Thank you to Daniel who runs Dad Solo for his brill tips for single parents.
As a single parent in general, there are a few very important things you should keep in mind: make sure to maintain a positive support group and take care of your mental health. By keeping these two things front and foremost, you will develop a better relationship with your children and with yourself.
Supporting Single Parents
Developing positive relationships in your life is as important for you as it is for your child. When your children are missing a main role model in their life, it can be hard to develop their own positive relationships. As a single parent, finding strong role models is going to be key for your children. Just having that second role model will help add balance to your children’s lives when a partner isn’t in the picture.
Allowing yourself to have a positive and healthy support system is going to help with your parenting tasks immensely. Not excluded from this is working to navigate the troublesome waters of dating. Letting yourself be open and emotionally available to someone outside of your family is one of the best ways to help with your own mental and emotional health. Keeping yourself sane is one of the only ways to make sure you are the best parent you can be.
Maintaining Mental Health
The way we eat, drink, love, and cope with stress, depression, anxiety, and sadness all play a big role in the state our mental health is in. Sometimes, it’s necessary to take a step back and ask yourself if you’re doing the right thing for you, and not the easiest thing. Coping with the stresses of parenting when you are on your own has a huge learning curve, and it is easy to find yourself exhausted, stressed, or even depressed.
Making time for friends, family, and even therapy, if needed, can be a huge help to manage these feelings. It’s important to remember that it is not shameful to ask for help and to talk about your feelings. Maintaining an appropriate work/life balance is also more important than ever as a single father. It can seem like your dollars don’t go as far as they used to, or need to, but your relationship with your child and your health is more important than money.
Making yourself a priority in your life can seem difficult to do when you are a single parent. Getting yourself into a good mental state with proper rest, nutrition, and socialization is going to make you a better parent all around.
Read more from Daniel here