After long and hard-working careers, it’s natural for your parents to look forward to their retirement. But, unfortunately, they may soon find themselves becoming bored, with little to fill up their days (and evenings) and too much time on their hands. Which can cause depression and lower their self-esteem.
It’s also normal to hear retired people grumbling about their partners ‘getting under their feet’. This can be a particular problem if they are not used to spending so much time together. So how can you help your parents enjoy their retirement more? Here are 6 ideas to help you get started.
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Volunteer work
Get your parents involved in their local community and find opportunities for volunteer work. This could include working in a charity shop or other charity work such as collecting cash. If they are animal lovers, they could volunteer for an animal shelter. Or, they could offer their time to read to people in hospital or care homes. Many local libraries are also looking for help as their council funding continues to be cut. Take a look around your area and see who needs a hand.
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Gardening
If either or your parents have ever shown an interest in gardening, encourage them to take this a step further. Perhaps by clearing a plot of their garden to create a vegetable patch, or erecting a greenhouse so that they can continue to cultivate plants during the winter. You could even apply for an allotment on their behalf if they only have a small garden, although be warned there are often waiting lists involved.
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Exercise
If your parents are still fit and active, why not enrol them at a local gym or sports club? With most areas offering badminton, tennis, yoga and swimming activities, there should be plenty to pique their interest. And of course, it will help them to stay healthy, keep their blood pressure low, improve muscle tone and maintain circulation.
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Collectibles
There is a whole industry of collectibles, which could catch the interest of either one or both of your parents. For example, a new range of Dinky toys has just been launched, which could be an ideal hobby for Dad, especially if he used to collect Dinky cars when he was a young boy.
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Babysitting
Of course, if you have young children, this is a great opportunity for your parents to spend some quality time with them (which can also give you a break too). Encourage your children to ask their grandparents questions about their history, and what the world was like when they were younger. You may find them very surprised to discover how we used to communicate and entertain ourselves in the days before the Internet.
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Researching the family tree
This is something the whole family can get involved with. And with many online resources now available to help them do this, you can turn your parents into your family’s private detectives. It can be fascinating to uncover the stories of previous family members and work out how branches of your family link together. You may even discover some unexpected relations.
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