https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 08 May 2026 01:20:51 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/24hr-shift-working-so-and-solo-parenting-tips-needed#post-1667589 Thu, 29 May 2014 23:19:56 +0000 Emsmems 1667589@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@birdofafeather: yes, I totally understand that!! We decided to just get a sitter on Wednesdays. If we are both off, we make it a date day. If only one of us is off, we use it as a "get stuff done" day. Then rarely, when we both work that day, she's there for us too! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/24hr-shift-working-so-and-solo-parenting-tips-needed#post-1667260 Thu, 29 May 2014 20:51:01 +0000 birdofafeather 1667260@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Boogs: organization is my failure right now. i want to throw everything in a room and pull it out to start from scratch, but our house is too small! everything is everywhere and it makes it hard for me to even sit down and write a meal plan. i'm going to be more committed to that next week as we have a short week with travel. i focused on just one room the last couple days and DH and I cleaned the bathroom today, so i'm excited that tonight we can relax. thanks for the tips.</p> <p>@Smurfette: i JUST caught up on laundry after camping and now i'm going to do a load a night or every other night. we are taking a break from cloth diapers right now, so i think i'm out of practice with laundry! with CDs, we were just constantly doing laundry so i was used to it. </p> <p>@Mrs Green Grass: i like that idea!!</p> <p>@matador84: LO is 16 months, napping once a day. she needs a lot of stimulation in the mornings, and when she was on 2 naps, i got a lot more work done because she didn't need as many activities. :/</p> <p>@Trailmix: i would love to throw money at it, but we're on a tighter budget these days! a cheaper childcare option would be great and i'm looking into hiring someone for a few mornings to help.</p> <p>@blackbird: i need to reach out to find a teen/college student. i was overwhelmed when i made a care.com ad and got 50+ applications!</p> <p>@Emsmems: it's hard with the changing days because it's not like i can say, every tuesday i need someone. but i think i need to make my own schedule and since i know his 2 months out, i could make that work to have someone with a flexible schedule.</p> <p>@winniebee: my standards were pretty low, but working from home, it SUCKS to be in that mess. that was stressing me out big time.</p> <p>@Silva: great idea. i gave DD a cloth and said, clean the table! and she played around while i mopped and cleaned the whole kitchen. i also take my after bedtime seriously and don't like to work afterward either. i don't want to be working until 1 am because i always have work to do. i need to reclaim my days! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/24hr-shift-working-so-and-solo-parenting-tips-needed#post-1657560 Sun, 25 May 2014 18:49:28 +0000 Silva 1657560@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Cleaning is a part of our daily rhythm, so I do it while my daughter is around. I give her a cloth and she "scrubs" until she gets bored, and then she can play by herself until I'm done with whatever the daily chore is (bathroom, mopping, etc).<br /> I'm a big schedule person, and I find it helps when the days get long because I know whats coming (so does she) and don't have to think about it.<br /> I plan easy meals for when he will be gone, and do some of the prep during nap time (the 5:00 hour is the hardest for me).<br /> I tidy up as much as possible after she goes to bed, but I also take my relaxation during that time very seriously.</p> <p>As for getting lonely....I often call my best friend on the phone when we go for our walks, or we skype with my parents during dinner. We go to at least two playgroups a week. </p> <p>If I had to also work from home I'd try to find a babysitter of some kind. Taking care of a baby and a household is a demanding job- you can't really expect to complete two demanding jobs at the same time. its not fair to you! When I go back to work I will probably have about 4 hours of from home work a week, and I'm planning to schedule it for when my husband is home (on weeks where that isn't possible, I guess I'll do it after she goes to bed...) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/24hr-shift-working-so-and-solo-parenting-tips-needed#post-1657559 Sun, 25 May 2014 18:48:16 +0000 winniebee 1657559@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I lower my standards and try to ignore the mess until I have time to deal with it :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/24hr-shift-working-so-and-solo-parenting-tips-needed#post-1657554 Sun, 25 May 2014 18:42:50 +0000 Emsmems 1657554@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My husband is a firefighter and works 48hrs on, then has 4 days off. I try to keep little things done during nap time or after DS goes to bed (like put dishes in the dish washer, wipe the crumbs off the counters, pick up toys... Just so it doesn't look like a tornado went through our house). Then when we both have a day off we trade DS off and get the bigger projects done like laundry, yard work, etc. </p> <p>We also have a house cleaner once a month. That helps a lot. We are starting this week with a babysitter for 4 hours one day a week so whoever is home can get some stuff done without having the baby. And some things just take a long time to get done... And that's ok! