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Split shift and kids

Posted By: jss on 2008-10-30
In Reply to: Were you exhausted? How do you manage? - sleepy MT

I find the same with the split shift. It works out great to get kids to and from school, dinner, etc. but I am wiped out. I feel like I have no downtime. I have thought about homeschooling but I am also hesitant that it will take too much out of me being that I already feel so exhausted.

I'm no expert but my neighbor has home schooled 3 kids. She told me that there is an association or something that she is a part of where a large group of home-schooled kids get together for field trips and more structured lessons and things like the all important health videos that no kid wants to watch with their parents. lol Not sure what is is called but she did say it is online so maybe some googles might turn something up in your area.


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split shift
split shifts are great!  you will do much, much better if you split your 8 hours up by 4 and 4.  Early in the day and then late evening are usually the best. 
Split shift

Employee;  afternoon and late night/early morning split shift.


split shift
I work Sun-Thu 6A-10A, 6P-10P. This works really well for me, as I could not sit at a computer for 8 hours straight, and I have Fri and Sat off to spend time with my kids.
split shift
I work M, T, W, & F 8:00-12:30 and 2:30-7:00 (9-hour days).  I, too, find it hard to sit for a complete 8- to 9-hour shift and enjoy the split.
Split shift
My kids are all in school, so I work M, Tu and W 12 noon - 3:30 p.m. and then 8:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m., Thu 8:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. and Sun 8:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.  This works real good for me.  I'm part time.
split shift
10a-2p and 7p-11p

works well to give me time in the morning to get my child off to school and a few things done, same when the bus comes. my child is a little older so the 7p is just a couple hours before bedtime and I take a break for bedtime. I love my split.
Split shift helped me a LOT! Was
getting very painful to type eight hours straight.  It has helped to the point where I barely realize any pain anymore.  Also, I can seem to go "great guns" the first hour or two of my shift, and then slow down some after that. This way, with split shift, I have two sets of "two hours" of gungho, at least as gungho as I can get...LOL. 
Have you considered a split shift? DH and I

are on separate schedules (though I have some flexibility) and we find we have to plan private time.  I'm a night person, he's a morning person - just doesn't work very well.  If you worked Sunday through Thursday schedule you'd have a chance to have some time to sleep on Friday and you could still have a weekend and not be dragging your butt.   If kids are all in school you could sleep during the day and working nights might not be so bad.  There will be a period of adjustment and there will have to be some compromise about when you sleep and when DH takes care of the kids, but you do what you have to do. 


I have a daughter and a split shift.

My daughter will be 2 in April...Maybe you can try something like this... I am working 5 a.m. - 8 a.m. and again at 10:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.  


yup, employee, split-shift.
x
IC - work split shift. nm
v
I would think a split shift would benefit them!

I know where I work they swoon over people who can pull a split shift...say early in the morning and then again late afternoon into evening.  I think it really helps get places out of TAT jams.  I once did 7am-11am and then 3pm-7pm for a while and it worked out great for me at the time and was equally beneficial to them.  Have you tried pointing out the potential benefits for them, to them?  Might be worth a shot if you haven't already.  Good luck! 



Definitely split shift...I use a hot parafin wax dip when they're really bad -- also,
i have my "magic typing gloves" You can buy them at most major drug stores... they're kind of like support hose stockings for your hands.. fingers are free, but hands and wrists are warm, toasty, comfy and happy. About 10 bucks a hand, but truly worth it..
I usually work a split shift on Sundays
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (there really isn't much to do during that time), then I log back in after 9 p.m. when I get my son in bed and will usually work for 3 or 4 hours. I am usually busy then because the docs are all dictating their pre-surgical H&Ps for Monday morning surgeries. I'm on the East Coast and my hospital is on the West Coast, so it works out good that way.
I will occasionally log in on Saturday afternoons too, but work is slim to none then, so I usually don't bother.
I work a split shift just for this very reason.
After about 6 hours, I am toast. Now I work 2 4's with a 4-hour break in between. I always come back to work so refreshed, and it has really helped my productivity.
Split shift MTs---what hours do you work? sm

I'm trying to revamp my schedule around transporting kids.  Would be interested to know what works for you.  Thanks! 


