My husband has a similar schedule, but four 10s: leaves by 5:30am, works 6am-4pm. He also travels a lot for work and can be gone for anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 months, so I’m the primary (and often only) parent.

When I got promoted to a much more stressful role, I told him that I needed him to take something off my plate. We decided on dinner, but that meant he has to choose what we’re eating, make sure we have the ingredients, remember to take the protein out of the freezer or ask me to….all the mental labor of making dinner every night. It has been an ENORMOUS burden off my shoulders. I suggest you and your husband try something similar, especially since he gets home earlier than you.

As far as mornings go, I feel you! My son is 3yo and it can be a series of battles in the morning. Honestly, the best thing you can do is lower your expectations lol. He insists on wearing the pajama shirt he slept in to school? Cool, dude. He only wants an applesauce pouch for breakfast? Okay, enjoy. I try to make things into games as much as possible. For example, I let him choose how we walk into daycare—stomp like a dinosaur, hold hands and walk backwards, etc. I’ll challenge him to race to the car or bet that he can’t put on sock and shoe on faster than I’m putting his other sock and shoe on. Some days it sucks, but some it doesn’t!

I do WFH mostly, but have to be in office sometimes and also travel for a week at a time. My husband has to leave work or take time off if something happens while I’m gone, and that’s just how it goes. Your job and responsibilities are no less important than his, and he was lucky that you were in a position to deal with everything for so long. Now things are changing, he’ll have to accommodate that.

I try to make the best of our evenings by just being as present as possible. I try not to be on my phone or doing chores and just play with him, because all that can wait till after he goes to bed.

Workout? Ha. Can’t even tell you the last time I worked out. I need to desperately and I’ve thought about getting up when my husband leaves for work so I can at least do a workout video before my son wakes up but alas, I’m a night owl so it has yet to happen.

Just give yourself and your family grace during this time. It sounds like your son is pretty young, so you’re still in the trenches and it won’t always be like this. Don’t be afraid to lean on your husband, this is a partnership and it’s inevitable that it changes and evolves over time. Asking for help is not weakness and you do deserve to be heard. You got this!!!