A question for Paramedics with kids-

[KangaRoo]

I have been seriously looking into EMS as a career, but the question of being able to raise a family while doing 24 hour shifts is someting that gives me pause. I would love to hear from some EMTs/Paramedics who have or are raising kids while working full time, especially females. Do any of you folks have a spouse who does shift work as well?

[Just Plain Ruff]

It can be done but you have to have a spouse or a support system that allows it. I think if you are a single mother who has no support system then you would be hard pressed to do it. I'm NOT being sexist but just realistic.

If you do not have someone or a group of people who can watch your children while you are working 24 hours on shift then you should not consider this field as the children would have no-one to watch them.

If you have someone who can watch your children while you are on your 24 hour shift then go for it.

Be that said - is the place you are trying to work only offering 24 hour shifts or does it offer other shifts? There are other shifts that you can work (unless you HAVE to work 24's) that would be easier on your kids and family life. But those shifts also come with drawbacks. you would have to work more shifts to make up for the 24 hour shifts. you'd have to work 2 12 hour shifts in order to cover the 24 hour shift. So you are going to work 4 12 hour shifts in one week versus 2 24 hour shifts.

It's a give or take situation.

It also depends on the ages of your kids as well. If you have 3 year olds or 12 year olds or 15 year olds. That all throws different dynamics into the situation as well.

It can be done, It's done all the time, it's done in single families, and married families but you have to have support to get it done. But if you don't have support and you are a single mother and you want to work 24 hour shifts, good luck.

[MrsSchrade]

Doing school while raising children is the hardest thing ever!!!! (even harder than cardiology and pharmacology put together!!! lol)

I am only a basic EMT, but I did go through the paramedic program. My fiance at the time committed suicide, so I was not able to finish, and honestly now I have no desire to finish. I went through the entire program but didnt take the state test. Anyway... back to the topic at hand..

My situation was obviously different, my fiance refused to help me at all, so I was raising my 2 kids, going to school and working full time. It makes everything 10 times harder. Studying was rediculous... but once you get a job, look for a place that is willing to work with you.

My kids are 4 and 7. I love my job. My place of business is amazing with adjusting to that. The scheduler is well aware that I am a mom, and knows if I need to leave early, come in late or take a day off he has no problem with it whatsoever. I dont take sick days for myself, I leave that for the kids. Not every EMS company requires you to do 24 hour shifts. My company does have them, but I work 12 hours instead. My hours are worked around my kids. My oldest is in 2nd grade, so I can still take him to school in the morning, and I only work 2 days a week so I am home more often. at one point i was working Monday through Friday 5am-3pm, so I wasnt taking him to school but I was picking him up.

Try to be honest when you get your job, EMS may be a very demading field, but it is also a family business. Everyone has kids no a days, everybody knows what its like. Find a company that is flexible and I can honestly tell you that this job is 100% doable, and the best job I have ever had. I have been through more that anyone ever has, and I still did it... you can to!

[Happiness]

I have 3 boys and they were 12, 9 and 6 when I started. I had a husband that was semi supportive (not so much when the pager went off 5 mins before the end of a shif on christmas and a housefull) You really need to make sure you are prepared to miss alot of things with your kids, like soccor games etc. You have to have a good support system in place and most of all your kids have to understand what you are doing.

Went on a call and came home to a dissaster, I explained to my kids that I was very stressful having to think that I would have to come home to this when I am out trying to save someones life. Once they understood they were great (for calls anyways). Everyone in the family has to be on board..... good luck

[KangaRoo]

Thanks for all the helpful replies! Maybe I should have been more clear though- I am actually neither single nor a mother right now, so school wouldn't be as huge of an issue for me as someone trying to get into the field with a family to support already. My husband and I are both shift workers right now, so I get to see the best and worst of having a 24 hour schedule. My husband works 12 hour shifts (Corrections Officer) but he has a predictable, stable schedule with plenty of time off and always works the same shift. I work at a small business and work anywhere from 8-12 hour shifts at all times of the day and night- I get the impression most EMS hours are more like my schedule right now. I don't plan on having kids for quite a while, and my husband is incredibly supportive, but it is something I worry about. Almost all the agencies in my area use dual role firefighters/EMTs, so I would probably end up doing that.

