Anyone can father a child but not everyone can be a DAD! Being a dad is one of the toughest jobs in the universe. And it becomes even more complicated when you’re a single dad. The challenge then becomes whether to choose time with your children or a successful career. Because, you can't do both, right??

WRONG! 

With the right perspective, patience, and skillset, you can do it all. You can focus on your career and provide for your family. It’s not an easy task though. Sometimes you’ll feel like giving up.  But, if you stay strong and follow these steps, you’ll become a master of both!

Before we spill the details, let’s discuss why it’s so difficult to manage both worlds...

You have too much on your plate. It's easy to break down when you’re given too much responsibility.  Both your children and your career require your time, energy and patience. So, you need to handle them with care. 

But dividing your full attention between the two can be tricky.  Especially when your kid is just a toddler. Here's how you can overcome these difficulties:

Agree on a Balanced Work Schedule with the Help of Your Employer

Dividing your time between your children and your job might be the toughest task. You cannot do this alone.  So, you have to ask for the support of your employer as well as your colleagues. Talk to them about your situation and figure out a schedule that will work best for everyone involved.

If you have a good relationship with your boss and your colleagues, they’ll likely support you. You can work at a different time or on a flexible schedule. Depending on what kind of skills you have, you might also choose to work part-time, or even from home. This will give you plenty of time to spend with your kids.

Consider Working from Home

This is probably your best chance of being an awesome single dad. Freelance work gives you the flexibility you need.  You can stay at home and take care of your baby while earning at the same time.

You need to develop a specific set of skills so that you can work freelance. The work is usually high paying and flexible. Or, you can ask your current employer if you can work from home. 

You just have to figure out how you can do the same tasks away from the office.  For example, if you have the right setup, you can do interviews from there. Or, you can make phone calls to suppliers from home. Some professors also host their classes from home using webcams and online conferences.

Stay Calm and Focused

Working on your career while being a full-time dad can be a lot of work. But make sure you never lose your calm. There are different ways to help you de-stress, such as meditation, yoga, and deep wisdom which will help you to stay calm and collected. 

The moment you lose your cool, you’ll lose your focus. If you become too stressed about balancing both lives, you might end up taking your frustrations out on your children.

It’s been scientifically proven that people who are stressed at work take less care of their children.  This can break down the relationship you have with your kids as well as your co-workers.

Bring Your Work Home

When I was a single dad, I was working for a company from nine to five.  By the end of the day, I was so tired that I could barely move.  The journey to my office was long and I kept worrying about my kids.  So, I started to take some work home with me.

In my case, I was organizing the files so I could do this from home and bring them back to the office. My boss was very supportive of this move. I could look after my child and get work done at the same time.

But, in order to do it right, you have to make sure that you’re not slacking off or taking advantage of the situation. 

Accept Help from Others

Being a single dad means you have to be mature enough to deal with all sorts of things. One of these is being kind to the mother of your child.  No matter what happened between you, it shouldn't affect your children.

So, you should open up and communicate with your ex. If he or she voluntarily wants to help raise the child or at least be a part of their life, you should allow it.

This will help your child to develop social intellect. They will get to experience new emotions and receive the love and affection of both parents. And, on the other hand, you’ll get more time and flexibility to work. It's a win-win situation for everyone.

Conclusion

Life is filled with responsibility.  But if you know how to handle it, life can be a beautiful thing. The challenges give your life purpose. And those who run away from responsibility will suffer in the long run.

I believe you have it in you to be an awesome single dad. Now go out there and seize the day for you and your family!