When I started working graveyard shift when JL was 4 mths old, almost everyone that I know told me that I won't last long. Max would be 6 months before I resigned.
Why?
1. Working 5 nights a week from 10pm to 6am is just so wrong. Only zombies do that. and though I do look like zombie sometimes, I still am a human which is not nocturnal. My body is designed to sleep during the night and working at those wee hours means I won't be sleeping during the night for 5 out of 7 nights a week
2. My job as a cleaner is a physical job. So I'll be dead tired when I come home from work
3. I come home to a then 4 month old daughter. With hubby's gone to work, I was looking after JL all by myself without much sleep. Only for 3 out of 12 months I got some help from my mother. But for the rest of the year, I was pretty much alone... until hubby comes home from work, then we change shift cos I need to get my 2 hours sleep to get ready for another night of work.
Looking at all the reasons above, no one in their right mind will do this. I don't have much choice. I was tempted to work during the day but because I want to look after my kids, I had no choice but to stick with this kind of arrangement.
I should've bet with all those ppl who said I would resign within 6 months. cos now I've been doing this job for almost 5 years. JL just turned 5, four days ago.
Is it worth working the owl hours? If I have to answer that, my answer would be NO! Not worth it... all the stress you get from looking after the kids plus the lack of sleep plus the fatigue. No matter which angle you're looking at it from, it's not worth it...
Until... last week, out of the blue, JL approached me and said, "Thanks, mum!" I asked, "For what?"
She said, "For working at night and not sleep so that you can look after me and JH." Whoaaa.... where did this come from? I'm not prepared for this. So, I asked, "What do you mean?" She said with some tears on her eyes while hugging me, "I saw my friends whose mums rather put them with someone else so that they can work during the day like daddy. Their mums didn't want to work at night like you. so, thank you, mum... for not putting me and JH with someone else cos I don't want other people looking after me and JH. I want my mum looking after me and JH"
Hearing that just wiped off all the arguments in my head. I used to regret doing this job... but not anymore, not since last week when she said that to me. then I am convinced it's worth being an owl in this family
