Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Work

Chat with other users about all things related to working life on our Work forum.

Asking all mums who work nights

6 replies

Bedsheets4knickers · 30/11/2016 18:27

Hello all . After 7 years off playing mum I've got an interview tomorrow at Tesco's working nights .. 3 shifts per week thur-sat 10pm -7am
I'm shitting myself .. please some of you tell me the nice things about working nights . I've had sympathetic looks , Are you crazy ? Looks . The worst is the amused looks ..
my reasoning is . We have no family near to help me with childcare If I get a 9-5 job . TBH that's easy term time as only paying childminders around pre-school and school . The holidays must work out extortionate to fund child care . Il only need to do the Friday so I can sleep.
Please tell me the nice things about working nights .. before I pull out of the interview x

OP posts:
Babyroobs · 30/11/2016 22:55

Hi. I have worked some nights for many years. I think if you are fairly young and can sleep in the daytime for a decent lenghth of time then you will be ok. I am currently struggling with nights as I am almost 50 and then nightshifts ( Nursing) are very busy and stressful, however they do fit well around my family so I don't really have much choice at the moment.
Will you be on the checkout at a 24 hour tesco or stacking shelves?

lougle · 30/11/2016 22:58

Ummmm......struggling a bit. It's nice at 4.45 am when you realise you're most of the way through? It's nice to be driving away from the direction of the traffic jam.

FaithAscending · 30/11/2016 23:11

I've done nights for years. Been doing them nearly 3 years since having DD.

Pros: the money! Definitely the best thing about nights.
Different style of working - it's a different pace generally (I'm in nursing so not always)

  • your bed is sooo lush when you've finished!

Cons: - your life is opposite to everyone else which limits your social life

  • your eating habits are all over the shop
  • it is really, really tiring
  • childcare is difficult
  • (holidays aside) you'll be at work every weekend.

I'm very fortunate that my family support with wraparound care for DD (3). I couldn't do it without them! I'm about to move jobs where I'll only be doing days of twilights (8-1). I have to say stopping the nights is a huge bonus! However, I tire easily. Some people love nights, my colleague has done them for 20 years! You never know, you might love it.

ninjapants · 30/11/2016 23:42

I do full time shift work including nights. It's fine, provided you allow adequate rest time post night shift. My usual routine has me dropping DS off for the morning at pre-school nursery, after which he's collected by his childminder who he stays with until I collect him after she returns from doing the school run. During weekends DH and DS usually go out somewhere in the morning so the house is quieter for me to sleep.

Pros: You're always around when the kids are, meaning you see them more than with a 9-5 job,
If you have school age kids you may not need childcare, except during holidays,
You generally don't need as much sleep afterwards compared to a normal night,
Someone else mentioned the pace or atmosphere when at work being more relaxed, that's true,
You get to sleep uninterrupted during the day, which I never appreciated until I became a mum!
Extra pay for working antisocial hours,
If the kids at sick or your childcare arrangements (if you have any) fall through, you can be the back up plan,

Cons: It's nightshift so you're not available during 'normal' hours,
It gets harder to recover as you get older, I sleep 3 hours longer post night shift than I did 15 years ago,
People don't consider night shift workers need for sleep-postie ringing the door bell, neighbours cutting the grass, kids playing and other general noise can be disruptive, get yourself decent earplugs!

Good luck with your new job!

FaithAscending · 01/12/2016 14:07

Will your OH be able to take the children out on a Saturday? You'll need peace and quiet to sleep in the day, I'm assuming it'll be peaceful on a Friday because they'll be at school and Sunday won't be so bad because you won't be back at work.
If nights does seem to be too much, have you considered twilights? Could do something like 7-1 or 9-2? Then you could sleep til they go to school and go back to bed in the morning or nap in the afternoon. Still extra money but not quite as tiring/complex to sort sleep after nights.

Bedsheets4knickers · 01/12/2016 14:22

Can't do any 7pm starts hubby isn't home until then .. the 9-2.. I think I might struggle functioning getting the kids up and out by 8.40am . I could try it if this fails xx

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.