Does anyone work nights to avoid childcare costs?

[Ripeberry]

Hi, i'm a SAHM with two small children, one has just started reception last September and my other dd is only 2yrs old.
Once they are both at school i plan to try and find work as a night carer in an old peoples home or possibly night work in a supermarket.
Do any of you do this at present?
I would work most of the night and try to get home by 8am and by then hopefully DH will have got the kids ready for school and then i could catch up on my sleep during the day and collect them from school.
Do you think this is feasible or will it mean one knackered mum!
I don't have any relatives nearby and i don't like the idea of having to pay someone to look after the kids when we are trying to save as much money as possible.
AB

think its possible, its what i intend to do once ive become a qualified nurse, My idea is exactly the same as yours, in that i would sleep while the kids are at school.

depends how many shifts you do I suppose, you dont want to wear yourself out.

i think its a good idea !

I've worked nights and if I could avoid it I would.

What happens during school holidays ? When would you sleep ?

I know its not easy working round school hours but have you thought about something along the lines of playgroup/school work ?

Yes. I dont escape them totally, but, it helps. Will post more when I get home from work in about 20 minutes....

i did an early shift in supermarket but could only hack it for 6 weeks, weekend old people's home work, nice.

I had thought about doing this but thought it would be very hard. I can cope without sleep for so long and then i just don't fuction.

I've heard of people making it work and i guess if you had to you would but i don't think its ideal.

I work form home so can fit it around my children (who arn't at shcool yet anyway). Once they start i'm hoping to work whilst there at school and the odd evening/weekend.
Gemma

I work 5.30 - 10.30pm on checkouts, but I really couldn't be doing nights!! It's tiring to start with but at least you cna be sat on your bum for the majority of the time and there's really no need to concentrate, you should see my glazed 'would you like any help packing?'...
Pay is a lot better for carers ime (about £2.00 an hour better round here) but is probably goingto be more physical. Would you need to work full time or part time?
Good luck!

due to rules and regulations there shouldn't be much heavy lifting in old peple's homes. shouldnt being hte oeprative word.

Thanks for all your replies, i would rather work part-time at night if possible or even early morning.
Its just that my DH leaves for work at 8.30am and is not back until 7pm so that rules out evening work for me as most jobs seem to start aroung 5-6pm.
I'm starting to like the idea of home care as i could help the "clients" get to bed at night and get them up in the morning.
Thank you again.
AB

Advertise locally too. My father has someone in every night and he's at his own home, not a care home and that person or persons they mostly just sleep and if he needs them they get up to him. £75 a night.

I have a friend who does a couple of nights a week in a care home, she is single so her daughter stays over at her very close friends or at her grannies. This works great when her shifts fall on a school night as the person she is staying over with takes her to school and she goes straight to bed from work. If it falls at the weekend it is a bit more difficult, she has trying to work her daughters visits to her dads in with her shifts. She only works a couple of shifts and the enhanced rate makes it more worth her while.

My MIL did this when her kids (DH) were at school she did 2 nights as a ward sisiter and nightshift meant a very good rate.

Once they are at school fulltime this would give you about 5 to 6 hrs sleep depending on the school run. It will only work well if you are a flexable sleeper. Personally I would find the change of routine from day to day very hard, but my freind can manage fine as long as she gets anough sleep on the day after her night shift.

Not everywhere makes you start that early - look for a late opening store. I work for IKEA and do a 'twilight' shift which is 8.30pm to 12.30am. I have to say though that when mine are all in full time school I'm looking to cut down my nights and do p/time, term time work. I need to spend more time with DH than I get atm!

Marks and Spencers, and Tescos do term time contracts or so I've heard.

i worked evenings in a catalogue warehouse dh looked after them

I work nights (at work at the minute) unfortuntely this hasn't prevented me using childcare as my youngest is only 1. I have tried just sleeping in the evening as I did before this shift but i am finding it too tiring. DS is starting nursery next week (oh I'm dreading it!) That said I do love the job and the pay is much better on nights

My partner works nights. He asked for that shift specifically in order to minimise childcare. Our daughter still goes to a nursery as she's not in school but a lot less than she'd otherwise have to do. Just make sure that you know that you can function on the sleep you'll get.