For all the working parents, a good news is that 9 to 5 is not the only shift you need to work out of. Especially, in the case of nuclear families, one parent can work out of standard shifts and the other can choose flexible options.
Usually, the work schedules of parents impact kids by gender and age and determine the shifts parents should be working out of. Rotational shifts should actually be avoided by both parents when they have children since it creates an imbalance in personal and professional life.
In the case of single parents or couples from low-income groups, rotational schedules lead to behavioural issues in children. Differences in gender are co-related to the time parents involve themselves with the kids. It is commonly seen that fathers are generally more involved in their sons’ lives and hence the work schedules of fathers revolve around their sons’ benefits.
Unstable or rotational shifts can be stressful for parents which adversely affect their children since children tend to mimic their parents.
A parent who regularly works the night shift, for example, may deliberately try to be awake and available for children before and after school, while the other parent handles dinner and bedtime routines.
Solutions could involve allowing greater flexibility in the workplace or in providing paid family leave and access to quality childcare.
(With inputs from ANI)