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folklaur
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| Posted: May 21 2008 at 6:43pm | IP Logged
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I am trying to figure out how to do this. I need help. 
DH has a new schedule. "new" menaing it is pretty much always the same days/hours (very different for us!)
He needs to leave for work at 2:30pm, works until about 11:30pm.
So. He is home all morning. He has off Sunday & Monday.
Sunday is always family day, so that is easy.
But I would like to take off Mondays, too, and make that our "weekend" type day.
And I have no idea how to get anything done while dh is home during the day. It is his time to see them, too. If they were in school, he wouldn't see them during the week at all.
I could try to do some school-work related stuff after he goes to work...but I don't see me being motivated to start at 2:30 in the afternoon. Plus that is when neighborhood kids are finally home to play. (No, we don't know anyone yet, but I am hoping! kinda...)
Dh & I have talked and decided we do need some more structure, for ds9 especially. But this new work schedule is really testing my creativity.
And - what to do about Saturday?
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Red Cardigan
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| Posted: May 21 2008 at 7:03pm | IP Logged
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Hmmm. This is a tough one!
Perhaps you could do something like this:
Do a little work in the mornings to give your DH a little extra time to prep for his day (what with the late nights and all).
Take an extended "lunch break" that ends about the time he's going to work.
Work from 2:30 to about 3:30; break for afternoon outdoor play time.
Schedule one more hour of work in the evening, after dinner--those evenings may seem longer without Dad at home!
With ages 9 and 5 the two set hours, plus a little "flex time" in the a.m., will probably be enough.
As for Saturday, I know lots of homeschooling families that only do a four-day work week (I think at least one program I know if is designed for that). So I'd use Saturday for extra reading, catch-up work, or the messier variety of art projects and/or science hands-on lessons.
It's just a thought... 
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: May 21 2008 at 7:08pm | IP Logged
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I would do seat-work type school in the morning, which will keep the kiddos relatively quiet so dh can sleep in. Then take break at noon or so for the kids to be with him awhile before he leaves. Then perhaps an afternoon educational DVD and evening read-alouds?
I'd also do the 4 day a week thing.
When dh worked odd hours, the hardest thing was keeping the kids quiet so dh could get his sleep.
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: May 21 2008 at 7:18pm | IP Logged
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And don't forget that Dad can be the teacher too.. if there's a subject you would particularly be glad to hand over... or one he's particularly fond of (excellent if they're the same) then schedule that enough before he leaves that he's not rushed but not so early that he's missing sleep.
Maybe have that during lunch prep.. because I'd also do the main meal of the day at lunch time.. so having something set in there for the kids to be doing.. bonus with it being dad time.. would be so helpful for doing the big meal at lunch..
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RamFam
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| Posted: May 21 2008 at 7:30pm | IP Logged
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My husband works this schedule and we love it! Our day is much like Red Cardigan described. It is helpful to our homeschooling because he gets Daddy-time with the babies while I work with our (only school age) first grader. I save the afternoons for all of the out of the house stuff: appointments, errands, library, grocery, etc. Also, it keeps him more in touch with our schooling.
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mellyrose
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| Posted: May 21 2008 at 8:14pm | IP Logged
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My DH has Sundays & Mondays off as well. I assume that is our weekend, and treat Saturday like a week-day. Sometimes DH picks up a 2nd job and has to work on Monday, but we still keep it as our weekend as far as schooling is considered.
DH is sometimes home in the mornings, but we stick to our routine as much as feasible. The boys wake, eat breakfast, dress & make their beds. Then it is time for seatwork. Since they are in K & 1st right now, this takes 1.5 hours at most. Afternoons are for enrichment / field trips / play / etc. That's how we do things on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday. (The boys attend an enrichment program on Wednesdays that runs from 8:30 - 3:30)
Next year, when my oldest is in 2nd, I expect our morning schooling time to take a longer time -- but I still hope to finish schooling by lunch and have the afternoons free for other stuff.
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Jenny
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| Posted: May 22 2008 at 12:03pm | IP Logged
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My husband has a similiar schedule. After trying this and that we found what worked for us.
In the morning while he was still sleeping, around 8:30ish the children and I would do catechism over breakfast then the 3 girls would do math. They finished as dad was getting up and then we spent time with him. After he left, we finished up our school day sometime before dinner, meaning there were breaks in between.
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Dawnie
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| Posted: May 22 2008 at 5:29pm | IP Logged
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Laura,
My dh works 2nd shift right now.
Just so you're prepared, I think this type of schedule is very hard to deal with. Dh has worked 2:30-11pm for the past 3 years, and I've tried a number of different schedules. What works best is for me and the kids to stay on a 1st shift kind of schedule. I go to bed with them, around 9:30pm. I get up early, at 6:15am and do my email, pray, shower and dress. Dh often has to work until 3am, so he needs to sleep late many mornings and can't help me with the kids. I get the kids up around 8am, feed them breakfast, and then start school at 9am. I have a laundry and housework schedule and I do bits of chores during the kids' 15 min. breaks. We stop for lunch at 12pm, which dh prepares. Then, I clean up the kitchen and take care of laundry and try to be available to dh to talk until he leaves for work at 2pm. He has Sat. and Sun. off now. He's also had Wed. Thurs. off and Sun. Mon. off. It was nice when he had days off during the week, b/c then I could depend on him to be home for doctor's appointments and stuff like that that I would need a babysitter for otherwise. Also, when he had days off during the week, I could go to evening meetings and activities. Otherwise, I have to find a babysitter.
I have to allow more time for the evening/bedtime routine since it's just me. I generally don't go anywhere in the evenings b/c it's very hard to get my kids in bed at 9pm on my own if we've been out and they're all riled up.
We've tried doing school in the afternoon after dh is gone, but that did not work well for us. The kids were tired and cranky and it was hard to call them away from their play to do schoolwork. They are freshest in the morning.
For meals, I cook a main meal in the evenings and then we have it for leftovers the next day at lunch. That way, dh doesn't have to eat sandwiches all the time. There just isn't enough time in the day to cook a hot meal AND do school in the morning.
Good luck and I hope you figure out what works best for your family soon!
Dawn
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Topic: new dh schedule, how to make it work?
