Night work with children - can it work ?

jazzypinkpuppet

Hello, I am thinking about applying for a job as a night receptionist in a hotel. I have experience and think I would enjoy the job and in theory it fits around the children and my husbands hours like a glove. BUT I have never done night work before and wondered how other mus and dads got on.

My children are 7 and 12 and both at school, my husband leaves for work at nine so can bring them to school he gets home about seven. The hours for the job are 11pm until 7 am four days a week.

So I was thinkng I would get home at half seven, be in bed by eight then get up at half two in time to pick the children up from school at half three.
Then have all night with them and a few hours with hubby before leaving at half ten.

Any advice would be great

doodoot

You need to think about what will happen if one of the kids is ill and during school holidays - you won't be able to sleep during the day.

Good luck.

jazzypinkpuppet

yes the holidays are my main problem, I am lucky that my mum and sister both live very close and are teachers so have the school holidays off. My husbands parents are both retired and live about ten mins away. They have all said they would look after the children during the school hols, and I would have some holiday. I have always worked and financially I need to work at the moment I work weekends and two evenings a week but feel I am missing out a lot of time with them, but I am with them during all of the school holidays. Oh I don't know what to do for the best for them. I don't want them to feel like they are being shipped off all holidays, but at the moment I hardly see them at the weekend at all.

Sorry waffling on a bit:o

kit77

Yes it can be done but it is hard.

my kids are a similar age and it works fine for us although I do not do as many hours a week as what you are looking at but start earlier in the evening.

Holidays and kids being sick are hard. My kids are of an age now where they do not need me to be with them every second of the day. If one is sick they tend to want their bed so you can sleep when they do.

Holidays well mine will sleep in till just before lunch so I sleep till they get up then I snooze on the sofa until dad comes in then I head back to bed for a few hours. Now before any one says what a bad mother i must be, as any mother will tell you, you never sleep only dooze and in 3 years I have never had any cause to worry over my kids safety. Of course summer camps are great and the thing with working and not paying child care every school week I have always been able to afford to send my kids to one.

You need to be organised thats what I would say.

One thing though is you need to make the kids aware that you are turning your sleeping pattern on it's head. At the start my eldest would tell everyone mum spends he whole day in bed but would miss out the bit that while everyone else was in bed i was working :rotfl:so i spent a while explaining to folk that i wasn't lazy.

I hope this makes sense I am just off the nightshift and having something to eat before I head to be so appologies if i am rambling.

Any questions though just ask.

heretolearn_2

It would be great to make it work but I think you'll find it hard to get enough sleep with that plan, unless you naturally don't need a lot. You are looking at, what, 6.5 hours a day, assuming you can get to sleep at 8am that is...

Caroline_a

Why not get a part-time day receptionist's job if you think your kids need you more at home? I have to say I worked full-time when mine were that age though, and had done for a while.

nonnatus

I did night work for 5 years with the kids being young (eldest was 8 when I started). It worked really well and I enjoyed it. I was always home in time for the school run, popped some washing on, organised dinner and went to sleep. Got up when they got home from school, gave them dinner, had some breakfast myself and then dozed in front of TV, available for homework or cuddles until I left for work again at 7.30pm. I got the sleep I needed and enjoyed a job I loved .

In the holidays it was pretty much the same. The children aren't monsters or idiots and they understood the situation. I also didn't expect them to be quiet as church mice. I got some good ear plugs and my kids were brilliant.

Maybe I was really lucky?

whitewing

Definitely apply. You will only really get a sense when you go for interview, and this thread will get you feeling confident that it is possible.

If it doesn't work out you can always leave. My main worry would be the effects on my health of working nights long term, I know for me it would make depression much worse.

kit77

nonnatus

you said exactly what i wanted to say, i just kind of waffled in my reply:)

kit77

I promise this is the last post as I need to ge to bed but I just re read your 1st post.

Night work in a hotel is a laugh I can honestly say I have never come across so many naked people before:rotfl:and guests are far more relaxed an easier to deal with than during the day.

When i checked back later I hope to hear you have decided to apply.

jazzypinkpuppet

Well if the job will involve seeing naked people, I will start filling in the form now !!:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Thanks for all your advice, I think I will apply and see how I get on. There is no harm in trying I suppose. It is reassuring to see people do it and it works for them. :beer: