Cz mama Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 My husband (bless his heart) works a swing shift (5PM-2AM). This means that he generally wakes up around 11AM and leaves for work @ 4PM. This also means that I have 2 shifts. My short morning shift with the kids and my ('I'm so exhausted) second shift, which involves bedtime, etc. Currently, I think we are stuck with this situation. Its been like this for 8 years, and I'm praying for a day shift, but for now this is it. My issue is this: I feel like my school time/errands/life is, frankly, interrupted by my husband being home during these day hours. Just when we get into the swing of the day (morning trip to the park, start on school, etc.) we go home, clean and have to *switch* to the 'dad-mode.' Our second chunk of time which is 5PM and on, I'm so darn tired that I couldn't possibly do school. I do try to get some school work done when DH is home (after lunch), but it really seems to put a strain on our family life/time together. Obviously the education is important, but I'm just so annoyed that he's home smack-dab in the middle of the day. Our life feels so chaotic. Sorry for the rant, any practical tips or advice from moms who have swung the swing shift or others who have ideas? ;) Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 If I were in that situation, I would have an early bedtime and and early wake up time. Breakfast and then school immediately. All of the teacher-intensive subjects first. Most, if not all, of school would be finished by 11, and definitely my part of it would be finished. Dad wakes up signals break/pick up house/lunch. Then errands and park time. Dad can come and help with the errands and play with the kids at the park. Go home around 330. Kids work on independent school stuff if they didn't finish and I would begin making dinner after dh leaves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PagesandFields Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 I'm on the same schedule... except DH has 5-6 days of 10-12 hour shifts...he starts a little earlier but wakes up between 10-11 (unless we've woken him up because it's slightly hard and stressful keeping my little tigers from roaring in the morning) and I have a melt-down about it at least once a week. I've tried everything to be at peace about it but the truth is I just think it's not conducive to close family life. The one thing I remind myself of that helps is: at least we homeschool. This means my job is harder... but it means my kids get to see there dad. Otherwise there would literally be many weeks where they only saw him on Sundays from 1PM until bedtime... We are up by 6:00... I watch shows with them for 30 minutes while I drink coffee (morning time used to be me time and if I don't do this I literally lose my mind)... We do school by 7:30... animal chores by 8:30, then back in for more school... Lunchtime they get to see dad 3 days a week (the other 2 he's in school)... My kids used to stay up until 9:30 in the summer because it's not dark until 10... now we go upstairs at 7:30... they don't go to bed yet... but I actually use this hour to lie still and not move while we read... I don't know if any of this will work... but it has made a huge difference for me. When our income improves a little bit I'm considering eating out 2 nights a week... We never do but to be saved the prepping/cleanup part I think would help a lot. (If you ever need a friend in this feel free to message me... I've found that I feel really isolated about it sometimes... so if it would help you to chat about it with someone you're welcome to.) ETA: One thing I've thought of doing this winter is having a library day... We'll get out of the house as early as possible and do school at the library... haven't tried it yet... But the kids lose focus on me immediately and are in "naughty/energy/play/fun" mode when daddy's there... So we totally lose our rhythm, peace and focus... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thia7278 Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 I agree with the person who said to get up and get school done. That is more important than errands. If you are thinking it's better to be out of the house so it's quiet for him to sleep...work on the bedroom. Get a fan or a white noise machine. Black out curtains etc. Whatever you can to make it a cave. It is hard to keep the kids quiet, especially in a little house, but it can mostly be done. Get as much school done as you can, at least that which requires your full attention. When he wakes, you can switch to some family time. We actually ate an early dinner so that we could still sit down together. I would give the kids a snack or more lunch type meal in the evening. When he left, I would have a chore time. Then the snack. Then some time with the kids playing a game or watching some cartoons. Then off to bed and the bedtime routine was no frills. Use the bathroom, get a drink, pick out a book and get to bed. The kids are allowed to look at some books quietly before the fall asleep. And bedtime was very prompt. After that, I crashed and was DONE for my day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strange_girl Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 We have a similar schedule. DH works 3 pm to 3 am. He gets up at 10:30, has his daddy time