Single dads with daughters struggle hardest with transitioning

Adjusting to life as a single parent is a huge struggle for all involved, but the founder of a child-friendly holiday website believes dads with little girls struggle the most.

Founder of Babyfriendly Boltholes, Sian Williams says: “I know as a single mother myself, that adjusting to life as a single parent is difficult but recent qualitative research conducted amongst our customers reveals that the transition appears to be more challenging for fathers with young daughters who struggle to know where to start and how to entertain their little girls.”

Sian has the following advice for single dads getting to grips with making holiday plans for the first time:

1. Don’t go it alone – it can be hugely beneficial to speak to others in the same boat and also bringing a group of children together can really help as they tend to entertain each other

2. Communication is king – as media hype and many books prove, men and women want different things – so when planning fun activities for children in particular DO ask what the girls enjoy and plan trips where there are ready-made activities on hand to take part in

3. Get the balance right – yes children love to be entertained so planning a few activities into your holiday that you can enjoy doing together is great but make sure you leave space in the break for some “down time” to spend one on one time with your children. Having a couple of lazy days will give you the opportunity to chat about every-day things that you don’t usually have the time to reflect on with your children during the normal routine of work, school etc.

4. Don’t stress if an argument brews – being in close quarters with your loved ones for an extended period of time, especially if your children don’t live with you full time, can cause tensions. The majority of families have a row or two at some point in the holiday (particularly at the beginning of the holiday before external pressures and work tensions have melted away). Resolve any tensions quickly and move on.