you won't have much evening time with the fam anyway. six to six best of all worlds

You have a valid concern, I offer another that may affect your morale more;  Traffic.  A 0600 shift change in some places means a 30 minute commute, 0800 means 1.5 hour commute, or at least something to that effect.  Look at night shift as well as day shift.  A 0700 shift change usually gives you a decent commute in all but the worst urban areas.  Your experience may differ.  A good commute will help your child time.

maybe mommy can pack your lunch for you on your schedule while you're on naoppy time

On the flip side, when I am on nights I am home in time to see them off to school, take a nap for 5-6 hours, then pick them up from school and hang out with them for a bit before heading to work.

0800 -2000 is perfect for me with a 15 minute commute each way. My kids get on the schoolbus at 0710 so we have breakfast together when I am on days. When on nights I get them off the bus and have dinner ready for the wifey when she gets home at 6.

0600 to 1800 would suck for my family. How ignorant of you to get on here and tell people what is good for them.

Not telling people what is good for them.  Just giving some perspective that some people don't think about carefully when considering going HAA.  Especially if they've never done 12 hr shift work.

Another bummer about nights when on 0800/2000 is that most of the time a late flight feels REALLY late and PAINFUL if going toward 14.  And you'll never see your kids in the morning ever on nights in that shift vs 0600 when you'll see them every morning AND every afternoon. 

If you're on 0600/1800 and you get a late flight it doesn't feel like a big deal.  Still feels like early morning; not LATE morning.  And if you're fully reversed out depending on the day of the hitch, those late flights feel so much worse on a 0800 morning vs a 0600 morning.  

The point of going HAA is quality of life.  This is a serious consideration when choosing a base (remember, you DO have choices).  "You're not in it for the pay if you went HAA"

EMS = Earn Money Sleeping (even if it's not a ton of money; it's a nice truth).  

Really, it's about what you value.  And I can see how you think it was telling others what's good for them based on my recommendation; take a chill pill, bro.  Maybe you need to retire... the job's getting to you, man!

What do you value more: Breakfast with fam (0800 start of the shift) or dinner and the whole rest of the evening together (if you were to end at 1800 instead of 2000)?  If your kids are older or you don't have a bedtime for your kids, then coming home after 2000 probably isn't a big deal for you.  Maybe you're a bkfst family vs a dinner family?

If your family has an earlier nightly routine, then the kids may already be in bed when you get home after 2000 or just about to go to bed and you still missed dinner, movie/show time, chance to play outside with them while it's daylight (or mow the grass, etc.).  2000 shift just loses a lot more time with fam. 

Point to be made is that a 2000 shift change doesn't leave daylight or a lot of time for family after the work day (and the morning is so brief when everyone getting ready to go so it feels like you BARELY see the family on the 0800/2000 during the day hitch; with a 0600/1800 you see the fam a lot more. 

When you're on nights, you get tons of time to yourself to get stuff done during the day whether it's a 1800 or 2000 shift; it's not a lot of time with family in the morning or evening before heading to work either way during a workday/school week. Nights doesn't lend itself to much total quality time with the family either way.  So if the day hitch ALSO squanders so much time, then that isn't good quality of life. 

It is limited by quantity time.

Sorry man, what ever way you spin it; I disagree. I like to 0800-2000 too. My kids are done from 0630 till 1900 most days. It's nice to sleep in on the weekends with the missus on Sat/Sun when on days, and eat with the kids in the mornings. Mine is an outside family and are only home when there is nothing else to do. 0800-2100 rules, wish we could get 0900-2100.

Nice!  To each their own:). 

Thanks for your perspective

you're the new guy and the current schedule works for the guys that have been there?  The world doesn't revolve around you or your family.  Find a base that fits for you and then move your family there.

find a base you like and move the whole family there lol

Shift change at 6 means leaving events very early or getting home once they're almost over.  Shift change at 8 means getting to actually see events before work during night shifts.  

I have done 6, 7, and 8.  8 was the best.  

as far as beating traffic, that will all depend on exactly where you live and work.  At my first base, 8 was perfect for avoiding traffic.  At my current base, 7 is best and 8 would be a nightmare 

and oranges.  One points to family life, the other points to those without it.

good advice!