Dear Prudence,
My husband, who is 42, basically has no friends. He has one or two guys he’s been friends with for years but rarely sees except maybe once or twice a year. He has a very social job so he knows lots of people in our community but doesn’t actually make an effort to connect with people outside of work. He complains about never having anyone to do anything with.
I, on the other hand, have a handful of good friends, that I make a genuine effort to see frequently. Think coffee dates before work, late evening walks, and the occasional brunch or workout class. We have two small children so it’s always a balancing act to find a couple of solo hours but I make it very clear that if he wants to take a day to go fishing or play golf, he is absolutely welcome to and I’ll take the kids for the day so he can get out and have some fun. He very rarely takes me up on it, but I can practically feel the resentment shimmering off his skin when I tell him that I’d like to make my next set of plans. How do we find balance here?
—Happy, Social Wifey