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I start my first nursing job Monday. I have a 3 year old son who is home with me when im not at school or busy with important appointments. I will be working in a hospital with a daycare facility that I intend to use. I will be working 3- 12 hour shifts and feel like this is way to long for him to be at daycare. Is this something I need to get over or should I find a friend or someone that could pick him up earlier and go to my house and sit with him until I get home. I feel like a bad parent with either of these decisions, but I know I worked too hard to become a stay at home mom. Any input will be appreciated. Thanks.
Unfortunately we cant work opposite because he would need to be at work before I get home and vice versa. The good thing about the daycare is I can always go check on him when I get a break-I know I wont always be promised that break but I can always go see him on lunch. I picked this daycare for this reason. I could pick a cheaper one but he would be there as soon as they open and be there after it closes. So I got so sad about that. Atleast the hospital one is used to this shift.
The hospital childcare setting is going to be a good option. Because the facility ks used to csring for children on these long shifts and have probability of larents dropping in whenever and all knowing each other as coworkers there is less chance of neglectnor abuse occuring. Also check out the childcares credentials.
Childcare, in the right setting, can be completely enriching and beneficial when the parents botg have to work. The fact that this facility even operates on long hours means theyre catering to the hospital. If you dont have other friends and options this idea isnt terrible. Every mom feels guilty about putting their baby in childcare and once we become used to the way the facility works we all realize its not so bad. There will always be parental guilt but why mothers feel this over childcare boggles my mind. If you have to work you have to work.
If possible try hiring a babysitter that will pick him up before supper time and take him home, feed him, give him a bath, etc so that by the time you get home exhausted you can read to him and tuck him in bed and he won't have to stay up later. If that doesn't pan out then have him go to someone's house if possible. There are lota of stay at home moms looking for an extra child to watch to make money and have someone for their child to play with. Daycares can be good but the fact is it's not relaxing like one's home so to be there 13 hours would be tough on anyone. Most kids are flexible and as much as my daughter enjoyed daycare-she was always thrilled when someone would come and pick her up early (and that was with 8 hr days). She never had any problem with different people watching her or different schedules on different days. It would be nice if you could work prn and worked only when your husband was off or maybe straight weekends while your husband worked the week or vis versa. Whatever you do, in a couple years you're going to have to figure the whole getting him to/from school situation. It's never easy...
Sun0408, ASN, RN
1,761 Posts
I know this is far out there but can you work opposite your hubby so your son is home with mostly you or him..This way you can just do daycare as a back-up once a week or once every few weeks.. I work nights so my children are home with me during the day and hubby at night..