BUT I also can fully appreciate that for some of you, this time is “you time” and you actually look forward to it. Now Dan, let's have a Friday night date night, my sweet man!! Mop, clean, mow the lawn, fold clothes, wash the dishes, any help is welcomed help. Talk about funny things your kids did throughout the week rather than work and serious stuff. Surviving Second Shift As A Family by Whitney Pegram - Wednesday, November 15, 2017 Are you wondering why Monday was such a big day for our little family?? Do you feel like this too? If you and your spouse/partner want it bad enough you will make time and you will find a way to make the 2nd shift work with a family. Keep The Lights On During Your Night Shift. Related post: Best Shift Work Roster Scheduling Tips. I'm just beyond thrilled to have my tag team partner back in the evenings!! You are both learning. However, the 2nd shift can be doable – even with a family. But being open to the possibility of shifting “you time” to the morning should not be out of the question. Be interested in what your kids are working on at school and know what they are struggling with at all times. Keep Everyone Else Informed. Eat small portions throughout the shift. I know that many jobs are different & sometimes make you work crazy hours but unless your spouse has ever been on second shift, then you have no idea how incredibly hard it is to have a family life. In life, I think we make time for the things we care about the most. Create a pool of trustworthy people like your family, friends and neighbors who you can call on if need be. “Pick your battles” but don’t get into the habit of “letting everything slide” because it’s easier not to say anything. How to manage your marriage/relationship and the 2nd shift, Being a great parent while working 2nd shift. You can use special stickers and even leave sticky notes for them to read once they get up. I’ve always wrestled with this … Drink water and eat food (bring real food, not just junk, and a big water bottle that you can reach … I mean watching him everyday broke this mama's heart. Second, make reading the Bible and praying a regular part of each day. But don’t let your sometimes crappy roster win the battle and take back control. But getting used to a completely opposite sleep schedule is a nightmare. This Hands-Free Pumping Bra from Amazon.com is HUGELY popular and worth a look. This is not only a great time for your kids to “show off” their incredible, shift working mom or dad but it allows you to spend time with your child and keep track of their progress. I spent many, MANY months doing so! This doesn’t make you incompetent in case you are feeling like this. Did a family member work the second shift so you are used to it? Shift workers can party and look sharp too! On your days off or even on the morning drive to school you can chat about their projects and homework tasks to keep yourself up to date with what’s going on and make them feel valued. “It’s about surviving.” Between bites of salad, it slowly became clear who the man in a red baseball cap, World Cup T-shirt, and jeans really was: an emissary from another world. Here are a few options: Missing on nightly “family time” can be hard for both your child and you. Related posts: 5 Impressive Date Ideas For Those Working Opposite Shifts. The third shift: unavoidable for some, dreaded by many. If you don’t do that, you’ll never feel well, no matter how much melatonin you take or … It’s better to know when you are going to need help sooner rather than later. Our sole aim is to help shift workers and those on unusual schedules find balance between work and life. Pros and Cons of Night Shift vs Day Shift. If … Please read our disclosure and privacy statement for more info. – Avoid visiting the take-out store on the way home – even though the cravings are intense! Night-shift work has also been associated with higher rates of depression, anxiety and stress. Sunday is often a family day for the whole community and people often book and organize events to enjoy and share this time together. Being available when your partner/spouse needs you is important, particularly while you’re learning how to be a parent for the first time. Hey there! Treasure every moment you have together as a family, saving “you time” for the commute to work or the mornings you’re alone at home. With third shift I go to work from 10:30-7AM, go to sleep around 9AM, wake up around 2-4PM, stay awake then nap about 8-10PM. Check out this post we wrote, which actually targets single parents, but has some great information about finding help. Are you able to help get them changed, make their lunches, make sure they eat some breakfast and even do the school drop off? Shift Work and Family. We hope you can take something away to ease life’s current rigors. I'm just here to tell y'all that a seven year old boy needs his daddy! Most nights he didn't go to sleep until 4am because it would take him that long to wind down! I'm Whitney. The note only needs to be short for maximum impact. There is no “one size fits all” handbook. Always stay on the same team with your partner and match each other’s priorities. Maybe your family is on a similar schedule ... the struggle is real, I feel you friend! It's weird because if i put a botanist in the building and after moving one of the medics, the botanist goes to the other shift ffs! When is the best time to bank sleep before working overnight (if that is even possible)? My husband is a brewer, and he's worked third shift for a handful of years now. Spend every chance you can with your family & pray, pray, pray that God puts you or your spouse on a normal schedule if it's His will. Limited family time at night and assistance with getting the kids bathed and into bed we wouldn’t ask for. Are you able to video call your partner’s phone and say goodnight to your kids? People who work 9–5 usually stay up until 10:00 or 11:00 at night anyway. I spent years as a patrolman for a security company on graveyard shift. Try not to drink too much alcohol if on a date night or having a “few drinks” at home and end up falling asleep on the couch at 5pm wasting away the night. Workout routines for a 12 hour or night shift. Read more about us and our story here. Ask your boss about taking your person phone onto a shift to ensure you don’t miss anything important. Don’t underestimate how hard this “second job” of looking after the kids is. Of course, it’s not only you who will feel the effects of switching to … Ask for help. KEEP IT COOL. A fiber optics engineer in El Paso, Texas, Brewster, 50, has been clocking out and going to bed past dawn for the last 30 years. Like you’ve come from one job to the next without a break? More before midnight than day shift does all week. We are the rays of sunshine for those who might not get much of the real stuff and provide insight into how shift workers can stay on top of their unique schedule. You and the kids could even organize something epic on the weekend if you all have the time off. The second shift generally starts between 1pm and 4pm and runs until 11pm and 2am. While the mornings are often not “special bonding times” and are more a “controlled storm” as I once heard it described, it allows you to work as a team with your partner/spouse and spend extra time with your kids you didn’t have before. It was so rough, at first! I was just talking to a friend about how her husband does overnights instead of 2nd shift and it's better. For some, this careful balancing act seems impossible. If you started the 2nd shift job back in college, it’s all you and your family know so you’re used to it. This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Third shift horror story for ya. "It's all a domino effect," she says. Work the second shift remains just as important and relevant today as it did then love from... Morning before a shift work and life other side of it alternatively, we the. Due to the drive-in and just have a look shift if possible you and the 2nd shift sooner rather later. New restaurants, go to sleep until 4am because it would take him that to. Arrangement, there is toys, food, dishes and washing everywhere midnight than day shift if something important?! Waiting for you that your seemly odd roster requests are only temporary are. 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