Should clarify, I was an IC for a company working a split shift. nm
d
Do any of you work a split shift? Are you employee status or IC? Thanks!-nm

Split - first in the morning before kids get up and then the rest during baby's naps.
It helps that I can do an entire day's work in 3-4 hours.
Every company is different -- I worked FT for one as an employee but worked a split shift - sm
So I never took breaks. I would work 5 hours, break for about 4 hours then do another 3. Another company I worked for did not care what hours you worked (IC) but wanted a min. amount of work each day, 500 for PT and 1000 for FT-- BUT they paid you by how many lines an hour you put out, the higher the lph the higher up the scale you made per line in pay; they have since changed everyone to a flat rate with incentive. But bottom line, if you are an IC it does not matter what hours you work, though many ask for a schedule and ask you to stick to it, they just want you to meet line requirements daily, i.e. 1000 per day, 1200 per day, whatever it is.
if it is feasable, split that 6-hour shift into two 3-hour shifts. sm
i work a split shift and find that i am much better able to stay focused and get more work done that way. also, being 3 months pregnant you have gone through the very tiring time of pregnancy and you should start seeing an energy perk before long.
Split? I bought old IBM off ebay but not split.
..
Split keyboard mounted on chair arms versus split keyboard on desk

For longtime comfort which is best - split keyboard mounted on chair arms or split keyboard to be used on the desk?


Also, why the preference over split keyboards that come totally apart versus split keyboards that are permanently connected at the top?


I want to revamp my office and there are so many different options.


Do little kids like caramel? My big kids won't even eat it! We make the basic Baker's chocolat
s
I never said you shouldn't have kids! Feeling guilty? I asked WHY you had kids.
You clearly stated in your post that you ship the kids off to camp all day, and they're TIRED AT NIGHT!!  You know exactly what you said.  You said it as a PERK - AS IN GREAT! They're gone all day, it wears them out, and so I shovel dinner in their mouths and off to bed!  You can try to paint it any way you want, but YOU SAID IT.  Again, I only hope your kids never hear you speak that way or write that way. Shame on you.  Why have kids at all?  Just another parent who has them, gets rid of them for day AND night, BRAGS ABOUT IT, and then calls ME wicked!  Give me a break!  Camp is fine - its WHAT YOU SAID AND YOU KNOW IT.  Your own words showed your heart. Period.
Kids are demanding and so is MT work. My question is how CAN you do this with kids, rather than how
When you have two young kids, 11 months apart, (like I stated they are now 4 and 5) and have been doing this since they were born with no help from their father and no family around, YES, the kids get neglected. Part time might work but living on one salary, part time, is not an option. How can you possible tell me that anyone with two young kids can stay at home and work a full-time, 8-hour shift, and still give their kids the attention they NEED. I dont care how good you are at multitasking and how great your organizational skills are. It is a very difficult thing to do. And I am offended by your post making it sound as if it is easy to do.

I do agree that it can depend on how well your kids behave and how well they are able to play on their own. But my kids were not able to play well on their own. They needed constant attention.

So please take the time to realize that there are people out there in different situations than your own.

Reading our posts should help you to understand that everyone has a different situation. I believe everyone should have the right to shares their experiences as it might benefit the original poster in her questions and concerns.

I dont think anyone should be bashed for taking the time out to write about their experiences. I dont usually come on here to argue but you really ticked me off with your post. And try reading the post correctly. I said next time around I would have put them in day care. What I DID do with them was set them up to an activity like art or put on a movie for them. Geez.
Stayed "because of the kids?" I say "leave because of the kids"
You're in no position to buy right now. Keep saving, keep paying down your bills, and for heaven's sake get rid of that dead weight of a BF you're living with. You can do better.
So, should I return the $75 (x2 kids) in music cards I got the kids for x-mas...sm
My son has been telling me about free music sites and I was very leary.  How do they skirt the law Radguy?
I don't have kids, but my Mom was from the "old school," and still had everyone, kids inclu

call her by her first name.  The little neighbor girl next door from the time she could speak called her Aggie (my mom's first name), and they were great buddies until the day my mom pased away. 


I don't think there really is much in a name, but more in the respect you are given and the way you are treated.   Personally, I kind of cringe inside when someone calls me Ms. Anything or God forbid, "maam" (makes me feel like Methuselah!) ... I'm always just plain Merrie.  :-)


But, as someone pointed out, to each his own.  If you want to be addressed a certain way, you have that right, and people should respect that.  I'm glad you corrected the child ... hope it "sticks."    


