Tips for single dads who are struggling to parent their child

Single dads are a force of nature as are any parents who are tasked with seeing to the needs of their beloved kids singlehandedly. While your days may be filled with work meetings and peppered by diaper changes and baby feeding times, you’ll find that your heart couldn’t be more full. But thrilling as is the joy of parenting, you might feel exhausted by your new schedule and still want to do right by your child. So, here are a few tips to ensure that single dads who are struggling can successfully parent their wards.

Always listen to your kid’s stories

Children tend to ramble on all day long, which can make listening to idle chatter a trial. But listening to them prattling on about their day is a key way to uncover things they may not wish to tell you. Whether it was a spat with a classmate, jealousy because their best friend has a better toy or even bad grades; you need to be aware of these feelings of theirs so you can help validate them. This is the key to aiding them in managing negative feelings better.

Start daily rituals together

As you may be a working parent, many kids feel as though they never get enough attention from you. It is natural for your ward to want more time with you, so to avoid them feeling ignored you can set aside an hour or two for a daily ritual with them. Whether it is polishing their shoes while you iron their school uniform or even them reading the newspaper to you, they would look forward to this time spent with you as they have your undivided attention.

Never use your kids to exact revenge on their mum

This is especially true in cases where the father is estranged from the mother of the kids. Children need to know that both their parents love them and have an equal place in their life. So, if you are divorced or separated from your wife, make sure that you don’t criticize your ex-wife’s parenting skills in front of your children. This is not something they need to know. You must also avoid discussing her love life with your kids and you must never use them to exact revenge from your ex.

As a single dad, you may face moments in life where your kid asks you about their mom. Whether you believe they had or have a great mom or a bad mother, remember that portraying a pleasant image of her can do no harm and will not make your kids love you any less.

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