with the kids, has lunch with us, and leaves for work at 2:30. So, he interrupts our day too. :) It is a hard schedule to keep. Last year (pre-k and 1st) we were usually able to finish up by 10:30-11:00, but this year we have more work. We will probably have to break it up into two shifts. While I find it annoying, as someone up thread mentioned, at least they get to see daddy, because we homeschool. If they went to public school, they would never get to see him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandylubug Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 we have a similar schedule as well. Perhaps, ours is easier than yours. We are able to adjust our sleeping routines to fit DHs. He leaves at 1pm and we gear up and start our studies then till 5pm. We are all night owls and wake between 10 and 11am and spend the morning with DH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insertcreativenamehere Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 No advice, but I can commiserate. My husband works out of our home and while it's great for the kids to see him so much, he often interrupts our flow, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artichoke Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 (edited) We've had some of the same challenges. Our solution was a good, long talk between dh and I were we cleared the air about our frustrations, unreal expectations, and my guilt about doing anything besides being home when he was awake. We decided together that homeschooling was a priority for us and that it had to happen. First we tried adjusting our schedule to his, and that was a disaster for us. We missed so many outings that we wanted to do, and frankly I became lazy about getting anything done. Finally we settled on not always being at home when dh was awake but being sure to return home for at least a couple of hours of family time. If we were home, then schoolwork happened as usual after a few good mornings and hugs. Best wishes as you find a solution. Edited March 8, 2017 by Artichoke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mysticmomma Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 At their ages I would focus more on family than academics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merry gardens Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 My husband (bless his heart) works a swing shift (5PM-2AM). This means that he generally wakes up around 11AM and leaves for work @ 4PM. This also means that I have 2 shifts. My short morning shift with the kids and my ('I'm so exhausted) second shift, which involves bedtime, etc. Currently, I think we are stuck with this situation. Its been like this for 8 years, and I'm praying for a day shift, but for now this is it. My issue is this: I feel like my school time/errands/life is, frankly, interrupted by my husband being home during these day hours. Just when we get into the swing of the day (morning trip to the park, start on school, etc.) we go home, clean and have to *switch* to the 'dad-mode.' Our second chunk of time which is 5PM and on, I'm so darn tired that I couldn't possibly do school. I do try to get some school work done when DH is home (after lunch), but it really seems to put a strain on our family life/time together. Obviously the education is important, but I'm just so annoyed that he's home smack-dab in the middle of the day. Our life feels so chaotic. Sorry for the rant, any practical tips or advice from moms who have swung the swing shift or others who have ideas? ;) Thanks It's not the swing shift, but my husband started working from home a few years ago. It changed our homeschooling. I used to spread our homeschooling all around the house, but now we homeschool almost exclusively in the basement. We stopped piano lessons and stepped up other types lessons outside the home. Beside our homeschooling change, our home life changed too. There is no longer a "dad mode" specifically because it's all "dad mode" since he's almost always here! We now have a "be extra quiet because dad's on the phone mode" and a "let's find someplace to go out of the house mode". And then there's the usual "it's time for everyone to do their work" mode. Can you get rid of the idea of "dad mode" and make it "life at home" mode? Can you involve your husband more in your homeschooling somehow? Can he watch or drive a child to an activity while you work one-on-one with another? Could he teach them something that you can call "school", perhaps something he has a special interest in even if it isn't a traditional school topic? Can he read to them or have them read to him? Those are just some ideas of how parents who work are often involved in their children's education in the evening that might help your homeschooling run better during the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plink Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 We all have interruptions that come up regularly, but we somehow think that we can grumble about those interruptions and force them out of our way. We are kicking the wall rather than walking around it. I wrote about this recently. It is in the middle of a post about year-round homeschooling, but I think it might help. Here's what worked for us: http://www.libertyhillhouse.com/2014/07/14/6-tips-for-maintaining-year-round-school-stamina/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 