Police officer who are parents

[schoolie258]

Anyone know if it's possible to be a police officer while also being a mum? Logistically, how does that work? My youngest is 1 year old.

I know the shifts are quite hard going. Is there any scope to do part time or alternate shift patterns? Dayshift is one thing but back shifts and nights might be a bit more challenging.

This isn’t the right time Op
Wait until older

There are loads of parents - male & female who are parents & police officers.

You're not going to get a day shift job until you've been in for several years. Anyone starting has to do shifts for at least the duration of their 2 year probation. I cant think of anyone who's got a day shift job straight our of probation either

Not sure why you'd want to join the police just to work day shift in an office. Why not just apply for a civilian post.

You can apply for part time or a work plan but again, not til you're out of probation

Doesn't sound like it's the right time for you just now

You can't start the job asking for part time hours. It's a rigours 2 years training and then you can look at specialising / flexible working

Bring an officer is tough and takes so much juggling.

Ex police officer. I have children.

The police are very forward thinking in terms of flexible working arrangements for parents, but to be signed off out of probation you will need to work on response, which means shifts.

The alternative would be the Police Now scheme which will at least cut out night shifts but not working evenings.

Shifts are notoriously difficult to find childcare cover for as most childminders and nurseries don't work those sorts of hours. I was a single parent so I couldn't have managed it without my amazing friends who would come to my house at 5.30am on an early shift, put the DC to bed on a late shift or have them overnight on nights as well as picking them up from professional child care. Later my now DH picked up that role, although DC were older then.

So really this comes down to how much support you have. And tiredness. You'll be exhausted in your first years of learning and really need your rest and relaxation time. That might not be particularly compatible with a toddler...

Massively depends on your support network. If you've got devoted retired GPs on the doorstep and a supportive / hands on partner it could work. I know police officers with young children. But as others have said, do consider that the initial training / probation phase is even more tiring than 'just' being a police officer, which is a very demanding job anyway. (I do know people who really enjoy it.)

Looking into civilian roles is a good idea; control room operators? Or even sign up to be a PCSO, to get more of an idea what policing entails and relevant experience.

It's fucking hard and you need exceptional support. Our family nearly cracked many times because of it. People have no idea.

I should have specified my husband is an officer too. He's now doing day shifts usually, unless he gets held on or he has to change his shift for a job. I was going down the prison role route until I had kids and then had to withdraw from the process as the shifts were too demanding.

I don't want to join the police and work day shift only. I was just interested to hear from other mum's how they manage to juggle the kids on top of work. I suppose between childcare and family it could work but I think I might apply to become a special first. That way the hours are more flexible until the kids are at school at least

Friends of mine - both husband and wife police officers - successfully brought up 3 kids whilst both in the force. No family help, they just had to pay for childcare, sometimes to cover anti-social hours. And be VERY organised!

If you have a supportive partner whose shifts are more settled it can work. If you work nights, you can be home on time to do the nursery/school run, sleep while they are at nursery/school and partner works, pick up, hand over to partner and prepare for another night.

Nope.
It was absolutely terrible with my exDH working shifts.
It's the sliding shift pattern that was the killer - impossible to match the other partner's working hours or get childcare for different days every week.
Even when he stopped nights, the sliding shifts were impossible. I quit my job. Then earned a little with self-employment.
I only regained my life and financial independence when we divorced.

Everything can have a solution but you will need flexible child care. Perhaps a civilian role initially may make more sense then apply to train once dc is in school