Best schedule for single mother

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I recently became a single mother with two small children and one entering kindergarten. I have limited support from my friends and live near no family. I've been a stay at home mom for two years until now. My primary nursing experience has been the OR and PACU. Contemplating taking a weekend double job in Long Term Care facility or deciding on m-f job at hospital in PACU. What hours are the best option to give me time with my children and move forward in my career? Anyone out there working or worked weekend only job? How was it?

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How would you find childcare every weekend?

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Specializes in Pedi.

I agree with the previous poster. Who is going to watch your children from 6am-midnight every Sat/Sun?

Daycare is open Mon-Fri so I think that's your better option. Long term, school nursing might be your best bet.

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I have found a preschool teacher from my church who offered to watch the kids during the weekend.

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I have found a preschool teacher from my church who offered to watch the kids during the weekend.

Although that was nice of her to offer, I would be wondering if she really means every single weekend, indefinitely. That's a really big commitment. I would hate for you to take a job then quit a few months later if she decides it's too much. I think the m-f option would be more reliable.

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Specializes in Pedi.
Although that was nice of her to offer, I would be wondering if she really means every single weekend, indefinitely. That's a really big commitment. I would hate for you to take a job then quit a few months later if she decides it's too much. I think the m-f option would be more reliable.

This is my thought too. This woman never travels? Never has anything to do on the weekend that spending 18 hrs with a fellow churchgoer's children would impede?

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I've also had my other friends offer as well. I've contemplated hiring someone to watch the kids.

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This preschool teacher is willing to watch your kids, for free, for basically 18 hours a day, every weekend, including holidays, for months or years? Really? Even if she is not expecting pay, that's really taking advantage of someone. But, I'm pretty sure she's expecting some sort of compensation. You definitely need to discuss this arrangement with her more to be sure she understands what you'd be expecting.

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OP how old are your kids? I think overnight work will be best. I know a nurse who did this until her mother was able to come help out. since her kids were school age, she hired a nanny to work from 5:00pm to about 8:00 am. Her kids spent a good portion of the time asleep, so the nanny was pretty happy. In the AM The nanny took the kids to school while mom gets home, sleeps and picks them up around 3:00pm. She spent some time with them after school then nanny came back to take over at 5:00 pm. They did homework, dinner, and bedtime with the nanny. What made this work is that she treated the nanny very well and made her feel like a part of the family. Also look into the Aupair program if that's an option in your town...may be cheaper.

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If you can manage to land a M-F job in PACU, that would be your best bet.

I'm not a single mom, but my husband travels frequently, so I need to have work hours that coincide with daycare hours. Daycare is expensive, but it's less expensive than hiring a nanny.

While working doubles on weekends for free weekdays would work for you younger kids, you'd really miss out on your time with your kindergarten child. Once they start school, the weekends are really the only time you have a good uninterrupted stretch to do fun things with them.

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So glad you asked this question I am recently divorced and in the same boat.

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OP what is custody? Luckily, my ex has our kids 1st , 3rd, and 5th weekends. My sister will do one weekend a month, and I will have a sitter one weekend a month. My son is 11 and my daughter is 7. We luckily live in an apartment complex if need be I can also get a sitter to do drop ins. If your custody is like mine then weekends could totally work.

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