We all have interruptions that come up regularly, but we somehow think that we can grumble about those interruptions and force them out of our way. We are kicking the wall rather than walking around it. I wrote about this recently. It is in the middle of a post about year-round homeschooling, but I think it might help. Here's what worked for us: http://www.libertyhillhouse.com/2014/07/14/6-tips-for-maintaining-year-round-school-stamina/ I read your blog. These are the guys who made that comic about your plans vs reality: http://thedoghousediaries.com/5468 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plink Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 I read your blog. These are the guys who made that comic about your plans vs reality: http://thedoghousediaries.com/5468 Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I knew that if I asked someone would find it for me. :) I swear my cyber-friends are a better resource than google. Off to give credit where it is due... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 My husband (bless his heart) works a swing shift (5PM-2AM). This means that he generally wakes up around 11AM and leaves for work @ 4PM. This also means that I have 2 shifts. My short morning shift with the kids and my ('I'm so exhausted) second shift, which involves bedtime, etc. Currently, I think we are stuck with this situation. Its been like this for 8 years, and I'm praying for a day shift, but for now this is it. My issue is this: I feel like my school time/errands/life is, frankly, interrupted by my husband being home during these day hours. Just when we get into the swing of the day (morning trip to the park, start on school, etc.) we go home, clean and have to *switch* to the 'dad-mode.' Our second chunk of time which is 5PM and on, I'm so darn tired that I couldn't possibly do school. I do try to get some school work done when DH is home (after lunch), but it really seems to put a strain on our family life/time together. Obviously the education is important, but I'm just so annoyed that he's home smack-dab in the middle of the day. Our life feels so chaotic. Sorry for the rant, any practical tips or advice from moms who have swung the swing shift or others who have ideas? ;) Thanks :grouphug: Y'all go to the park every single day? Huh. ITA with the others who said y'all should get up and do school stuff in the morning instead of going to the park. Have lunch with Mr. Czapla Mama, *then* go to the park and do errands. And frankly, seems to me that Mr. Czapla Mama could be responsible for some things, too, even if it's playing with the littles while you teach the oldest--he could take the littles to the park while you stay home with the 9yo--or keeping the children while *you* go do errands. Early supper for all, relaxed evening, early bedtimes (dc in bed by 8), free evenings for you--no school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coco_Clark Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 No swing shift, but my husband works from home one to several days a week. Since it's not part of "normal" it throws us off because he comes out for breaks, lunch, ect. We also dealt with this during an unfortunately long season of looking for work after he was laid off. I agree with others about schooling in the morning and then doing things like the park and errands. But I can also see why the park is better in the morning (its cooler in the am, if you run errands while your husband is home you/the kids wont see him that day, ect). So ANOTHER option would be to utilize your husband by having HIM watch 1,3,5 while you work with 9 for an hour, then he watches 1,9 while you work with 3,5. "Dad mode" becomes "school mode". During his watching 1,9 time he could even be listening to 9 read or narrate, or covering a subject he has interest in (science is a popular dad choice), or doing extra read aloud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angelaburke1000 Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 My husband works four ten hour shifts, and I feel antsy trying to get things done on mondays when he's home (so I can believe that it would get tricky if he was there the better part of every week day! A friend whose husband works a schedule similar to yours ended up having dad take over math completely, and he also takes a chunk of their read aloud time. That way, she works with the other kids while he's doing a rotation one on one math lesson with each old enough child . . . and their family book culture is beautiful, as dad chooses and engages with books almost to the same level as mom. Love all the ideas here too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaderbee Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 Could you hand over a subject or two to your DH? