How to Live Happily with a Shift-Working Spouse

If your spouse works shift work while the rest of the family is on a more common Monday to Friday schedule, it can be challenging finding a routine that works for everyone. Here are some steps to take to make living life with a shift worker a little easier.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Toss out your ideas of what "normal" looks like. Face it: your schedule is going to be unlike most everyone else you know. Don't try to copy other people, do what's right for you.
2. Keep one family calendar in a place easily accessible by all family members. For most families, this will be the kitchen. Scheduling is crucial to a family with a shift worker who has a variable schedule. Get a set of markers and assign a colour to each family member. Each time your spouse gets the new shift schedule, mark it down right away so the rest of the family can plan accordingly.
3. Make a point of having a regular date night. Every time the new shift schedule comes out, schedule a date night (or day) where the two of you get to spend some quality time together.
4. It's easy to miss deadlines such as bill payments when you have both heads of the family working different shifts. By clearly defining tasks such as bill paying and other regular household responsibilities, you'll limit the chance of something being missed.
5. The shift-working spouse can sometimes feel left out of special family events because of their schedule. Be sensitive to this and find other ways to include your spouse in family activities. Have the kids make a poster board just for your spouse where they can post things like pictures, crafts, report cards and letters.