Night Shift Tips for Parents
MEAL PLAN/ MEAL PREP
I know most don't want to hear this: FOOD PREP, FOOD PREP, FOOD PREP. Along with food plan! I use a planner to plan all our meals then a menu board so him and I know what needs to be cooked or which prep to use. It is a lot of work, but you mostly spend one day of hard work in the kitchen. The rest of week, meal times will feel mindless. There is no thought into it as it is already been planned or prepped. I also sometimes will cook an extra side or a larger quantity of a side to be used as left overs for the next night or the night after to limit cooking time in the week. I am more health conscious as well so I try to make homemade breads, juice fruits/veggies, and homemade butter once every week. I find myself veering to unhealthier habbits when it is not prepped. For meals for example, I will prep homemade pancakes and will freeze them. I pre-make applesauce or pre-cut all fruit for snack time or sides for meals. on days that I know will be my hardest to cope with exhaustion, I love a good crock pot meal!
PRODUCTS I USE
Menu board - https://amzn.to/48bZrwa
Planner - https://amzn.to/4sOtVeS
SLEEP SET UP
This can vary for everyone. For me, this was a slow learning curve because I stay up when I get home to take my oldest to school, and I have to stay up with our toddler until her nap time. Sometimes this causes me to be up 24 hours. Nonetheless, the sleep set up does help! This is a routine that gets your little one to understand it is nap/quiet time, and this helps your body produce natural melatonin to sleep which is more difficult produce during the day. Usually, I set her up in her play pen with quiet toys and books with soothing music. This is her cue to settle down, and then while she is in a safe space, I cue myself for bed with my bed time ritual. Once we are ready, we use a noise machine for us to block out any outdoor noise, and I use a weighted eye mask. You can also use black out curtains, but the goal is to block out light to induce that natural hormone. This is about what works best for you, but this can let your children that are home know is time to sleep and have quiet time. This gives you at least an hour or two to get a nap in to survive.
PRODUCTS I USE
Eye Mask- https://amzn.to/4vKr2P4 and https://amzn.to/3QzD5hV
Noise Machine- https://amzn.to/4tlNpsl
Play pen-
CHORE CHART BUT KEEP IT SIMPLE
Yes, there will be groans, but listen, remind them the household is a team effort! This is not about being controlling or telling them what to do. Change the narrative, it is about helping each other and working together as a family. This is allocating chores to everyone. I am less organize and do not have a legitimate chart on a wall, but our preteen understands what her responsibilities are. We keep it simple and give her one day a week to complete her chores. You give them a list of chores and give them a day you want this done every week. I found giving numerous chores to be done every day got confusing and tasking. Every Saturday, our oldest deep cleans her bathroom and does her own laundry. I think is also a great way to teach your kids how to take care of themselves. I spend three Saturdays in a row teaching her about each chemical for the bathroom and how to use each thing. If you have multiple children, take them to a dollar store where they can pick their own caddy for their cleaning supplies. They can pick their favorite color or decorate them with stickers. You can pick colorful cleaning supplies as well. Our oldest has a pink spray, and she loves it. Another idea is taking them to the store and letting them pick out the cleaning solutions your comfortable with. This gives them a since of control and self discovery. After a month of forming the habit in our preteen, she completes her chores with little to now help. Now, she jams to her music while she cleans. It is actually kind of cute. We have our obvious daily things to maintain our home. My partner and I have our own chores, and we do a deep clean every two weeks. this gives us a week in-between to use the time to spend time together. The cleanliness of our home does not fall on one person, and this has helped me get more sleep and stress less.
SOME FUN IDEAS
Shower Caddy- https://amzn.to/4tlNpsl, https://amzn.to/4mFQoJG
Fun Sponges/Cleaning supplies- https://amzn.to/4d2LO43 , https://amzn.to/3QRVI0C
BABY JAIL
Listen, it is not ideal, but it ensures safety for all. I had my own mom guilt with this one. When I was adjusting to night shift, I refused a large play pen after my partners pleas. One day, I found myself falling asleep in her play area in the living room, and I wake up frantically to find her dumping Epsom salt all over the bathroom and threw all my hair clips in the toilet. If you have a little one, a large play pen will be your best friend. If you feel yourself getting way too sleepy, you simply put your little one in their play pen with their favorite toys and put it next to you. Every child is different and may not enjoy this one. That is okay! Try baby gates and give your child a whole room. You can lay down in the playpen with your kiddo or room. The purpose of this is to ensure your kid is in a set safe place so you can comfortably sleep for a little.
PRODUCTS I USE
Playpen-