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/24hr-shift-working-so-and-solo-parenting-tips-needed#post-1657534 Sun, 25 May 2014 18:17:03 +0000 blackbird 1657534@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I ditto the idea of hiring a teen helper a few days/nights a week! I see a lot of ads for that now that school is out :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/24hr-shift-working-so-and-solo-parenting-tips-needed#post-1657496 Sun, 25 May 2014 17:26:43 +0000 Trailmix 1657496@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't know if this is a possibility in your area but could you send your laundry out? It comes back folded and everything! In NYC it ranges from .75-1.00/lb. I don't do it all the time but when I'm feeling overwhelmed, it's a way to outsource something. </p> <p>Maybe you could find some cheap childcare, like a mother's helper teenager-type thing to watch LO for a few hours a few times a week so you can get caught up?</p> <p>I guess all my ideas involve throwing money at the problem, sorry if that's not an option and my suggestions aren't helpful! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/24hr-shift-working-so-and-solo-parenting-tips-needed#post-1657491 Sun, 25 May 2014 17:19:50 +0000 matador84 1657491@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I do a lot after bedtime. Lunches, dishes, laundry, dishwasher. I can say, the cleaning lady is a hugeeeee help. She comes twice a month and I really only have to spot clean. How old is your LO? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/24hr-shift-working-so-and-solo-parenting-tips-needed#post-1657477 Sun, 25 May 2014 16:43:34 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 1657477@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Maybe we could do a bit of child-care swapping this summer? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/24hr-shift-working-so-and-solo-parenting-tips-needed#post-1657472 Sun, 25 May 2014 16:40:23 +0000 Smurfette 1657472@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I try and do something every night. During the week I start laundry as soon as we get home. Then once she is asleep, goes in try dryer, I fold after I workout and eat. Weekends are cleaning in between cleaning lady coming. Then yard work, grocery store, errands. DH does the majority of the yard work so that takes up a chunk of our only time together, weekends, but what else can you do!</p> <p>Hang in there! My brother is a fire-medic so I know my SIL struggles with the shifts too and juggling my nephews but she doesn't work so I know it is harder for you. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/24hr-shift-working-so-and-solo-parenting-tips-needed#post-1657459 Sun, 25 May 2014 16:19:50 +0000 Boogs 1657459@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@birdofafeather: We operate under a similar schedule and my trick is trying to be organized, while not taking on too much when I know I'm solo. Make a weekly meal plan, shop for everything at one time, and I cook extra on days DH is home so when he's not we just eat leftovers, plus he has some to take to eat at work. As far as getting other stuff done, I'm not always on top of it all, but it helps to break chores up. Vacuum one day, dust another, wipe down bathrooms a different day. Doing just one chore a day usually goes pretty quickly and makes things much more manageable. Maybe you can even just do those things on days DH is home and the other days just focus on LO and your work? </p> <p>I have to say, I also don't WAH, so I imagine you will have to schedule your time extra carefully, poor you! Is your business doing well enough that you can hire someone, even just part time to help free up some of your time? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/24hr-shift-working-so-and-solo-parenting-tips-needed#post-1657408 Sun, 25 May 2014 15:31:40 +0000 birdofafeather 1657408@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DH has been working 24 shifts for the last couple months. He's working toward becoming a firefighter, so this will be the norm for us from now on. I feel like I'm drowning in chores, work and losing my identity. I WAH with no extra child care (own my own business). I need tips and encouragement in juggling it all. </p> <p>We can afford a house cleaner once a month, but in between that... Well, let's just say I'm sitting on a pile of clothes on the couch. DH is awesome when he's home, but other than that, I don't have help and I feel disorganized and discouraged that I can't do it well. </p> <p>How do you juggle it when you're solo parenting? </p>