How is Working the 3-11 shift with small children at home

3-11 works best if you have help in your home in the evenings for dinner, bath and bedtime routines with your kids when you are working.  

I worked the 3-11 shift for over 30 years and I loved it.  I will not kid you, it is said it is the hardest shift to work, you do not have all the support that you have on days, plus you still have to bed patients, feed them, etc.  On the other hand, you did not have all those extra people on days, LOL, not as much activity going on to distract you.  With kids, was great, you had the up until two to take them to the beach, etc. in the Summer, skiing in the Winter, did not need a baby sitter for more than a couple of hours if you have an SO.  If I went back to work, it is still the shift I would choose.

This shift is much easier, for my family. I may not have been able to put my 2 kids to bed every single night but I didn't have to pay for daycare. I had my father watch them for an hour until my husband came home. Then I began as nursing educator and had to change to daylight. Although I enjoy educating the schedule is not easy with 2 children and one about to start school. 

Thank you all for your responses! Instead of working evenings I opted to work overnights. Now I’m contemplating if I should go up to 36 hrs instead of only working 24 LOL.

My kids are adults now but I switched from day shift to 3-11 after my first child was born. I worked 24 hours a week which I think is the max I'd want to do working that shift with kids at home. When they are school age you will have days when you don't see them much but if you work every other weekend then that would likely only be 4 shifts in two weeks. I loved having the time to volunteer in their classrooms and go on field trips.When they were babies I did a daytime new moms group.  A family member babysat my kids two weekdays a week  from 2p-4:30p until my husband got home. The parenting responsibilities were very much shared. I'd get home from work at midnight and after showering be in bed asap because my kids got up between 6:30- 7a. 

 I still work 3-11. Love no traffic going to or back from work. Like that generally it starts busy but winds down as the night goes on.