Can you work nights with no childcare?

[Pixieknowle]

Due to recently losing my job we had to let our nanny go. It was extremely expensive and stressful as she became unreliable which led to me losing my job. I don’t want to employ another nanny.

My children are just under 2 and 5 and my husband works long hours and can’t do any drop offs / pick ups. He also would not be able to help if either child was sick etc. This is just how it is, he earns very well but in a cut throat industry. This won’t ever change.

Im reluctant to put the little one in nursery and start a new job at the same time, she’s been quite sickly as it is and I know for sure she will get sick at a new nursery this time of year which wont be compatible with starting a new job

I have been looking at night work, leaving after bedtime and home before my husband leaves. Can I look after a 2 year old and after school and work a night shift too? The pay is minimum wage so really not worth it if I have to pay for childcare (we don’t qualify for any funded childxare)

You will need to sleep so you can't leave a 2 year old unsupervised.

Hmmm not really as when are you planning on sleeping? It’s not safe to have a 2 year old at home with you awake while you’re sleeping… so youd still need some kind of child care?

When do you plan to sleep? Doable if you have school aged children but not sure how you will function with a 2 year old in the day when you need to get some rest.

Then do you plan to sleep?

I wouldn't do it. Nightshifts are so hard on most people. You do need to sleep. You can't be available 24/7.

Do you need to sleep if it’s just 1 night? I was thinking 1 weekday night and 1 Friday or Saturday

When are you supposed to sleep?

If your husband is on over £100k something has gone very wrong that you can't survive on that or pay for a childminder?

Try staying up for 36 hours now and see how it goes?

We don’t need the money but I feel terrible not contributing financially

Don't be ridiculous 🙄

Depending on your education could you train as a childminder or babysitter?

I don’t see that you can, with a 2 year old? With just school age children at least you could grab some sleep during the day, but how/when will you sleep if you’re working nights and looking after a toddler plus a school aged child? X

he earns very well
Then Do not kill yourself with minimum wage night shift

I think you'd feel worse later when you look back on the sleep deprived early years with DC. It seems short when you are in the thick of it but soon flys by. I'd say if you are managing financially wait until your youngest starts school.

Not with a 2 year old at home, no. You'd need to grab some sleep and looking after a 2 year old when you haven't slept at all would be miserable.

If you don't need the money atm then why would you?

Try. It's doable if you really have to. I have done it with emergencies but I won't recommend it.

I do nights after looking after the kids, I have a lunchtime nap with 2yo. It’s fairly tiring, and I get really frustrated if they won’t go down for a nap as then I can’t

No. It would be completely neglectful. You cannot possibly look after your child properly and also sleep. Night working is brutal and your children deserve to be cared for by someone who is 100% concentrating on them.

We all have to pay childcare. It’s part of having kids. Either work around nursery hours, make your husband take a salary cut or don’t work. There’s no hack.

Try it out but I really really don't see a lot about of gain here.

I would do what another poster suggested. Like have a test run being awake all day and then functioning the next day.

Losing a full night's sleep twice a week will be an absolute killer in my opinion.

Use this time to get yourself ready to work once dc are in school, make sure you have appropriate qualifications for now (eg I had no official computer qualifications so I got those) and work out what you want to do longer term

Have you ever ever done a night shift?

They are hideous, make you feel sick and ill and planning to do them with no sleep for no financial incentive.....just why?

Depending on the job you are looking at you may also be lonely, stressed and under huge pressure working nights. Stuff goes wrong and it feels much worse without other people and usual back up around.

So you'd be risking your health, safety, and your dc wellbeing, for what?

My mum used to work out of hours - by that she worked about 6pm-1am I think, and still looked after us three the next day, she did longer nights at weekends when my Dad was off. It was totally doable. They called it the twilight shift rather than a night shift fully throughout the night.

I think that would be doable, but you need to be able to get at least 6 hours ISH sleep a night - so if you work as soon as your DH gets home (what hour is that?) and until earning morning, then sleep until LOs wake up, that could work.

Fully overnight and no sleep? No you wouldn't be safe watching children with no sleep.

Babe if you don’t need the money the best financial contribution you can make is being a well rested, level headed mother. Enjoy the privilege and pay it forward to your kids who would much rather this than grumpy sleepy mum!