Night shift parents with little kids

[muesli]

I'm new to the night shift (3 twelves 7p to 7a). I have someone watching my three little ones in the morning after I work so I can sleep. But how should I manage my days off? My plan was not to do daycare on my days off but here it is 1:30 in the morning and I'm wide awake and am expected to get up to take care if the little ones at 7 am! What does everyone else do? At least when preschool starts in the fall, my two oldest will be there until noon. But I will to get up early to drive them there. I need a solid schedule, but I'm not sure what that would look like! I just can't afford five days/week daycare right now.

[Julesmama28]

I don't do night shift now, but I have in the past. I would just nap before my first shift, then after my last I would sleep for a few hours then get up for the day. Felt like death but it switched me back and forth out of necessity to take care of my kids! Good luck!