I need ideas. I’m trying to figure out the optimal flex schedule for dads. What I mean by that is a work schedule that is not the typical 9 to 5, or 8 to 6, etc. By Flex schedule I mean a work schedule that is flexible and somewhat adaptable. For example working from 6am – 2pm or even a schedule with a break in the middle of the day like working 6am – 11am and then 2pm – 5pm.

Because I work for myself I have control of my work hours, and I want to figure out the best way to maximize both work and family time. Its possible that the regular 9 to 5 is best, but somehow I doubt it.

My plan is to experiment a bit to find the optimal working schedule that accommodates both work and family life. Here is some of the criteria for my test:

• I need to to work at least 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. (I will work more, but lets start with this plan)
• I need to work at least half of my time during normal business hours so that I can make phone calls and whatnot.
• I need to sleep normal(ish) hours. My preferred sleep schedule is to go to bed between 9:30 and 10:30 and get up around 5am. This is hard as I’m not a morning person, but I find that I’m way more productive this way.

So, with those three things in consideration I would love to get some ideas from you. What do you think the optimal schedule would look like? Is the idea of working two segments of the day with a big break in the middle a terrible one?

My plan is to get some suggestions and then create a non-traditional flex schedule and see how it goes. I don’t mind being the guinea pig, I just need a good hamster wheel (schedule) to run in 🙂