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He tends to take over and I give up!

My Cat is not interested in joining in much, but if I fall asleep in front of the TV, she likes to join in with the nap

I would always be happy for my husband to share my interests.

The pale coloured clothes come out of the washing machine looking blue or grey or an indeterminate colour somewhere in between!

I don't have a partner. Perhaps that gives you the answer...

We do a lot of things together (walking, cycling, films etc) but I do not like to be 'helped' in the kitchen (except with washing up!). He tends to distract my attention and something burns or boils over while I'm explaining what he could do,

My husband is a bit useless, last time he loaded the washing machine. He put in two bath towels, a king size duvet cover, his jeans, two hoodys and a few more bits.... The washing
machine broke.

He's a better cook than me. But clueless at house stuff.

Personally I think it's ok if your partner wants to join in and I would encourage it.
However , and it's a biggie, I would be totally against that person barging their way in and taking over or telling me a ' better ' way of doing it !

Mine has several times!, we set a few ground rules and off we go! (I don't mind really) it's usually better with us both.

Nothing ?

I think that it depends the partner if I had one yes I be angry and feed up grouchy because there are sticking there nose in but actually on the other hand I be happy they have stuck there nose in especially if I am having one of my stubborn moment

I normally try to understand why she would want to become involved. We have many different interests, I am musical, she is poppy, I love reading non fiction and biographies, she loves fiction. So if she was to want to be come involved in one if my interests I would first wonder why and then try to share.

Tbh it would be lovely if she DID share an interest. Apart from the grandchildren, and tutting about their parents, we have almost nothing in common, probably why we have a good, long lasting but actually rather detached marriage.

As long as it stays shared and he doesn't take over, else there will be words!

After 35 years of marriage we both know our own strengths and areas so it doesn't happen often. I usually defer to him, suggest my own alternative, which we inevitably use, and we're both happy...

I don't currently have a partner but if I were in a relationship, I'd like to think that both of us could maintain some joint activities as well as agreeing to separately pursue things which frankly would bore the other one to death! Variety being the spice of life and all that! Perhaps I'm being naive to think that a bit of give and take makes for a happy home, but if I am so be it!

He would try and take over until I put him in his place.

It’s rather like when you let the grandkids help out. They enjoy thinking that they are helping so you just encourage it. In reality it’s not too good but you smile and thank them as you don’t want to discourage then from having a go!

My husband likes to ‘advise‘ me on the best way to do something, then he has helped and it becomes ‘our’ project.???

I get annoyed if my husband gets involved in what I'm doing. I think that everyone needs something that "belongs" to them only. Just as you need your own space in any relationship.

I’m on my own now I don’t have anyone to get involved in my things. When my partner was alive it would have depended what it was I was doing. Somethings were definitely just for me (like baking) but I’d have welcomed his help with other things.

She's welcome!!!

It would only be a problem if his actions were to ruin that "something" in some way.

I don't really have anything I consider to be just mine. I am happy for us to share everything.

We have things we do together and he has his own hobbies so I wouldn’t want him encroaching on something which I consider to be mine and which I might have been taking part in for us to have some space.

I had an example of this only last night with my husband sending a text to my daughter about something without telling me that was personal and i was not too happy about it.
Normally we discuss absolutely everything, so felt a bit let down by him. As my daughter who is 39 feels that her home that she was brought up in is not good enough as she has lots of posh friends with husbands who have good salaries coming in and drives an expensive car but which is leased on an expensive amount each month, which is something our generation would not do, preferring to pay cash and only buy what we can afford then she moans every month how hard up she is, which we just say "we told you so" and it falls on deaf ears.