Please do not simply give up, kids or no kids!
Talk with a professional. This can be worked through if he really puts forth the effort and you participate. The right counseling can truly make your marriage even better than it was before, if BOTH parties are willing to be honest. Give it a try. Nothing to lose at this point and everything to gain!
hit left Shift key 3 times, then right Shift key 3 times -
nm
anyone know what the split was?
I'd love to know what the split was--anyone know?  It was so close last week between the 3 of them. 
Not to split hairs....
but in order to be a satanic person, you have to worship or even believe in satan first.  I don't know a huge amount about world religions but I do know that satan is largely a christianity religion figure and that most other religions don't believe in such an entity let alone worship one.  I guess my comment is a piece of the discussion best left for a religions board, so I just had that thought and I will leave it alone
I never use my mouse with DQS unless I split a job
x
been split for years

I start about an hour after I wake up, which can be any time in the middle of the night, and put in about 2-3 hours. I usually go back to sleep between 7 and 6:30 a.m. I get up again when my body tells me to, and then I'm back to work between 11 a.m. and noon. I'll work until 4 and 5 p.m.

A "regular day" (two 15-minute breaks and an hour for lunch) is way too hard on me. Been doing the split for years.


I have to split or I'd run out of steam.
Early a.m. 6:00 to 10 for starters and then, depending on what I've got going on or what is going on with the kids, either noon to 3:00 or at night after supper.  Love the flexibility.
split shifts, yes
That definitely would help, also wrist splints, but flexible support ones help as well.
split keyboard

Go to www.datavisionergonomics.com.  They have several different styles of keyboards.  I personally have one just like the Maxim keyboard, which is just like the keyboard has been chopped in half right down the center.  I've used mine for ten years and it's getting old and needs to be replaced.  When I bought mine ten years ago, it was over $400.00.  You can buy one now for under $$150.00.  Here's how it works:


I sit in my chair with my arms at my sides, and each half of the keyboard is directly in front of each arm.  I can put my schedules, an 8.5 x 11 in. paper, in-between the two halves of the keyboard!  That's how far apart the two halves are, and there is no strain on my wrists, shoulders, arms, or neck.  When I try to use my husband's keyboard now, a regular keyboard, I can't even type my name! 


It'll take you 1-2 days to get used to this style of keyboard, but take my word for it, you will love it and never want to go back to the traditional keyboards or even the so-called "split" ones that are still all in one unit, but have the right and left hands a little farther away from each other. 


Another thing, I (like you) use my left thumb space bar as the back space.  My right thumb, as usual, hits the forward space.  I never have to use my right pinky to go way up and hit the original back space key.  Hmm...maybe Maxim will give me a free keyboard if I refer enough MTs to them.    Let me know if you have any other questions.  Have a fun day!


Where can I get one of the split keyboards
I would love to have one, but the only ones I've seen are very expensive.
Employee - Split 9-1 and 9 p.m.-1 a.m. NM
NM
Getting used to split keyboard
Go to the notions department and get Velcro dots.  Put them on the home row keys.   After about 2 or 3 days you will become accustomed to where the keys are and can take the dots off.  Be careful when removing them because they are on there very strong...you don't want to pull of the keycap. 
Best split keyboard?
Any recommendations?
Not sure what you mean by a split keyboard

I tried a split keyboard once . . .
When I worked in-house an orthopedic doc brought in a split keyboard for each of us to try. Within 45 minutes of use, my left arm went from tingling to numb to cold. No one else had that problem. Since then, I have tried one for a few minutes and started having problems again. Maybe I'm just deformed!
Do you have the one that is split once in the middle or (sm)
Thanks for answering. Do you have the one split once in the middle or the one that is split in 3 pieces?
Split keyboard -- Help! ...

I recently began using an ergonomic split keyboard. I hated the first ergo boards that came out (where your hands were almost facing each other when you typed.  However, these new split keyboards are so comfortable to use and I completely adapted to it after two days...EXCEPT for the '6' key. They put the '6' on the left side of the keyboard instead of the right. This means I would have to retrain myself to type it with the left index finger rather than the right one.  This would be no easier than moving the 'r' key over to the right side of the keyboard and trying to retrain my brain to hit it with the right hand.  It also is difficult to  feel or see the error when it pertains to a number. 


If anyone has any advice or information as to where I could find a split keyboard with the 1-2-3-4-5 on the left and 6-7-8-9-0 on the right, I would owe you big time!  


Split shifts
I used to work a split shift until recently. I just couldn't do it. I would get up at 6:00 a.m. work until 11:00 a.m. or noon with breaks in there to get my son ready for school, etc. I would do the daily household stuff that goes along with raising a family and then return to work by 8:00 p.m. and work until 11:00 p.m. I am not much of a night owl so I found it particularly hard to concentrate that late at night especially if it had been a particularly difficult day around here.

