Heartwarming Advice For Single Father Raising Daughter By Himself

Advertisement
  • 01
    Text - Posted by u/OwMyFeelingsHurt 11 months ago What advice can you provide to a single father that is raising a daughter by himself? Answered Just a little background: I'm a 30 year old single male and recently my best friend and his wife both passed away due to a collision with a drunk driver. I was the Godfather to their 3 month old daughter and I have been given custody of her. I have no idea how to raise a child and I'm going to be doing this alone and honestly, I am terrified. Please off
  • 02
    Text - JaxIsGay 493 points · 11 months ago Whilst alot of people here are talking about things you can do to look after her, something i would add is look after yourself also, your best- friend has just passed away, and looking after a child (especially a child that has just been handed to you without warning) can be very exhausting mentally. There will probably be times when you break down crying and its ok to do so, just dont do it alone, be open with family and friends or a professional.
  • 03
    Text - tootsmalarkey 149 points · 11 months ago Make life as automated & easy as possible too. Obviously it depends on budget, but things like a dishwasher, doing food shopping online with home delivery, bulk cooking in a slow cooker...all these little things take pressure off you & help with time management. A random one, but baby-wearing is a wonderful way to free up your hands, make it easier to get out & about, & give her lots of snuggly body contact. We all mess up & we're all learning ever
  • 04
    Text - OutOfADeLorean 2.8k points · 11 months ago I am a dad with two girls. They love forts, jungle gyms, trampolines, Mindcraft, helping me in the garage just as much as anything typically concerned girly. Just do things, ANYTHING, together and she will absolutely love you for the time and you will be surprised how much you love being with her. 3 months is young so remember to breath for this first year. Once she is walking and talking it gets easier. Don't forget to ask for help and get rest.
  • 05
    Text - GivenToFly164 187 points · 11 months ago 1. Keep her fed, but don't over-feed. 2. Keep her clean and safe, but don't drive yourself crazy. 3. Love her. Go absolutely nuts. You can't love her too much. Hold her when she cries and set up her crib in your room if you feel like it will make things easier. 4. Be patient with yourself. You're going to end up making mistakes. Kids are resilient. If you get to the end of your rope, it will do the baby no damage if you put her in your crib and go
  • 06
    Text - Alex2toes 142 points · 11 months ago My best advice is to forgive yourself for not being perfect. Now down to nuts and bolts. Kids need discipline. And no, discipline does not mean beatings. It means a clear set of rules and consequences. We all do better when we know what is expected from us. Take time for her. You video game of whatever you do for fun can wait. She will be growing and changing so fast that if you blink you miss stuff. You will have time by and by to pick up your hobbies
  • 07
    Text - cooltallneet 49 points · 11 months ago when she is 1-2 make her watch signing time, teaches basic signs, so when your child cant talk and in the middle of a meltdown she can tell you that she is hungry, instead of you having to guess for 20 minutes
  • 08
    Text - RickyFL 5.6k points · 11 months ago 3 As a step-father (and someone who was adopted) all I can offer is love her for who she is, always let her know who her parents were. A lot of it will come naturally, hopefully you have some friends or family that will help out Raise her as if she was your daughter, teach her respect and values and she will turn out fine
  • 09
    Text - sapphocating 16 points · 11 months ago There's a lot of answers in here I'm sure, but just don't do basically any of "I'm a man and your dad and know best" type of tropes. Don't threaten to shoot her bf or something weird when she's 8 or 12 and it makes her feel weird. Let her know with words & actions that she can trust you even if it's weird or gross or awkward to talk with you. Let her know you'll buy her tampons if you need to when she has her period. All of that may be jokes about in
  • 10
    Text - talithaeli 7 points · 11 months ago As she gets older there will be SO much you want to share with her. Movies and shows and books and games and all the things you love and all the things her parents loved... and you should absolutely do that. But also let yourself jump enthusiastically into what she loves. Whether it's dolls or ponies or legos or nerf guns, jump in with both feet. Teach her while she is small that you care about what she cares about, that her voice and her wants matter a
  • 11
    Text - bobo311 4 points 11 months ago Ask for help, as you're obviously doing right now. But ask your parents, ask any friend who's parents, ask your doctors, ask your teachers, your bosses. And asking for help is more than just asking for advice. It's a extremely demanding job being a parent. It's okay to ask for a break. And my break I mean have your parents comment babysit for a day well you just nap.
  • 12
    Text - notawolfdog 3 points 11 months ago Don't get ahead of yourself and start worrying about years from now. If you worry too much about the future, you may get overwhelmed and overlook what's important now. What happens in the first few years will definitely affect the little one, so focus on the immediate present, with short term goals. Start with basic infant care: feeding, changing, and learning how to take care of yourself as well as the little one. Once you get a handle on that, you can
  • 13
    Text - roborabbit mama 4 points · 11 months ago My (30F) dad raised me. Best advice I can think off right now. Give her the space she needs to process her situation and emotions, she may need therapy and as hard as it might now, you don't have to solve all her problems, she just wants you to listen to get and make her feel heard/understood in a safe environment. My dad didn't care what he was doing but always made me feel included. We went camping, fishing, and did girl scouts. I learned how to
  • 14
    Text - trollfessor 3 points 11 months ago Love her. Let her know that she is loved. So many times I did not know exactly what to do while raising my daughters. But I would think about the situation while also thinking about loving them, and now in hindsight I can say that I ended up making the right decision most of the time. Also, let her know she is loved. It is probably impossible to do that too much. You've got this. Enjoy every moment.
  • 15
    Text - Elavabeth2 2 points · 11 months ago As a girl who was raised by her father after her mom died when she was 4 years old: support her. When she learns how to tie her shoes, when she rides a bike with two wheels for the first time, when she makes a piece of artwork, let her know that you're really impressed - and truly mean it. The confidence my dad gave me has carried me very far in my life. Even at times when I had lame boyfriends, he kept his mouth shut, and after the breakup he told me h

Tags

Scroll Down For The Next Article