shift work as a single parent

[Xabian]

do any of you do this? If so.... how?

I don't have any family to help and am wondering how to juggle 3 children with working shifts as a nurse within the NHS

I don't have any advice but just wanted to say that I'm in the same situation. My ex will help if i pay him to have the kids and the rest of the time I have no idea about what I will do. My friends have said that they will help so maybe that is something you could try. Apart from that I have no idea sorry

I am a nurse and a single parent, if you haven't got family support I don't see how you can work shifts. I now work in the community and could not go back to shift work as there is no childcare that I can think of that would be available.

I'm an airport controller so I work various shifts, ranging from a 4am start to 6am finishes. I have to say I couldn't do it without the support of my family. Stbxh is useless and too busy with ow to have dd, even though he to works at the airport and knows how horrendous my shifts are. My parents have dd whilst I work and she also goes to nursery to allow them some downtime. There are times when I come off nightshift and have to go straight to there house to take over from them so they can go to work, happens two-three times a month, and it's exhausting but do-able

without family it's pretty impossible

I requested family friendly hours and during the week can now work it around childcare -I still have to work weekends though and rely heavily on my parents for this

I'm a nurse & single parent, Thankfully when dc were younger and I was working shifts, I had family and a couple of friends who looked after dc. I couldn't have done it without them. I would do late then early shifts & my mum would have them at hers, collect them from & then take them to school. If I was on nights a friend would stay over with them, get them up & ready for me to take them to school.

posted too soon....I'm a district nurse now, at the moment I work 8-4, but it's changing to cover up til 6.30 (probably 3 times a month) with talk of working til 10pm, which will cause problems for me.

Brightwell they are threatening the same in my area, at the moment I work 9-5 3 days a week which is fine but they are now saying we have to work either 8-4 or 10-6 which will be interesting as all the childcare in my area either starts at 8am or finishes at 6pm!!! They also say we have to start doing some twilights which wold be impossible for me so would prob mean having to hand notice in

I work set shifts and my mum does all my childcare really not sure how you can do it as a lone parent without help. Can you not do fixed day shifts? My friend had to work in the community because of this problem and then when they started insisting on late hours she did her Health Visitor training.

Would a live out nanny/nanny share help? My boss had one when her DC were little due to irregular / anti social working patterns. Not a nurse though, not sure how costs would stack up.

thank you everyone

live in au pair ? double up kids to give a room to an au pair ?

the boys are already doubled up..... that would mean my dd (aged 14) sharing my room which is far from ideal