Thoughts About Third Shift Families
This past week, we transitioned into a third shift family.
What does this mean? Well, because of shift changes (they happen every six months) at Mike's work, he voluntarily moved to third shifts. It was a joint decision, and we feel we made the best one for our family. I will leave out all the details because they will just bore you, but I will leave it at this...I get to have afternoons and evenings - every afternoon and every evening with just Mike and Grayson. And Daisy too, I guess.
No, I can no longer cuddle up to Mike in bed at night when I am freezing. That part has been a little rough because Daisy does not give off nearly enough heat since she has taken his spot in bed.
Mike, I am sure, is somewhat thrilled that he no longer has to fight me for sheets and blankets. Apparently I am also a bed hog? Whatever.
Getting back to the real issue here...
I did what I shouldn't have ever done. I googled "How to be a third shift family" or something along those lines, and I was re-directed to blog after blog, forum after forum that had just one thing in common.
Third Shift = Death Sentence = End of Marriage
I am not kidding. What I was reading was so dismal that it broke my heart a little bit.
But I refuse to believe that third shift means a death sentence.
Third shift IS hard. It is harder now with a baby than it was when it was just the two of us. It might be hard, but it IS doable.
Do I get kicked out of bed at 6:30 am so Mike can sleep when he gets home? Yes.
Am I forced into being a morning person? Yes.
Is it just me and the little guy trying to stay quiet during the day while Daddy sleeps? Yes. (Though I have pretty much given up on that - not going to happen. And I go to my parents house A LOT for hours on end it seems during the day.)
However...
Because I am becoming a morning person, I am actually waking up and getting dressed in real clothes (and not just a fresh set of pjs) before the baby is awake.
Because of this new schedule, I have been trying to PLAN AHEAD. Which is not a strength of mine at all, but I am getting a little better at it.
Because of this new schedule, I can put the baby to bed before Mike leaves for work and then have a few hours to myself before I go to bed before 11 pm. I haven't gone to bed this early in over a year, let alone have a few hours to myself everyday for the past nine months.
Because of this new schedule, I get to see my husband MORE. I told him that I will give him 8 hours from the time he goes to bed in the morning. I will not bother him (unless it is an emergency). I will not let the baby wake him up. (Though Grayson was banging on the bedroom door the other day before I could stop him.)
Because of this new schedule, on Mike's nights off, he still stays up all night. Which means he takes care of the baby if the baby gets up in the middle of the night. Which means I am guaranteed two full nights of sleep a week.
Because of this new schedule, Mike deep cleaned the kitchen in the early hours of the day. He washed bottles, wiped down cabinets, mopped the floors.
Yes. We are only a week in. But I think we are going to be JUST fine. :)
What does this mean? Well, because of shift changes (they happen every six months) at Mike's work, he voluntarily moved to third shifts. It was a joint decision, and we feel we made the best one for our family. I will leave out all the details because they will just bore you, but I will leave it at this...I get to have afternoons and evenings - every afternoon and every evening with just Mike and Grayson. And Daisy too, I guess.
No, I can no longer cuddle up to Mike in bed at night when I am freezing. That part has been a little rough because Daisy does not give off nearly enough heat since she has taken his spot in bed.
Mike, I am sure, is somewhat thrilled that he no longer has to fight me for sheets and blankets. Apparently I am also a bed hog? Whatever.
Getting back to the real issue here...
I did what I shouldn't have ever done. I googled "How to be a third shift family" or something along those lines, and I was re-directed to blog after blog, forum after forum that had just one thing in common.
Third Shift = Death Sentence = End of Marriage
I am not kidding. What I was reading was so dismal that it broke my heart a little bit.
But I refuse to believe that third shift means a death sentence.
Third shift IS hard. It is harder now with a baby than it was when it was just the two of us. It might be hard, but it IS doable.
Do I get kicked out of bed at 6:30 am so Mike can sleep when he gets home? Yes.
Am I forced into being a morning person? Yes.
Is it just me and the little guy trying to stay quiet during the day while Daddy sleeps? Yes. (Though I have pretty much given up on that - not going to happen. And I go to my parents house A LOT for hours on end it seems during the day.)
However...
Because I am becoming a morning person, I am actually waking up and getting dressed in real clothes (and not just a fresh set of pjs) before the baby is awake.
Because of this new schedule, I have been trying to PLAN AHEAD. Which is not a strength of mine at all, but I am getting a little better at it.
Because of this new schedule, I can put the baby to bed before Mike leaves for work and then have a few hours to myself before I go to bed before 11 pm. I haven't gone to bed this early in over a year, let alone have a few hours to myself everyday for the past nine months.
Because of this new schedule, I get to see my husband MORE. I told him that I will give him 8 hours from the time he goes to bed in the morning. I will not bother him (unless it is an emergency). I will not let the baby wake him up. (Though Grayson was banging on the bedroom door the other day before I could stop him.)
Because of this new schedule, on Mike's nights off, he still stays up all night. Which means he takes care of the baby if the baby gets up in the middle of the night. Which means I am guaranteed two full nights of sleep a week.
Because of this new schedule, Mike deep cleaned the kitchen in the early hours of the day. He washed bottles, wiped down cabinets, mopped the floors.
Yes. We are only a week in. But I think we are going to be JUST fine. :)
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