Working night shift with kids

Saf1, BSN, MSN, RN, APN, APRN, NP · Apr 13, 2011

We have a full-time daycare/preschool for my daughter. When I work nights my husband drops her off in the morning while I'm still at work (he has to be in before I get home), then I come home, sleep, then pick her up when I wake up. I rotate, so it works well because she can also go when I work days. Paying for a daycare center is expensive though, so you have to look at the costs and the benefits. For us it was the only option that really worked.

LTV950rn · Apr 13, 2011

I'm not totally sure what your home situation is, but I'll tell you how we do it. I work nights, and generally, my husband is responsible for getting our 3 year old up and ready in the morning, and then drops him off at daycare. I come home, sleep, and pick him up. Husband generally is home by 6. Then I generally make dinner, do bedtime stuff, and often have time to get my son to bed. This is more feasible if I'm doing, say, a 10-8, 11-7, etc. type shift. If I do a 12-hr, then usually all I have time for is to pick up kiddo, make a quick supper, and head out the door. I would not recommend having the kids home all day with you after you worked all night- you do need to sleep, as the day is your "night." I have known nurses who do not have daycare during the day and I can't honestly understand how they do it. Maybe they nap during the day and sleep when their spouses get home, until it's time to go to work? Anyway, good luck to you and just be sure you consider the best way to take care of yourself, because you will get run down quite quickly if you don't get the rest you need.

punkydoodlesRN, BSN, RN · Apr 13, 2011

I have 2 kids, ages 3 and 5, and work nights with alternating weekends. My hubby makes it work for our family. My kids go to daycare and my hubby has to drop the off before I even get home because of his long commute. It sucks. But I do get to sleep uninterrupted. I know that probably doesn't help you much though! Just wanted to let you know that you're not alone.

MissBrahmsRN · Apr 13, 2011

i work nights (3 12s) and when our son was in preschool hubby got kids up & ready, took daughter to school son to preschool then he worked out at home then went to work. my daughter went home to a friends house & i picked her up then picked up son then home, ate dinner while they had small snack, "how was your day" chat, then hubby got home and kisses all round then i left for work. when i get home in the morning he is usually starting his workout so we chat for a few minutes while i eat breakfast then i go to bed.

now both are kids are in school so it's easier on hubby to get them up, to school, they both go afterward to the same place where i pick them up once i wake up. if i am rotating in for the week, i get up at my usual time of 1100-1200 then pick them up when school's out & when hubby gets home i leave. if i'm rotating out of my workweek i come home, sleep until right before school gets out, get up throw on some clothes, pick up kids and we have a snack and walk together (helps wake me up) then i go to bed at my usual off-work time of 0200-0300 after i do housework, etc. it works for us. i couldn't do the career i enjoy if it wasnt for my hubby and all his hard work & support, he is amazing.

i don't rotate my meals very much, i eat breakfast when i get home from work, eat dinner before i leave, eat lunch/dinner type meal at work. when i'm not working i usually eat breakfast when i get up, eat light snack with kids afterschool, eat dinner with family, then eat lunch later when i go to bed.

i love night shift, have worked it for a year, been offered days multiple times but i am a night owl and i enjoy the people, the shiftwork, the diff, the schedule WAY better on nights. night shifters each have their own thing, ask around and try different people's schedules & see which works for you.. :twocents: good luck!!

igus2666 · Apr 13, 2011

Well I'm not a mom but my mother did it for years And I turn out good; that the best shift to work. You'll be there when your kids come home from school & be able to help them with their homework. Also by the time you go to work if they have a bedtime like I had;your kids will be in the bed by the time you go to work. Last if your worry about not sleeping, sleep while their in school you'll have the house to yourself if your husband workes in the day time. Good Luck in whatever you decide.:thankya:

JSlovex2 · Apr 13, 2011

i work nights and have two young children - one is in school and one is not. it sounds much like your situation. it works out great for me, but you HAVE to have support! there was a time in my life where this would've never been an option.

right now - i leave my house at 530pm to be at work by 630pm (we clock in a little before 7). my school age child has to be on the bus at 7am and my husband has to be at work by 8am. he either takes my youngest child to his mother's house or he sleeps at her house the night before i have to work. so, my husband takes care of the kids in the morning - and when i get home (about 830am), i sleep until my oldest child gets off the bus around 330. i leave the house at 5pm, drop my oldest off with my mother in law (who has my youngest child already with her) and when my husband gets off work around 6pm he picks them up and then gets them ready for school the next day. i usually lay their clothes out before i go to work so when he wakes up in the morning all he has to do is get them dressed and get them out the door.

however, i'm getting ready to switch to day shift. it will be equally tough. instead of me being home now to get my daughter off the bus, i'll have to make arrangements for my mother in law to get her off the bus and then i'll pick my children up from her house after i get off work at 7pm.

no matter how you slice it - there are challenges when you work and have children. the good thing is - you typically only work 3 days (unless you're me and then you work 4-5). where there's a will, there's a way. i say that as a former single mom who was going to school, working, and juggling daycare, etc. with absolutely NO help by family nor a husband.

JSlovex2 · Apr 13, 2011

igus2666 said:
Well I'm not a mom but my mother did it for years And I turn out good; that the best shift to work. You'll be there when your kids come home from school & be able to help them with their homework. Also by the time you go to work if they have a bedtime like I had;your kids will be in the bed by the time you go to work. Last if your worry about not sleeping, sleep while their in school you'll have the house to yourself if your husband workes in the day time. Good Luck in whatever you decide.:thankya:

i'm glad that you have good memories - but i disagree that "you'll be there to help them with their homework" or that they'll be in bed by the time to go to work. maybe my kids are aliens - but no way in earth would they EVER be in bed before i had to leave for work (with a 630-7 clock in time).

like i said - i lay out my children's clothes so i can rest assured they aren't leaving the house looking like orphans via my husband. also, he does a mediocre job of signing my daughter's homework sheet so i've let her teacher know about my schedule so she's very much aware of the situation. my daughter typically has reading homework, and even if my husband doesn't sign her paper, her teacher knows that she reads at night because she reads for pleasure.

Rasplemon · Apr 13, 2011

I have 2 little ones (23 months and 4 months). I work twelve hour nites, but my hubby doesn't work at all. He goes to the gym m-f. I try to schedule myself one on and one off. That way, I had sleep the night before and I'll get sleep tomorrow. When I look at it that way, it isn't so hard to do. Then again I don't do anything but take care of the kids on my days off and work, my hubby does the cooking, cleaning & etc. Good Luck!

JM RN · Apr 13, 2011

thank you so much for the responses! you all are amazing!! i can have my husband put my oldest on the bus for school and drive my youngest to daycare. and then when i wake up i can get my oldest off the bus at 3:30 and go pick up the little one from daycare. this will work during the week. and i just got this idea from all of you! :) appreciate it. i am still not sure what to do about weekends. my husband works sat & sun and leaves for work at 1pm. i might have to let them stay over my parents house every other weekend for me to work. thank you all so much again!! now i feel like i can really do it! :)

myty23 · Apr 22, 2011

I'm so glad I read this post. I've been thining about doing the same thing. Graduating in May and wondering if I could handle working night shift. I have two kids and they would also be in school/daycare during the day so I can sleep. Reading your posts it makes me feel so much more confident that I can do this. I really want the extra pay and sometimes think this schedule would work out better than the day shift, but wasn't sure how I could handle the differences in sleep schedule/etc. Thanks again for all the replies! :)