Parenting when you keep very different hours

[ImpOfDarkness]

We have a six week old. I'm going back to work in early Jan, part time to begin with thank heavens. My big worry is about establishing a routine, especially as DP keeps very different hours from me. I'm more or less 9 to 5, he leaves for work at eight in the evening and gets to bed at four in the morning. We're muddlîg through at the moment as we can both get up late, around eleven, but this will have to change in Jan. I'd be glad to hear how anyone else in a similar situation handles things.

It's tough but you'll work out a system. DH leaves at 8am for work. I have DS until 1pm, when I leave.
He picks DS up when he gets home, I finish work at 11pm.

It took us about a month to nail down the routine but it's going fine. If one of us is sick it gets a bit crazy but we've helpful grandparents on hand.

You just work out what works for you - so, in your case, I'm guessing you'll only need childcare until about 1pm, which is a massive saving, moneywise. People put too much emphasis on planning a routine - babies never read those manuals you know, they have growth spurts and clingy phases and good sleeping phases and bad sleeping phases, you just adjust as you go along.

Once your baby is older you won't be getting up at 11! Most older babies and toddlers wake up early - so probably you will do that bit then your partner will take pick up from childcare and do teatime and then you can share bedtimes ....

Sounds quite good in some ways as unlike a lot if working dads he will get some proper time each day with the baby ...

Obv he will need some time to himself as will you ...

Thanks for the replies. Violator, what time do you get to bed and get up, if you don't mind my asking?

ImpOfDarkness I try to get to bed as soon as I get in from work, aim to have the lights off by midnight.
DS wakes between 6-7am, DH gets up with him usually and I take over when he leaves for work.

It's tiring, but we got used to it quite quickly.

One piece of advice I'd give us to drop the housework standards. Do what you can to make the place semi presentable and that's good enough. I would have been slightly anal about having the house immaculate, but it comes down to either spending mornings cleaning and washing or playing with DS and the latter is far more fun.
I batch cook on Sundays so there's something in the fridge or freezer to grab for dinner.
On my days off I lie down when DS naps and usually doze off myself for a while. He won't nap forever so I'm taking advantage of the rest while I can!

Ha, I never had housework standards to begin with!
We'll see how things work in practice when January comes. I guess we'll just have to keep muddling through.