If you're single and childless what do you do at the weekend?

[Britishsummertime22]

Finding weekends tough.

There are weekends that clubbing is exactly what I want from life!

Being in my fifties means I've embraced daytime clubbing so I'm still home and in bed at a sensible hour, and I haven't drunk alcohol in years, but the idea that clubbing is not a worthwhile use of anybody's time provided they enjoy it is just odd.

When I was single and childless I did this:

Got up as early or as late as I wanted to
Went to the gym, had a good workout, swam, used the sauna/steam room
Came home, had a long hot shower and a nice lunch
Read or went to the cinema in the afternoon/watched film at home
Met up with friends in the evening for a meal or drinks

Would go to church on Sundays
Did some housework/laundry/prepped meals for week
Sometimes food shopping
Meditate/write out some business plans/goals for career/side hustles
Got a takeway/watched netflix
Took dog for long walks along the beach whilst listening to inspirational podcasts
Would potter around town, have a hot choc and look in the shops
Phone friends and chat if they couldnt meet up
Visited family
Went to street festivals/ events/ exhibitions/workshops on in my town (it has lots going on)
Joined a book club
Did some online courses in various topics
Visited places of interest/day trip to London etc

I'm single and don't have children. I do understand OP, I find weekends tough and quite lonely. All my friends are busy with their children and partner and can't afford lots of weekends away etc. It feels a bit empty.

I know what you mean. Me and my friends are now in our 40's and every now and then we go out for dinner and a few cocktails, but it's been a long time since we went on a mad one at the weekends, like we did regularly when we were younger and all single.

All of them are coupled up, some have kids, so they are usually booked at the weekend. Being the only single person in a group of friends can be a bit lonely sometimes, jut not being someone's priority. Or having an automatic person to spend time with.

I'm generally happy with my pottering and going to visit people, but I tend to have to make the effort or I won't see them very often.

Work, farm, horses, friends, housework, shopping, dog walking.
That pretty much fills my days!

I work 2 jobs across the 7 days a week, but in the evenings after my weekend job I walk, cook a nice dinner, make art and work on my eCommerce store (my 3rd job!). Also, I sometimes read later in the evening in bed, or sometimes clean the flat if I've not had chance during the week. The emphasis is on creativity though, and I definitely try to get out for a walk in one of the parks local to me.

Maybe check out Domestika (and I'm sure there will be similar online alternatives too), if you fancy learning a fun new creative skill - there's tonnes of interesting stuff on there if that's your thing.

as a single, childless woman myself maybe this response triggered me a little. Telling an adult women to just get drunk every Friday and Saturday night with her mates seems completely unrealistic and silly

I agree with this too. This was an option when I was single in my early 20s but when most of your friends are coupled up and/or have young kids the last thing they'll want to be doing is going out getting trashed and hungover every weekend.

I sympathise OP. I didn't meet my husband until I was 28 so I spent the majority of my 20s single and childless. I also don't live in a big city but just in the nice commuter town where I grew up so there wasn't really a hell of a lot to do anyway.

I also felt that weekends were a struggle as my best friends all married and had kids very early or they moved to London, Australia and middle east for job opportunities so from about 24-28 I found myself very sad and lonely at the weekends.

I would use the time to get my hair or nails done, go to the gym, go for a sunbed, see my parents or there would be a rare night out once every couple of months. But, to be honest a lot of the time I would cry on my sofa and drink wine and eat pringles until I passed put in front of the telly. It wasn't a great time for me. I understand and I totally sympathise ❤️

@Bellyblueboy
Oh my gosh you lost your head over my post.

Some people do enjoy having a drink and hanging out with friends and beaches, renting cottages, travelling around different parts of the uk young adult, older adults and 'proper adults' and I never even suggested OP do that every weekend but what I said about beaches, cottages etc are actually lovely ideas you can do that solo or with friends on weekends and you can do it with or without alcohol

Thank you to the other posters who defended my post and realised I didn't mean go out get drunk every weekend with a load of friends I meant it in a way of go out and explore have and have some fun

I could have written this. It didn’t help that (showing my age here) Four Weddings was the big summer film when I was about 25. I spent my mid-twenties feeling really inadequate, which is a shame

I think the key is if your busy on week days g. I go to cinema etc then the weekends are for resting. So for me

Monday work then gym
Tuesday work then movie
Wednesday work then gym
Thurs work then clean house
Fri work see mates
Sat and sun chill wash clothes do a bit of gardening go to coffee shop and read a book, see friends, movie nights, bit of gaming, things around the house ...it varies

Some weekends I'm away abroad or events.

