single fathers

There is a sector of our society that is often overlooked. Though people are more and more aware of single moms and what they have to go through, there are many single fathers out there who have the same struggles. Though it wouldn’t be fair to say being a single parent is harder on men, this is often the case. All women are aware that it could happen to them, but it is rarely something a man considers when he gets married and has children. On the other hand, they do have a leg up in the work department when it comes right down to it.

There are many who will not hire a single mom because they are afraid without a spouse at home she will miss a lot of work. Employers aren’t allowed to go by this, but many of them do. When it comes to hiring men, they never think about the single parent role unless the man says that he is in that position. It is almost as if single fathers are seen as tragic figures while single moms are seen as something else entirely. It would seem that some think they did it to themselves, which is hardly ever the case.

Though single fathers are not as common, they are out there, and they have the same struggles and single moms. They still have to worry about childcare, and unlike moms, they may go in having no knowledge what-so-ever. It is typical for the mothers to be the ones who arrange for childcare, and who know all about what is going on at school. If they divorce, or are widowed, they already have all of this information. When single fathers are suddenly in charge of what is going on, they can be somewhat lost at first.

No matter what the situation, however, single fathers deserve the same respect as single moms, and they also deserve some of the same breaks. There are programs for moms, but not as many for dads. I think we should do more to encourage them, and help them out. There are many men who simply won’t do it. They may have their parents raise their children, or even worse, allow them to go into foster care because they simply can’t handle it. Those who stick it out should be commended. I hope one day all single fathers get the same respect that hard-working single mothers get. It’s only fair.

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