I have just recently switched to doing my work all at once and love it. I find myself much more productive and able to concentrate better as opposed to previously. My kids love it because it doesn't seem like mommy is always working to them any longer.

I say if you feel that you are more productive at night and able to stay awake then go for it. It may work for you.
split keyboard
I love mine--it wasn't hard to adjust to--and once you get used to it--you will see how much more natural and less "cramped" your arms and hands are in this position.  What can be a challenge is trying to type on the standard keyboard after getting used to the ergonomic...you won't want to go back
I was not able to split it completely apart as there is a cable...sm
that holds the 2 halves together. It did enable me to move the 2 pieces further apart and keep them straight rather than at an angle so to speak. I loved the feel of the Kinesis in that the keys were right where I wanted them and this was the closest I could get. I can't remember exactly how I broke it apart but I believe it involved some kind of cutter my husband had and I just kept working on that ball joint until it had broken it apart and voila! Not too pretty but more functional for me!
It sounds like you and BF have discussed a split up.

At least that's what I think I read below in one of the posts.


The economy of our country is in the toilet right now.  Very few things are secure.  Times are tough and fixing to get tougher.  If there is any way you can slow down, get your bearings, get into a halfway secure position --- your mental health will be better.


You need your mental health in order to be there for your kids.


Have you considered moving the "molehill" instead of the "mountain"?


If the BF has already been approached about the split, what is his position on HIM MOVING out and not you and the kids?  That would be lots less destructive for them.


Also, I wouldn't count on any PT transcription job anywhere right now.  Trust me on this.  This job type is so fluid right now - it's a circus.


I wouldn't move from square one until I got the FT at the hospital.  DON'T MOVE UNTIL YOU FIGURE OUT IF YOU CAN GET THAT JOB.  Then get into it, see what you have to work with.


Secondly, I would not leave myself dependent on the BF for anything but money, and then the courts can get it for you if he decides he doesn't like this, gets a new honey, or gets a "wild hair" and decides to leave the country.


Don't depend on him for babysitting, don't "be nice" and try to share the babysitting.  DON'T DO IT.  Get yourself positioned so you are calling all your shots. 


I know MT looks good on paper when they are selling you an idea of working from home and STAYING WITH YOUR KIDS, but it doesn't work.  The mom ends up the zombie and life becomes like the twilight zone.  I know.  I tried it.  You need to get at the hospital, get daycare, get your childsupport coming in, .........and then think about moving or even buying.  In fact, if you wait, the housing prices are expected to fall even more.  There was an article in our paper about it again yesterday.  Hold off.  If you rent, if the plumbing goes, if the A/C or heater goes......the landlord is responsible.


I don't know if this will give you some things to consider but I hope so.  I raised my kids by myself (of course it was different times but the men were the same, ugh!) and at some times I didn't seem them for having to work so many hours.  I wish now I had just gotten me a State worker job, 8-5, insurance, retirement, gotten a little house even if I had gotten on a program where it was federally assisted, and gone that route.  We could have been together as a family, I wouldn't be doing this horrible life I have now with trying to still work at 60 years old with no place to live.


Think about the future - it's right around the corner.  The kids will be gone and trust me, they won't look back even if they love you lots.  They will be BUSY and you will be an afterthought.  All things in moderation.


First thing - DON'T MOVE, let him move. 


Second thing - WAIT FOR THE FT JOB.


Third thing - Be getting that child support coming in.


I wish you the best. 


p.s. Even if you decide you just have to move and rent even a 2-BEDROOM...it can certainly be done.  My ggg grandparents raised 13 kids in a 2 bedroom old farm house.  Kids slept all over the place!    You and the older kid could share if it's a girl/or if a boy, let him share a bedroom with one of the little ones, and you put the other little one in your room and make a game of it - they will all pitch in and later you all will have "war stories" to talk about when everbody is grown up. 


I work a split. I get up before everyone else in the house
and work for two hours until it's time to take the kids to school.  I take off an hour to run kids and shower, then I'm back to work for three hours.  I take a half-hour lunch, and I'm right back at it for another two or three hours until I have to pick up the kids again.  I love it.  I'm done working by the time they're out of school, and the computer is turned off for the night.  No more late nights or working until 6:00 p.m.  I'm way more productive in short spurts.