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS Mom in NC Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 My husband has worked from home for 17 years now and there was a BIG transition period. I had the opposite problem, I had to keep the kids out of dad's hair. Either way, dad has to understand that one more person in the mix can change the whole dynamic entirely. Sit down and explain it to him. I'm a big advocate of school time being school time, so whenever that is, everyone who is not being schooled or doing the schooling has to respect that boundary. Dad time is different than school time, so he and the kids have to know when that is. You're going to have to compartmentalize your life in the home which people who have dad working at the office don't have to deal with. Being conscious of what's happening when and who should be doing what is going to have to be done explicitly. I would suggest you and dad sitting down and discussing what you each feel like doing during certain times of the day and then figure out how the two of you can support each other during those times. It has to become a team effort toward shared goals. Don't wait for intuition to tell each of you the same thing separately. Sit down and hammer it out. Explain to the kids what they need to know and what they can expect of each of you at those times. My husband reads aloud to the kids about an hour a day until they go to college. He teaches math and science regularly once they hit Jr. High levels and occasionally at elementary levels. He has to work during regular work hours so the companies he contracts with can interact with him online and over the phone. Sometimes he has to go to the company site and deal with things in person. So, he reads aloud and teaches after dinner or occasionally one weekends. That means I have to having things arranged so he's free to do so. And when I arrange well and no longer have a wee one, it's time for a hot bath and good book for mom. When I'm schooling (now just the youngest) he can't walk into the room and look available. He can't ask something that isn't important or time sensitive. He tried a few times, just being friendly. He didn't get a warm response from me. I explained it to him and he got it. Even relaxed school with younger kids has to have some focused schooling of some sort. Kids have short attention spans and we can't burn it up on things that don't matter. Academics matter. Interpersonal relationship time matters. Find a way to make both of those things happen-you're both smart, caring parents, you'll be able to figure something out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Targhee Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 DH works shifts in an ER, but these are random!! He might work 4 different shift times in a single week, or work only two of the same shifts, or some weird combo in between. It totally messes up the flow!! Every day I reinvent the wheel of trying to get things done. One suggestion, since at least he has a steady schedule, is to involve him in HS for two hours a day while you get out. 11-1 could be Dad school? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cz mama Posted July 30, 2014 Author Share Posted July 30, 2014 Could you hand over a subject or two to your DH?My DH has fairly severe dyslexia (we just kinda realized it recently), so that complicates things a little. But yes, he does like to do hands on project/building/experiments and also dad/kid PE time. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cz mama Posted July 30, 2014 Author Share Posted July 30, 2014 Thanks everyone for your suggestions! I contemplated all the suggestions today and I feel better having mulled them over. Yay for mama-help! Sometimes it's hard to see the clear solution from the inside. Thanks all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaderbee Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 My DH has fairly severe dyslexia (we just kinda realized it recently), so that complicates things a little. But yes, he does like to do hands on project/building/experiments and also dad/kid PE time. ;) How did he go so long without realizing or someone noticing he had dyslexia? Are there programs for adults to help with that? I would totally hand off experiment, handicraft, PE time while he was up and at home. No matter what, I hope you find a moment for rest and renewal. We need that break, that refreshment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merry gardens Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 My DH has fairly severe dyslexia (we just kinda realized it recently), so that complicates things a little. But yes, he does like to do hands on project/building/experiments and also dad/kid PE time. ;)Dyslexia can run in families, so you might want to be on the look - out for early warning signs of it. The Learning Challenges and special needs boards here are terrific resources and support. And just another idea... If your dear husband and you are willing, you might look into including his dyslexia remediation as part of your homeschooling. Maybe. He could be your guinea pig as you learn programs like LiPS and/or Barton. That would certainly change the dynamics and involve him in your homeschooling! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cz mama Posted July 30, 2014 Author Share Posted July 30, 2014 How did he go so long without realizing or someone noticing he had dyslexia? Are there programs for adults to help with that? I would totally hand off experiment, handicraft, PE time while he was up and at home. No matter what, I hope you find a moment for rest and renewal. We need that break, that refreshment.He basically slipped through the cracks in the local PS. I would say his reading is about 5th grade level, writing/spelling/grammer about 3rd. Crazy, huh? His brother, who is now about 31, is illiterate. Cannot read a simple book, and yet they both graduated the local school system. Parents didn't care about their education, obviously. When I started h.schooling my 9 DS I started to think about helping my husband. Long story short, we researched dyslexia and bam! it all came together and made sense. I am planning on tutoring my husband in the Barton system this next year and hopefully that will give him more confidence and open up some doors for him professionally. He is a really brilliant guy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cz mama Posted July 30, 2014 Author Share Posted July 30, 2014 Dyslexia can run in families, so you might want to be on the look - out for early warning signs of it. The Learning Challenges and special needs boards here are terrific resources and support. And just another idea... If your dear husband and you are willing, you might look into including his dyslexia remediation as part of your homeschooling. Maybe. He could be your guinea pig as you learn programs like LiPS and/or Barton. That would certainly change the dynamics and involve him in your homeschooling! Thanks for your comment. Yes, our little 5 year old son has pretty substantial dyslexia signs as well. When I order Barton, I am planning on experimenting on husband then son. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PagesandFields Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 He basically slipped through the cracks in the local PS. I would say his reading is about 5th grade level, writing/spelling/grammer about 3rd. Crazy, huh? His brother, who is now about 31, is illiterate. Cannot read a simple book, and yet they both graduated the local school system. Parents didn't care about their education, obviously. When I started h.schooling my 9 DS I started to think about helping my husband. Long story short, we researched dyslexia and bam! it all came together and made sense. I am planning on tutoring my husband in the Barton system this next year and hopefully that will give him more confidence and open up some doors for him professionally. He is a really brilliant guy. You sound pretty awesome too. Keep trying things... you'll figure it out. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 No advice, but I can commiserate. My husband works out of our home and while it's great for the kids to see him so much, he often interrupts our flow, too. Ditto. My dh owns a small business and offices upstairs. The funnest thing is when he comes into our open concept living/kitchen area when I am reading aloud and uses the icemaker for ground ice. Ugh. Also, my elderly father is calling me up to 8 times a day lately with needs. It is disruptive. Like others, I would adjust bedtimes to go to bed early and wake early. Save anything that can be done easily with less effort (read alouds, for instance) for the evening hours before bedtime. We do a history read aloud and our Bible reading and then dive straight into math because it is the most taxing subject for the kids. Math later in the day does not work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjthedog64 Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 I have a friend who's husband has a similar schedule. They just adjusted their sleep schedule to his. They would get up around 11, do group things, park, etc during early afternoon when other kids are around, then school when dad goes to work, and bed around midnight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 If I were in that situation, I would have an early bedtime and and early wake up time. Breakfast and then school immediately. All of the teacher-intensive subjects first. Most, if not all, of school would be finished by 11, and definitely my part of it would be finished. Dad wakes up signals break/pick up house/lunch. Then errands and park time. Dad can come and help with the errands and play with the kids at the park. Go home around 330. Kids work on independent school stuff if they didn't finish and I would begin making dinner after dh leaves. yes this. And if you put kids to bed earlier, you probably won't be so exhausted for so long. So I'd start preparing supper around lunch time with final touches around 4. Eat supper at 5. Baths, bedtime, etc. So the kids are in bed by 7:30- 8. You may get up at 6, kids up at 6:45 with school starting 7:30 on the dot. All teaching/mom stuff happens first, then independent work, then errands, park, etc. (said with a smile) Try not to be irritated with him. He has a right to see his kids and relax in his off hours. Even if it is inconvenient for his relax time to come right in the middle of what is essentially your work day. I get it though. When my dh is off, we always take school off because so little gets done. By the way, my dh and I were talking about this very thing a few weeks ago and I mentioned that I had given up trying to school if he was off of work. There was so much of "can you come help me with this one little thing; It'll just take 5 minutes" and jumping in and sidelining our discussions that I gave up. He said, "Oh, I throw you off, huh?" with this sheepish grin. I think it finally dawned on him that he wrecked stuff when he was home. We both smile about it and try to work around it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 If you at least and preferably the kids are morning people I would go with the early to bed early to rise thing. Maybe dh could work on a hands on project with them while you have a cup of coffee and sort lunch and dinner prep. Maybe they dh and the two oldest could snuggle up and dh and your oldest could follow along with an audio book? Or play soccer etc. If like me you hate mornings then I would look at an 8.30 getting up time, do a group morning circle thing and get dh to okay with the other 3 while you do maths/phonics with the losers then all go to the park and have lunch before dh goes to work. You would probably get all bases covered with the you gets and just need to do another bit with the oldest later. I always plan on before schooling rather than after schooling but I hate getting up early. