Working Night Shifts...help?!?

jrs5586 · March 2011

I'm just looking to see if there are any single parents out there who have worked overnights and how they managed it!!

I'm not a single mom but my husband is a Marine and will be gone most of the rest of the year and I'm starting to wonder if the new job I was just offered (working night shifts) is going to be at all possible...I would rather at least give it my best before turning it down altogether but I need some serious advice on the logistics like the whole babysitter/daycare situation.

Thank you!

achase123 · March 2011

I work during the day so I have no insight. However, my opinion would be that if you have solid and reliable daycare that you trust, it could work. Still, you need to consider how much time away from LO you will be spending, especially considering that you will essentially be the only parent for awhile.

ShanJosh777 · March 2011

I have never worked nights, so I can't answer from experience. My MIL is a nurse and while her kids were in school, she worked overnights. She was able to sleep while they went to school. But, she had a husband at home during the night, so she didn't need babysitting. In your case, who would watch the kids while you worked? Who would watch them while you sleep? If you don't have family to do that, it seems like you would need to pay for double the daycare that you would if you were just working during the day.

rnin02 · March 2011

I'm not a single parent, but I do work nights with a couple single moms. Would this job be 5 nights, 8 hours each? Or 3 12 hour nights? We work 12 hour nights so that is all I can really talk about. One of my coworkers lives close to her parents (within a few miles) so when she works, her mom and/or dad just spend the night at her house. Her older child goes to preschool, the younger one stays home with her during the, and she naps when the kids do. My other coworker's ex is semi-involved and helps her a couple times a month, the rest of the time her best friend brings her kids over to my coworker's house and spends the night. Her kids are school aged, so as long as school is in session, She gets to sleep during the day. And they are old enough to watch themselves for a few hours if she needs to sleep while they are home.I work with alot of moms that don't have childcare of some sort during the day, honestly you find a way to get by on catnaps, and staying awake for long stretches. It is very difficult though! And I don't think it is feasible 5 days a week, 3 non-consecutive days are do-able. So for night time you would need someone very reliable and trustworthy. Very reliable! I got screwed tonight when my babysitter was a no-show and I had to scramble for childcare. Good luck with your decision!

rnin02 · March 2011

Ouch, sorry for the typos and lack of paragraphs, I'm posting from my phone.

sweetie645 · March 2011

I guess it all depends on your support. My sister is a single mom (her DDs are 10 mos and 13 yrs old) and is a nurse working overnights. She usually works 2 nights and then has 3 off. Her schedule is not regular at all. She is very lucky because both of my parents are retired and they take care of my niece while my sister is at work. It's a lot of work for my parents though, because they have to take care of the baby pretty much 24/7 b/c my sister needs to sleep during the day. And they can never plan vacations unless my sister takes time off b/c they are her only option. It really is a lot to ask of someone else.

My suggestion is to only work overnights if you have a lot of support and/or no other options. It's not an easy situation.

taniya411 · March 2011

I work nights and I'm still pregnant. Trying to figure out how I'm gonna do it. Please give me all the advice you can

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