The Hubby has done really odd shifts since we moved down here in 2010 where he would do 24 hour shifts every couple of days for 3 weeks and then get 2 weeks off work. Over the past 18 months it’s kept changing and up until recently he was doing 6-6 every 3 or 4 days. We never really knew whether we were coming or going but it did mean that I had access to the car quite a lot and even if I didn’t one day I knew I would the next. His shifts have changed again and he is now on a really odd rota of so many days doing 4pm-12am, so many days of doing 8am-4pm and so many days of doing 12am-8am every single day, including weekends, for about 3-4 weeks and then getting 2 weeks off (are you still with me?!)
Now I thought we would struggle with the afternoon and night shifts but nothing has hit me harder than him actually working 8am-4pm! He takes the car and I have to actually walk places! Today we didn’t have anything for dinner so when I picked the boys up from Creche we went to the shop which charge almost double what the supermarket do. I could walk further to bigger shops but with a lunch/nap routine and a tired toddler I didn’t really fancy it, plus no pram basket could hold the amount of shopping that I needed! I got what we needed and came home to immediately do an online shop. The earliest slot that I could get was tomorrow after 8pm so when the boys were ready for bed I shot out quickly to the supermarket to plan for tomorrows dinner!
It is a really big shock to my system. I no longer have the freedom to just pop out leaving the kids with the Hubby or without having to plan it down to the very last minute. He doesn’t finish days until a week on Friday so I have had to plan my life until then without needing to pop out to get something for dinner. Usually I’d be able to get by until the weekend of until an off day but this feels horrid! This post will get a lot of the wives of men that do Hubby’s jobs in a right old tizz because at least he is at home and not at Sea but do you know what? I’d rather he buggered off to sea and left me with 110% access to my car and knowing what exactly was going on from day to day!
The real fun will be when I drop him at work at the weekend and have to sit with the boys whilst our car has it’s MOT – wish me luck!
Do you drop him at work on his day shifts? and he just takes it for the night ones?
nope he works 7 miles away so 28 miles of diesel a day doesn’t make it worth it for me to drop him off. Plus with the kids I can’t really drag them out at 7.30 and get home again in time for school!
Ugghhh thats effort! Your definatley going to have to stock up, either that or get another cheap run around car.
exactly! but this weekend i have to take him because our MOT is due on the 5th and we can’t wait until he is free!
Tell him to get a moped haha!
Story of my life
My OH works about 25mins away with 1 car!! He takes the car everyday unless I brave it but a few hours off to a playbarn is not the case, its an hour dropping him off and go back home, of to the playbarn, back home, then go and pick him up again = nightmare and very tired mum and children
Almost 12 months ago I blew up my car and we had to cope with one car for an awful long time until I begged hubby to spend his hard earned annual bonus on a new car for me. Coping with a newborn and a bored toddler in January with no wheels was rubbish, I feel your pain. Shift work is pants too. We both do it and organizing childcare is impossible. Just count your blessing that he knows what he is working well in advance rather than at 8pm on a Sunday night!!