Working 12's with small children

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I recently started a new job, 2 12's a week, days. My husband works 40+ hours and is in school. We have two boys 5 & 4. My husband is having a really hard time watching the boys two evenings a week & every third weekend. Any ideas on how to make it suck less? This is my first 12-hour job since having kids. The job is a great opportunity, and I hate to just walk away from it.

If only life questions were like nclex questions, lol! I've considered requesting to go prn, it's better than just up and leaving.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I worked perdiem around my husband's schedule. One of us was with the kids 24/7. You could try that.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Behavioral Health.

Some of this advice is of the sort that leaves you worst off for following it. The poster works full time but her husband works full time AND goes to school AND has to watch two kids. How is it fair to put so much on the husbands plate? He already works over 40 hours a week AND goes to school. How is it fair to suggest the solution is that he watch the kids more when the poster only works 24 hours a week? How about giving her advice that actually helps her instead of giving her a recipe for disaster?

Anyway, do you guys live by family that could watch the kids for a few hours after your husbands gets off of work and/or the weekends? On your days off are you watching the kids while your husband catches up on school work? Also, in our town there are no shortage of church groups that have summer bible school during the day time which may be an option.

You just have to remember that you guys are a team and you have to help each other out and be there for each other.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I guess in blessed. I work 2 12s a week and my husband never ccomplains about watching our son who is 1.

Does your husband work 40 hours a week AND go to school part time? That's a huge difference, and one I'm willing to give him a pass on. If he wasn't in school also, I'd say he needs to get a grip and stop viewing it as "babysitting" and instead see it as doing his fair share of PARENTING. But there are only so many hours in a day.

I think the OP needs to hire someone to come in or recruit some family members to give DH a helping hand so he can study.

Now, if he just doesn't enjoy spending time with his kids, that's a whole other conversation.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment