Hartnell Chanot: Divorce/Family Law Solicitors Exeter, Devon

Featured Writer

Find your true support network (real friends), and don't be too hard on yourself!

Bob Greig is Director of www.onlydads.org and lives in Totnes, Devon with his two daughters, Priya (11) and Anya (8).

OnlyDads came about following Bob's sense of frustration at not knowing any other single dads in his area and to address the needs of a growing but silent minority of lone fathers.

Join Bob on a monthly basis as he offers some much needed solutions to your parenting matters, and talks about life as a single father from doing the school run to dating, shopping and most importantly how to relax!

Welcome to life as a single father!

"Experiences as a School Governor and as a Trustee for a Parenting Charity on Dartmoor have helped shaped my belief that parenting is a difficult business, and doing it on your own simply compounds the challenges.

Like many lone-parents, I have found that juggling work, the house, money, shopping and cooking (the list goes on!)...while trying to do your best by your children can prove really difficult. Sometimes too difficult.

Since becoming a lone parent, my CV has gained some unwelcome additions - ill-health (panic and anxiety attacks), redundancy, and a glaring absence of hobbies and interests. All sadly normal for many lone parents in the UK. But, through the hard days, we learn the true value of friends and family, we can learn the skill of asking for help when we need it, and above all, the sense of fulfilment that comes in seeing our children grow up.

As Director of OnlyDads, I am often asked what advice would give to a new single parent? The answer is twofold - firstly, find your true support network (real friends), and secondly, don't be too hard on yourself - what's the expression 'cut yourself some slack!'. "

Bob Greig