It's great though ny garden always looks.its best, as does the house and I still have time to have fun lol

Not single but childfree. Friday night my husband and I go for a couple of drinks to celebrate the weekend, and then have an easy dinner or takeaway. Not that useful for you, OP, sorry.
Saturday morning I do food shopping, which obviously isn’t really necessary in the days of deliveries, but I actually quite enjoy it. Saturday afternoon I quite often do a “project”- something in the garden, or around the house. Maybe some baking, although I don’t do that often because of the gluttony implications of having to finish a cake between two of us. Saturday evening I do fancy cooking, which is basically anything I wouldn’t be bothered with during the week.
Sunday morning I haul myself out of bed around 8 and go for a run and then do a yoga practice, which means that quite often Sunday afternoon involves a sneaky nap. If that’s in the garden in the sunshine I’m very happy.

But, to be honest a lot of the time I would cry on my sofa and drink wine and eat pringles until I passed put in front of the telly. It wasn't a great time for me. I understand and I totally sympathise ❤️

I also sympathise. I spent my entire 20s doing many of the things people list in this thread but by the evenings, most of my friends were all loved up and having cosy romantic nights in with their partners. I spent many a night alone slugging Pinot Grigio watching romantic films on tv and crying. Sometimes I did go out with my friends and their partners and felt like a complete gooseberry which I remember was tons of fun 😣

Its tough when all your friends are in a different life stage- big hugs.

galleries, theatre, cinema, catching up with friends
walks, train to the coast
sleep.

I didn’t say clubbing wasn’t a worthwhile
use of anyone time!

I said that suggesting op get drunk clubbing every Friday and Saturday night and spend her days hungover with her mates probably isn’t realistic for an adult who is struggling with weekends.

mThere is a difference between occasionally going clubbing and suggesting a random adult
get pissed every Friday and Saturday night.

I do wonder if this thread has two groups of people - those who are currently childless and single and those who aren’t.

do you honestly know any adults (apart from those who you are worried about) who get pissed every Friday and Saturday night and waste every Saturday and Sunday lying about deeply hungover? It’s not a solution to loneliness.

Possibly also three groups of people - including those like myself who are single but with adult children. Technically we are childless but we tend to be older and not have the pressure of 'coupling up and producing' being held over us. Also we can often socialise with our adult children, so I think we are in a different group to those younger single and childless people.

I do wonder if this thread has two groups of people - those who are currently childless and single and those who aren’t.

That happens on quite a lot of threads on the MNers without children board. There are the posters who are child free / childless and the posters who are talking about before they had kids or when their kids aren’t around.

I think those who are on this thread who aren't single and childless and aren't signed off sick with mental illness and who's mates all have families and who aren't terrified of rejection yet again really have no idea of how achingly lonely life can be.

😂 maybe i took it too literally. In my defence you did say

‘When I was single and childless I just got drunk Fridays and Saturdays then spent Sundays with my best friends nursing our hangovers and go out for food ready for the working week

We would also do this one weekends at different locations,nightclubs, beach, camping, rent cottages in random places, go to different parts of the uk to do the above’

i assumed you meant go to different parts of the Uk to do the above - the above was getting pissed very Friday and Saturday night.

so I am sorry if you meant something different.

I do think it’s so easy for married people with kids to point to what they did when they were young as if it’s easy to find people to do stuff with every weekend. People who are not in this situation also forget that while wasting weeends being hungover used to be fine - the older you get the more you want to be out and about during the day.

I do think only those who are over 30, single and childless today understand.

Yes, actually I do. They tend to be the people with little money and who live in places where there's not much else to do once you've finished work for the week like my last home town.

It wouldn't be my choice, but I'm well aware that I have a lot more options available to me and I'm not going to judge those who don't. If they're enjoying themselves then it's not for anybody else to do so, either.

@TroysMammy same for me. DP is a workaholic, I may as well be single! Good job I’m quite solo but I really miss some attention now and then!!!

To answer op, garden stuff, books, breaks. Although I’ve been ill lately so bloody nothing!

I’d go clubbing if I had anyone up for it 🤣

is there a "lonely girls" club near you? they are women-only meet ups for people far too young and interesting for WI.

I don't mean to pick on your post but I think it's comments like this that will just upset people like the OP more. I know you mean we'll but it's a totally different situation from the OP.

You have partner, someone loves you, someone actually cares about you, you have someone to talk to when everyone else is busy with their special people because YOU are someones special person regardless if they are busy or not. I'm sorry but it's not the same. I remember how OP was feeling pretty well and it's soul crushing.

Have just done my first solo holiday, highly recommend it. I'm single, but have children who spend every other weekend at their Dad's. I also enjoy walking the dog, or sleeping, haha!