https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 02 May 2026 13:49:33 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/one-parent-working-swing-shift-advice-needed#post-1470820 Wed, 05 Mar 2014 17:26:09 +0000 yellowbird 1470820@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My husband works 10pm-6am. We still get dinner and evenings together and it still SUCKS. I hate that he works nights :( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/one-parent-working-swing-shift-advice-needed#post-1470738 Wed, 05 Mar 2014 17:05:33 +0000 Revel 1470738@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@kiddosc: Thanks for sharing. It sounds like you guys make the different schedules work pretty well. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/one-parent-working-swing-shift-advice-needed#post-1470394 Wed, 05 Mar 2014 15:35:16 +0000 kiddosc 1470394@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We do this. I work 7-4 and DH works 12-8:30. It's nice because he can take care of E in the morning and have some time to play with him before taking him to daycare. I pick E up and do dinner/bath/bed. Then I cook dinner and we eat late, once DH is done with work. We only get about an hour together before I go to bed, but we do both have off on weekends. It's not ideal that we don't get as much time together as a family, but I really like that we can let E sleep in in the mornings and that he still gets lots of time with each parent each day. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/one-parent-working-swing-shift-advice-needed#post-1470376 Wed, 05 Mar 2014 15:31:12 +0000 Revel 1470376@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@OpinionsLikeKittens: No trial basis - this would be a new job with a new company. Handling LO on my own in the evening seems doable, but it will be lonely. I can imagine a variable schedule would be really tough.</p> <p>@swedishfish: I'm sorry to hear that about the career, though it sounds like a pretty cool job otherwise. I guess thinking about this a stepping stone might help make it easier to handle.</p> <p>@MrsMcD: Yeah, I'm confident I can handle the mechanics of it - it's more the challenge of the big change to our family dynamic. Right now we eat dinner together every day, and I really like that time with the three of us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/one-parent-working-swing-shift-advice-needed#post-1470354 Wed, 05 Mar 2014 15:26:52 +0000 deactivated_account 1470354@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Revel: I think, basically, you need to be strong and independent. If you are, then the night shifts will work out just fine. If you rely on your husband for a lot of stuff, then it will suck. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/one-parent-working-swing-shift-advice-needed#post-1470304 Wed, 05 Mar 2014 15:15:27 +0000 swedishfish 1470304@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@OpinionsLikeKittens: my DH, LO and I only have dinner 2 nights a week and I'm in charge of LO from 3:30 till bedtime 5 nights a week (or 1:15 till bedtime on the weekends). It's lonely and a lot of work. Luckily my parents only live 4 miles away so they help me a lot.</p> <p>@Revel: My DH doesn't have a choice about shifts at the moment. He works in broadcast news and isn't senior enough to get dayside shifts yet. Is the raise significant enough to make up for lost time together? There have been many times where I've cried to DH to find another profession. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/one-parent-working-swing-shift-advice-needed#post-1470278 Wed, 05 Mar 2014 15:09:44 +0000 reverie 1470278@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>swing shifts are harder than I thought they would be. Right now my husband is a stay at home dad and I work a flex schedule that varies every week. Generally 8pm is the lastest I work but sometimes I work until 11. Some days I'm off at 5. I think my situation is possibly a little more frustrating b/c there is never time to get into a groove.</p> <p>Your husbands schedule means you're only doing dinner as a family two nights a week and you're in charge of all night care of your LO 5 nights a week. That could be tough? Is he able to do it on a trial basis? All new schedules at my company are a 90 day trial and then you can go back. </p> <p>There are definite pluses and minuses to working some nights, but every night would get old fast! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/one-parent-working-swing-shift-advice-needed#post-1470018 Wed, 05 Mar 2014 14:19:35 +0000 Revel 1470018@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@googly-eyes: @swedishfish: @Mrs. Pen: @MrsMcD: I'm mostly worried about the lost time together. I'm wondering if one day off for the three of us would be enough. He would get extra time with LO though, having Monday all to himself. Tricky tricky.</p> <p>@swedishfish: No days off together, very tough! I'm only considering this because I know we would at least have Sunday. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/one-parent-working-swing-shift-advice-needed#post-1470008 Wed, 05 Mar 2014 14:16:32 +0000 deactivated_account 1470008@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yikes! Night shifts are no fun. My husband works an odd schedule that is always changing as well but he's currently on nights for the next few months. He only works either 3 or 4 days a week though and it really works out okay for us. (granted, I don't have a LO yet.) That would be tough with your husband working 5 days a week like that. I'd only agree to it if there was some sort of significant benefit. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/one-parent-working-swing-shift-advice-needed#post-1469992 Wed, 05 Mar 2014 14:11:55 +0000 Mrs. Pen 1469992@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We do! Except both our schedules are completely wacky. He teaches at a business college and teaches night classes three nights a week. I work PT and I'm in school, and do some night things as well.<br /> Mondays: DH works 9-4, I work 8-4:30 and have class from 5-8pm.<br /> Tues: DH works 10-10, I work 8:30-5<br /> Weds: DH works 10-10, I have class 5-8pm<br /> Thurs: DH works 12-10, I have class 8-11am, I recently changed my schedule so that i don't have to work Thurs evening anymore.<br /> Fri - we are both off so it's my school/homework day and his daddy-son day.<br /> Sat: I work 7:30-12, and spend the rest of the day doing school.<br /> Sunday is our family day. Church in the morning, grocery shopping and then spending time together in the afternoon/evening and gearing up for another week.</p> <p>It's crazy! but we make it work by really supporting each other. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/one-parent-working-swing-shift-advice-needed#post-1469986 Wed, 05 Mar 2014 14:11:21 +0000 swedishfish 1469986@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I work M-F 7:50-2:50 and DH works W-Sun 2:30-11 or 2-10:30. It is horrible for family time. We don't even have one day off together. The upside is that we only have to pay for a babysitter for 2 hours/3 days a week. I'm used to it now but it was very difficult with a younger baby. Making dinner is still an impossible task some days though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/one-parent-working-swing-shift-advice-needed#post-1469970 Wed, 05 Mar 2014 14:08:20 +0000 googly-eyes 1469970@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO is about 1.5 and we have an odd schedule that is always changing. I don't know what to say other than try to work out a chore schedule and hope you get used to it. In a year you'll probably be glad you did it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/one-parent-working-swing-shift-advice-needed#post-1469959 Wed, 05 Mar 2014 14:06:18 +0000 Revel 1469959@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My partner is considering a swing shift position. This would generally be a good career move for him, and a pay raise, but it would mean I am working a more traditional 9-5, while he'd be working a 12-9, Tues-Sat. Change is always "scary" - I'm thinking about the time we'll lose together as a family. There would be an option to shuffle his hours around but not for probably a year or more.</p> <p>Does anyone have a schedule like this with their SO, and a young baby? Any advice on whether you feel like it is doable and worth it? </p>