[mikeymedic1984]

Although 24's are still prevelant, many services offer other shifts (8, 10, 12 hours).

[Just Plain Ruff]

See this is what makes me mad on these forums. NOT being clear in your first post. People expended a lot of effort trying to answer your question and then you come back and say "oh I don't have kids, don't plan on having them for a while but answer my question anyway"

Please be more clear when you ask a question here, a lot of people went to a lot of time and effort to answer what they thought you wanted to hear but then you come back and say "Oh that's really not what I meant at all"

But now that you made it clear as crystal. You don't need our help, you have nothing to worry about in your job pursuit, you have no kids to worry bout, so you should be fine in pursuing your dreams of working and studying as an EMT and then as a medic.

Now you have the answer you needed when you do have kids which I believe you said was down the road a bit.

But if we didn't answer your question this time because you weren't truly clear this time, please spell it out to us. We'd hate to get it wrong again.

Am I mad, nah, just frustrated.

[dstevens58]

I'm working with a private right (part-time) and going to full-time college paramedic degree program. My employer is awesome about working around my class schedule. Kids are all grown and out of the house, so that's not a factor now. The only requirement from my employer about the part-time employees is that I have to put in 24 hours per month.

[KangaRoo]

See this is what makes me mad on these forums. NOT being clear in your first post. People expended a lot of effort trying to answer your question and then you come back and say "oh I don't have kids, don't plan on having them for a while but answer my question anyway"

Yikes that's rough. I don't quite understand how me not having children right now invalidates me wanting to hear from medics who do have children. I didn't state that I was a single mother in my original post but I'm sorry if I gave people that impression and that is somehow stressful for you. If it matters to anyone, your replies were very informative and encouraging. I just wanted to know what raising a family while working in EMS was like (that's what I intended to ask, sorry if it was poorly worded) I didn't think anyone would have any interest in my autobiograpy, thats why I didn't go into my current family status. Sorry if everyone feels I've waisted your time. As for "not needing you help", how am I supposed to find this stuff out without, you know, asking someone? All the EMTs I know are either part-time volunteers or super young and single. I don't mean to sound argumentative, I just don't quite understand why asking about a situation I'm not in right now was such a sin.

Edited October 23, 2012 by KangaRoo

[Just Plain Ruff]

NO you misunderstood my whole point. What frustrated me was that you came here asking about how it was to work with kids and that gave the impression that you had kids and you were wanting to know what it would be like in a situation with you having kids.

Many people here come and ask questions and they don't give the entire story and then when we give them our best answer they come back and say, oh that's not what I asked and they get mad at us for not having a crystal ball to know their situation.

That is what you did. I would say I'm not busting your chops but you did come here and say "what's it like working in EMS with kids" thus giving me and many other the impression that you had kids, and we gave you our best answers, but you came back saying "oh I don't have kids" and many people spent time and effort answering a question that had nothing to do with your current situation.

But no harm no foul but it was frustrating to me to see that your original post was no where near what your current situation was.

Now it's not a sin to ask but you didn't put it out there in the first question. But that's water under the bridge.

I will apologize as I may have made the single mom assumption but I hpe I did not.

But I since you are not a single mom nor are you a mom with kids nor are you single, then your options are very much open since you have a very supportive husband which does NOT happen very often in this business. Shift work is a big help. YOu have to be ready for long hours, not seeing your husband for every holiday for the first year because you will be the low person on the totem pole so you will get EVERY or nearly every holiday. Expect lots of extra shifts as the new person.

Expect some hazing as the new person. And NEVER NEVER NEVER stop learning. Your book learning ends when your class ends. your street learning begins when you start your job.

I do wish you the best of luck. I'm glad you stuck around, I'm not really a bad guy, just having an off day.