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 DH's work has him switch (12-hr) shifts all the time, so sometimes he's home, sometimes he's sleeping, and other times he's gone until late. Personally, and maybe it is just my DH, but I'd rather he be home all the time. He makes homeschooling so much easier because whatever I need (lunch cooked, laundry done, someone-to-listen-to-the-6-yr-old-read, explain-this-math-to-eldest, or help-with-science-experiment), he takes care of it. It is like having an extra brain, an extra pair of hands, and someone to take the preschooler off my hands when I really need one-on-one time with someone! Consider having the discussion with him about what would help you during his time awake that he can spend with the kids while you 1) run errands, 2) clean up something or 3) get dinner prepped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeking Squirrels Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 DH was on a similar schedule last year and I hated it. Left at 3:15, home about 1am. Honestly we never got a good routine going. Thankfully DD was in K so it didn't take much time and wasn't as big of a deal when we'd miss days. In theory we did school in the afternoon when baby went down for a nap and DH started getting ready for work. In reality, half the time we wanted to go out mid day so he got ready in the morning and nap time was seen as daddy-dd time. So then I'd try to do school with her after daddy went to work, but then I needed to get something together for dinner and the baby was up... We were all on a kind of late schedule so we woke about the same time as DH. If he ends up back on the late shift (which is very possible as soon as september), I would put myself and the girls on an earlier schedule (than before, kept similar to now) so that we wake up well before DH and get as much done as we can before he gets up. I would have us starting school by 8-8:30 and work til DH gets up at 10, then take a break for a snack while DH has breakfast and such. Then maybe even send the toddler with daddy to get ready (she likes to shower with us anyway) and get in some more with older until he's ready. I think I'd also put the toddler on a later nap schedule (if she would) so that at least some of her sleep time was after DH left, giving DD and I time to finish up as well as giving us more family time out before needing to be home for nap. We also made lunch our big together meal and the girls and I had more lunch-type foods for dinner. I think I would do this again, only I would make more effort to do freezer and/or crock pot meals so the meal could be ready and waiting for a late lunch around 2ish. This would give us more of our family time in one chunk so we could get out of the house if desired. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PagesandFields Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 I'm coming back to this thread because I remembered something... My DH is also taking college classes... so 2 days a week we actually don't see him at all... I sort of a few months into this schedule decided just to make a schedule that worked for the kids and I. (At that time I was getting so depleted that I really had to figure out a way to just get by). I realized at that point that we needed to go to bed early. (I had been trying to keep them up as late as possible to sleep late to keep quiet). As soon as I gave up on that... which didn't work for any of us... everything fell into place. I think at first I was trying to accomodate our family's schedule to a horrible work schedule... When I decided, basically, to say screw it... and do a schedule that I thought would make the kids and I happy... it ended up working way better for DH also. I will also say that I converted an enclosed porch into our school room. It has exterior walls.. It muffles and quiets our sound a little. It helps enormously. We started out even eating breakfast in there. It kinda feels like our own little studio apartment now. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FO4UR Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 With kids those ages, I'd have Daddy entertain the youngest three while he's home for an uninterrupted hour to work with the 9yo. If he has another hour, I'd spend it working with the 5yo. I feel you on the weird scheduling. It is a non-stop issue for me. Make it work for you instead of trying to make it look like something it isn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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