Shift work v normal working patterns.. I need some help

[Brewupmama]

I currently work shifts.. nights, weekends, earlies and lates. I've done this ever since I started work 20 odd years ago.
I've got children who are 14 and 8 and I'm really thinking about changing to something that is more 9-5 Mon to Fri
Obviously it might be later or earlier but that's the gist.
Have any of you done this?
I'm doing pros and cons and one thing about shifts is I get time alone (or I did) to clean/shop and cook etc and if I swap to a new job I would have all my evenings and weekends free but I'd also have to do all the chores in this time.
My shifts worked well when my kids were younger but they still need me now so when is the right time?
So many questions and I'm a bit stuck on what to do..
Any advice or things to give me more food for thought would be appreciated

Anyone?

I used to work shifts. I now work mon-fri term time. It fits great with DC but I really really miss working shifts. I have to use annual leave to go doctors, dentist, post office all the random places you currently take for granted

I used to work permanent night shifts in a nursing home. I now work day shifts in a GP surgery, I condense my hours so I work 30 hours over three days which gives me two weekend and two week days off.
Yea the days are long, but I’m used to that anyway and while I’m not full time, I’m not far off it and the drop in salary is worth it for me in the time that I gain outside of work.

I worked nights when my children were younger, I switched to day work when they were around 8 years old and I knew they were settled at school, less likely to be off sick so much and less school events to attend. I've since had another 2 children but was lucky enough not to have to work for 5 years. I'm studying a degree now and my youngest will be 6 and in year 2 when I qualify. I'm aiming to have a mon-fri 8-5 type job, or I might do 4 days per week

I did 10 years of odd shifts sometimes up to 14 hrs at anytime of the day. My career moved to a 9-5 and it wasn't until that changed that I realised how much the random shift patterns effected me. It's easy to manage the shifts at the time by planning each week as it comes and being able to travel or do things during the week when it's quiet was a bit of a novelty. But when it's m-f 9-5 I have much more rhythmic flow to my work. I naturally switch my working brain on and off instead of having to think about what when my next break was. Planning holidays and days out months in advance is a big plus for me. I'm pretty sure shift working was a contributing factor to my insomnia and depression I had at the time. I couldn't go back to shifts.

I'm so used to shifts I worry I'll find the change hard. But I do crave my evenings and weekends at home

I've done this. My shifts were 10hrs so I used to do 4 a week. Now I work 5 days a week 10-6.

Big downside is not having a day off in the week to get stuff done!

But I think the plus sides possibly outweigh the negative. Regularity and being able to plan ahead is great. No alarm clock going off at 4.30am. If it wasn't for Covid I would do a weekly exercise class in the evening, something I've never been able to commit to before.

Presumably you could switch back if you hated it?

I think a big part will be more about the new job you are planning to get.

Presumably a different line of work ? So it won't just be about the hours ?

There are pros and cons of working shift, as people have already stated, but if you've been happy with working shift for 20 odd years, especially during the difficult years of needing childcare and around school care (which is usually the most difficult time to work shifts) , then I think you'd miss some of the advantages, and your new job (what you do, the commute, what your new boss is like, what your new colleagues are like) would have a big impact too.
Of course, working more 9 - 5 tends to mean a lot more time sitting in rush hour traffic in normal times. My ds works early or late shifts, and gets really frustrated if he accidently tries to travel somewhere between 4 and 6pm, as he is just not used to how much longer that takes.

I’ve done shifts and all that entails.

Also done mon-fri 9-5.

Not much between them in terms of preference... I do like days off in the week and escaping the hum-drum routine of the 9-5... but nights and all-weekend working suck at times.

Swings and roundabouts

I worked shifts in a 365day/24h per day industry. I managed until the DC were 5 & 2 respectively before I just couldn't cope with how little I saw them. Shifts were often back to back, so I'd drop dc1 at school at 9, then not see her till 5pm the following day. Awful. My sleep was crap, it had such a knock on effect on my days off.

I left a place I'd worked for over a decade to take a 12m maternity contract in a completely different 9-5 industry (with forced closure over christmas).

What a change. I couldn't get over it. It still shocks me now that I dont need to consider work for normal things like weddings/weekends away/kids birthday parties etc. Bliss.

I’ve worked both (with the exception of nights) and I like both. However shifts have the added advantage of leisurely daytime sex while kids at school. Time alone to get things done like cleaning or hobbies. Also holiday childcare covered easily. I personally would really struggle if I didn’t have time to myself.

I think it depends how much flexibility you'll have in the new job. I work 9am-5.30pm, but I my role has a lot of give and take. Some weeks I work a lot of evenings, but if I need to go to an appointment during the day it's not an issue. I can also work from home as and when I like, so can be in for tradespeople etc.

That is so true violetbunny

A friend has just taken a new (office) job and the company expect them to work 7.30am - 1pm, 1.30 - 4.30 4 days, and a shorter day on a Friday. No flexibility. She says it is such a shock to the system. No nipping out to the bank / PO / shop in your lunch break, no chance to take dc to childcare before work. Can't work 10mins over to finish something and another day start 10mins later or have 10mins more for lunch. Really poor management of staff IMO - as isn't customer facing and no reason why people need to work those exact hours. She'd have no chance of being able to book time to work at home when the boiler needed a service or if it were the dc's nativity play.

It's a hard decision - I loved shifts because extra days off (mix of long days, earlies, lates and nights) and used to go to gym and do housework before or after earlies and lates. Then started 9-5 to match husbands hours and wanted kids. Better as spend more time as a family but worse because you still have all the housework/life admin to do during your time together. Pros and cons to both.

It's the weekends I hate the most. Don't mind earlies or lates in the week too much
Maybe I need something that's weekdays only. Not alot of choice at the moment though!