my weekends, I’m a homebody so like to be at home relaxing on weekends :)

I think it depends on whether you have a partner or not, children or not.

I'm currently single (solo parent to be) and pregnant.

I'm late 30s and have had so many weekends to do whatever I wanted which resulted in many weekends doing nothing I feel my weekends before becoming pregnant were starting to merge into one another, probably for the last decade or so. I did have a relationship in the last two years but it wasn't progressing, we were at different life stages and I'd often find myself wondering how many more lie ins/going to dinner/drinking/watching films could I take on the weekend?! I was getting bored with the routine (not the person per se), and I was and am ready for this new chapter (and what the weekends with a baby will be like December onwards!)

I find them more enjoyable now my kids are older. I tend to watch TV with DD1 (18) for an hour or so, go to the gym, go for a run with a friend, shopping, cooking and walking the dog with DD2 (12) and trying to get her to spend more time with me. But it's lovely having so much time to myself

I do a mixture of things.

Have a lie in.
Housework/cleaning/laundry.
Walk the dog.
Go out for a meal/get a takeaway.
Maybe cook a roast dinner.
Work (occasionally, and never for more than an hour or two).
Watch TV/Netflix.
Mess about online.
Enjoy not having to rush anywhere.
Have a nap.
Go shopping/have a day out.

DD has a drama club late Saturday afternoon. One of us takes her and the other takes DS out somewhere. No early morning rushing around

Saturday afternoon DH sometimes goes to football and I take the DCs swimming. This week his parents are coming to visit.

Sundays I go to a weights class at my gym and then we all go out for lunch together as a family or have a walk, country park etc.

Occasionally the DCs have birthday parties or play dates.

I love weekends. I work solidly through the week and have hobbies several weekday evenings, so weekends I blitz the house, have nice breakfasts, one takeaway and just have time to watch TV/films/read my book/shop/go out for walks/see family. I have a very simple life but boy do I love it!

@ACupOfTeaSolvesEverything

Is your friend single (and childless not by choice) and isn't in a relationship?

I remember feeling like this when I was single and childless... It did seem everyone else would retreat into their homes on the weekend to be with their partners/children...It was lonely and I felt excluded a lot of the time. I also didn't/don't have any single friends and family doesn't live nearby.

There’s too many activities for the kids at the weekend but I have FOMO on their behalf so can’t stop doing them.

DS1 goes to an activity 0945-1230 Saturday, and next September DD will be able to join him, so that’s a dream. Sunday is sports. Then we generally see friends or family, try and squeeze in dog walks/bike rides/weekends to sort out house and garden and honestly it’s all a bit rushed. It’s insane that I am moaning about that because I’ve just spent the last year and a half crying about how much we are missing out on at weekends…..

Lots of football for DS1 - he plays Saturday and Sunday and DH helps with coaching, so it’s usually me and DS2 pottering about for half the weekend. He has asd so sometimes wants quiet time to decompress, or like today wants to make things.
Usually do the washing and housework on Saturdays then sundays we go to the beach/parks/woods or other local outdoor places. Sometimes DH takes the DC to see his sister and DNs which gives me a bit peace too! I like to batch cook a couple of meals on a Sunday to save time during the week.

Both DH and I work shifts so it would be unheard of to have a whole weekend where neither of us work.
Weekend is just a week day for us, except food shops aren't open as long which always catches me out.
Will usually have PILs over one of the days for dinner and 'garden play time' so they can see DC. MIL might cook a roast or we'll have takeaway. Usually Strictly / X Factor / enter random weekend entertainment show will be on in the background.

We tend to have leisurely morning then either go out somewhere or for a meal at night

I am amazed how busy some people's weekends are, I use them to rest so I can cope with the week! Also work either Sat or Sun morning from home, eat nice food, chill out, watch stuff, meet up with friend every week or two, see family, do all the bloody washing, that seems to take the entire time. I really don't know how people fit in camping/hiking/paddleboarding/extensive child-based activities beyond the odd class perhaps...I have friends that go away Fri eve and back Sun eve, I would be exhausted by Mon!

I’m older and DC all grown up and I have a friend in a similar position. She hates weekends like your friend, and says they’re boring. Nothing to do etc. She also hated wfh. She just doesn’t like being in her house.

I love weekends. I wfh permanently but the weekend means the laptop is fully put away, no need to think about it. I’m having a lie in this morn, drinking coffee and MNing, playing online poker (for fun not real money!). I might have a short snooze in a bit. Then will clean up the house, then nice hot bath. I have a jigsaw I’m working on. So even if I’m not seeing anyone or going anywhere, I still enjoy the day. Tomorrow I’ll do some work in the garden, if it stays dry. I love my home and I love just pottering around.

I'm single and childfree so spend my weekends doing things like: Going for a run, seeing friends for meals and drinks, cooking, food shopping, catching up on a bit of tv. I try to do housework on Thursday night's so but if I'm out then I do a quick clean too.

I love my weekends as work is busy in the week so I plan social things and see friends on at least one day and spend the other relaxing. Why won't she go to the gym by herself?

@Musttryharder2021 no he is married with a upper primary/early secondary son

We like taking the kids to parks/woods/swimming/bike riding etc.

Meet friends for breakfast or lunch (not a night owl), ferry kids to their social lives, garden takes a lot of time (happy with this, it’s my relaxation thing), walk the dog if he’s up to it (ancient and trips over his own feet some days), maybe going for a day at the seaside if it’s nice (2-3hr drive though), read, play one of my instruments. I like a lot of alone time at the weekend, having to talk to people at work all week is plentynuff for me

We don't pack our weekends too full. Walk the dog, sometimes see family, have the kids' friends round. Occasionally an outing to a place, but usually just kick around doing our own thing.

Not a lot.
As the kids are independent now it’s nice not to have to take them out.
I don’t feel guilty about watching some TV or reading a book.

Those that have children, would you say your weekends are busier than what they were pre-children? As in there's more 'activities' to do now?

And the single and child free people, do you have extensive social lives/hobbies to be busy with?

I love weekends, even if not as busy these days. Used to be packed with gym classes, socialising, supermarket, housework, nights out, etc.

Now less nights out but I enjoy a slower pace - lie ins, grocery delivery, getting the house in order, getting prepared for the week ahead, cooking nice food, reading and relaxing.

Child free btw if you can't tell from my post !

I LOVE the weekends. It's just me and 9 year old DS and the dog. I do yoga, he builds lego or watches TV, we go to his BMX class, cook nice food, we go to the forest with the dog and watch films, or sometimes I take him swimming.
And sometimes recently he has a sleepover and I get to go out!
Maybe it's easier as just the two of us so nobody to worry about but each other.

Dd is older so is normally quite busy with studying / her friends but we sit and watch a film together when possible.
We have a takeaway or go out for food.
I go out with friends either for the evening, or a shopping/lunch day out and we normally have a couple of weekends away each year. Covid has put the kaibosh on that recently but we did go to Lisbon a couple of weeks ago. DH cleaned the oven "for me" whilst I was away!
Cinema
Walk to local market for oysters and fizz.
I love sitting in the garden with a book when the weather is nice.
Once a month or so I will invite people for Sunday lunch. I do a mean roast. Usually too much wine is consumed.
I always intend to get out for a long walk or bike ride but I've been so busy recently I usually end up just chilling out.
Normally have some work that needs finishing.

Weekends always go too quickly.