How do you manage handling your kids (those under 3 years old) if both your spouse and you are on shift work?

I feel that you can send your child to a day care or you can hire a maid to take care of him

This is tough! It takes a lot of people (on the same wavelenght to raise kids). Some tips, not sure if it will hlep:

1. Think long term - some parents try to feed the child or do everything for the child as it is faster and easier that way. BUT the downside is the child doesn't learn how to do things independently so the parents have to help even longer. So let your child try to be independent faster - teach the child to eat by themselves, clean up own mess, pack up own toys. Difficult at beginning but worth it at the end of the day.

2. Mess. Lower your standards on a messy house. If its low, lower it more. Anohter way to prevent mess and clutter is to have less. Don't buy unnecessary toys/ clothes / books

3. Meals. Schedule everything. Learn to do one pot meals or just order tingkat. Easier and less headache. No mess to wash up after that too. Or forget asian food, western food like pasta, sandwich, salads are WAY WAY easier to prepare wiht lesser things to wash.

4. Appliances. If can afford, buy a dryer, washing machine, dishwasher, pressure cooker, slow cooker, robotic vaccum cleaner - these really help cut down on time for chores.

5. get village on board on days when kids fall sick. Although parents do't live near by, make sure you have some emergecy protocol when kids fall sick. Make sure your parents / in laws are willing to step up when they fall sick and have to be picked up early from child care etc.

6. Don't get suckered into unnecessary classes. Its easy to fall into the parent guilt and sign up for a lot of classes. Classes means schedules means time spend in ferrying kids around. Try not to do that until kids are bigger if you don't have the time and energy to commit. If you are able to juggle shift work and still do it, great! otherwise, don't bother. You will end up more stressed and irratiable. Which is worse for kids than ever.

7. Don't sweat the small stuff. Kids refuse to wear the wonderful clothes your mum bought? don't bother. kids don't want to wear his shirt? htat's fine. kid just ate some dirt off the floor? that's ok as long as he doesn't fal too sick. Choose your battles wisely. Waht's more important? Respecting elders? Sure, then fight wiht your kids only when they are disrepsectful. Don't nitpick on everything they do - its not going to be teh end of the world if they wear the same old shirts again and again. but if its a big deal, then do it. but be prepared. always think long term. Don't give up halfway in a battle if you choose to fight it, kids have more enrgey and time than you! =)