Job to tie in with husband's shifts

Turtle2010

Hi All

I just wondered if there was anyone here who is married to / is a police officer, and if so, how you manage a good work / life balance with your family?

My husband is a police officer, and I work 9-5 Monday to Friday. We have an 18 month old son who is looked after by a childminder 4 days and is with my mother on 1. I wouldn't work full time if I didn't have to, unfortunately we bought a house that hid a thousand problems and it's costing us a fortune in repairs etc. Believe me, i'd love to sell and get something smaller and cheaper, but people would laugh as soon as they walked in the front door. Really, we have been screwed royally.

I am really struggling with working so much / not having enough family time together. I feel like we're not having enough quality time together as a family, and that i'm missing everything with DS, he's at such a fab age. I hate having to work as much as I do, the childcare alone is crippling. I know there's no way we can schedule a childminder to my husbands shifts, as that's not how it works, but DH is adamant that people he works with have jobs that co-incide with each other so that childcare is needed only occasionally, which our parents could help us with.

Does anyone else have a good balance, or co-incide their shifts, or have any suggestions? Apart from becoming a Police officer of course! :rotfl:

Thanks

Turtle xx

Bennifred

I am married to a police officer, and we don't live near any relatives. My children are all grown up now, but until they were all at school I worked as a childminder (not easy when OH was on nights!) so that I could be at home with them. I found it was impossible to find work that fitted round OH's shift pattern, as it was constantly changing. Once the the children were all at school I was lucky enough to find a school-based job, so was at home when they were.
It's not easy - good luck!

duchy

Perhaps your DH could tell you what jobs these are so you could apply (as he knows people who have them or are married to people who do) I'm scratching my head as to why he hasn't told you what they are TBH.

Quite honestly though most people who both work fulltime with shifts end up without "quality family time" as the whole point is to reduce childcare so that one or other is usually at home with the children so they work opposing shifts. Great for the kids no so good for the adult quality time together.

I sat down and did the maths and financially working part-time so needing minimal paid for childcare worked better for us with a husband working stupid hours. Although I earned less we were paying out so much less in childcare that we were actually better off both financially and from a "family time" stance.

hayhay2010

I have managed to get get 3 jobs around my husbands changing shifts in the last 2 years although I do live very local to a airport so shift work is the norm around here.

I also have a few friends that do too.

One of the jobs which evening work I didn't last at very long really didnt fit in to well with my eldest not seeing me 3 days a week (his only 4) an the short hours/ travel distance.

The other 2 jobs I have had were in the same line of work I have done for years, however both I contacted the employer directly (did not wait for a position to be advertised) and managed to secure felix working hours but at a much lower salary than I would ever of accepted before having kids.

I am starting a new job monday 3 days a week however I set the days luckily my hubby rota is set months in advance and my mum helps out a few hours a week. I see that by earning a reduced salary but having the felix hours we are so much better off than earning more per hour/ having to pay tax on what I earn and childcare for 2 kids I don't think I would have hardly any left.

We don't get much family time together and bless hubby sometimes it works after a night shift he only has a few hours sleep before he has to get up and look after the kids however, it is not far off my youngest getting funding for childcare in september so hoping we will get the right balance then.

dawyldthing

support/care work might help fit around your hours as a lot of it can be in the morning/evening so you might be able to swap shifts or rotate with people to fit around your husbands schedule

choccsniffer

my mum used to be a registered child minder when we were at school- my dads always worked shifts
then she did mystery shopping and part time this and that- i know the wages are low ish but theres much less tax to pay if any at all and lots more family together time:) than working full time

duchy

I've often wondered how childminding works with a shiftworking partner who works nights sometimes. Hard enough keeping your own quiet -let alone extras too !

Bennifred

duchy wrote: »

I've often wondered how childminding works with a shiftworking partner who works nights sometimes. Hard enough keeping your own quiet -let alone extras too !

Earplugs!