Most people never imagine that they’ll one day be solo parents. However, it can happen for several reasons, such as death, divorce, or another devastating situation.
Being a Single Dad
If you’ve become a solo dad, some challenging situations can arise that take you by surprise and may even be hard to combat. Here are some of the hardest parts of being a solo dad and some helpful words of advice to manage them.
Experiencing Stress
Being a parent is stressful when two people share the load, but it can be even more so when one person is left to handle everything themselves. Managing your stress levels can be challenging, but there are several stress relievers you might like to explore.
For example, you could try Delta 9 to help you relax and fall asleep once your child has gone to bed, or you could even look at meditation, exercise, or simply phone a friend to talk through the problems you’ve been having.
Paying for Childcare
Many parents budget for the arrival of a child by having one parent working to pay the bills while the other remains at home with the kids rather than paying for childcare. Single parents don’t usually have that luxury. There’s only one breadwinner to cover the costs, and childcare is necessary, with no one at home to care for them. As childcare costs can be expensive, it can cause a solo dad a great deal of financial stress.
Look into any childcare financial assistance programs that might be available in your state, and see if any friends or family might be able to help to reduce your weekly costs. You might be surprised by how many people are willing to step up and lend a helping hand whenever you need it.
A Lack of Adult Socialization
Children are 100% reliant on their parents to look after their every need, which can take its toll on single-parent households. With children requiring round-the-clock care, single parents aren’t always able to spend time with their friends or attend social gatherings unless they take their children.
In situations such as these, having a support network can be paramount. Connect with loved ones to see if they’d be willing to help with occasional babysitting, or look at your babysitting service options so that you have someone to call on whenever you need time out.
Limited Time
When two parents share the joy of parenting, managing time can be much easier. While one parent runs the children to soccer games and after-school activities, another can prepare dinner or take care of chores.
Solo dads must fill both roles, and it can be a balancing act and a race against the clock. Fortunately, there are plenty of steps you can take to save time, such as hiring a house cleaner if money allows and utilizing meal subscription services with all the hard work taken care of. You might even make the hard decision to limit activities like sports to just one or two at a time.
Being a solo parent is challenging, and you might experience stress, feelings of overwhelm, and general exhaustion.
However, nearly all solo parenting problems have solutions, and you might find the answers you’ve been looking for above.
