Hi my name is Melissa. I am the single mom of 2 kids. I am doing a paper for college over being a single parent. I would like to get some info about being a single dad. If you could answer my questions I would appreciate it.

1.how many kids do you have?

2. What is the biggest challenge about being a young single dad?

3. What is the biggest joy about being a single dad?

4. What advice would you give to a new single dad?

If you could help me it would be really cool. Thank you for your time
Melissa

Hi Melissa,
Here you go.
1. I actually have 3 kids, all girls. First is 22 is a couple weeks, haven't seen her for probably 16 years, let her step dad adopt her. Second is 17 with her mom out of state and I pay support every month and occasional contact. Third is 11, that I have custody of fulltime.
2. My biggest challenge is juggling working, and homelife with a child. I have a remodel business that means I'm working during the day and running a "home-office" at nights and on weekends. Sometimes finding the time to be there for my daughter is a challenge, but I make it happen. Being a man and doing the first bra shopping, and instructing about menstrual cycles was interesting as well, but we have a good relationship so it really wasn't so bad.
3.The biggest joy, well there are lots. Seeing my daughter's attitude towards school/responsibilities/life in general change since I've had her over several years has been nice. The closeness you feel being the only one she can depend on is nice, a shame but still nice(I don't mean that to sound greedy). The true appreciation I am occasionally shown by her as she realizes many of the things that are done for her benefit.
4. Advice for single dads, would be to put your kids first and foremost, yes even above women. That doesn't mean that 100% of your time needs to be spent with/on the kids, but their needs have to be met before anything else.

Hope that helps you some and hopefully some other single dads will chime in.