Resources for a Single Father
 

What are some good resources for a future single father? Websites, magazines, anything to help a first-time parent?

Most of the parenting websites I have perused have so many pop-ups/bright colorful moving images I can't stand looking at them for more than a few minutes. I'm really looking for any information from child development to legal rights and all.

http://www.dadsdivorce.com/

Even if you aren't divorcing there is still a lot of good info

For legal rights there are quite a few father's rights groups. There may even be some listed in your phone book.

Legal rights is a separate issue that I'm not really qualified to answer since I'm not a single dad or have any friends that are.

General dad questions, though, I can give one good idea:

Baby 411 - great book with ideas on furniture, bargains and all sorts of products. It also talks a lot about general health like how high a fever before you call the doctor, what sorts of food to start when, etc. "Toddler 411" is the next in the series. We use both all the time.

Honestly, I love Parenting magazine. I know it's geared more toward moms, which I kind of think is unfair, because my SO reads them just as much as I do. I also love www.babycenter.com

I don't know if that's what you're looking for though

Thanks for the recommendations. dadsdivorce seems like a good resource for child support and such information even though a lot of the discussion there has nothing to do with my circumstance.

I will definitely have to snag Baby 411 and probably subscribe to Parenting. I'm currently reading "What to Expect When You're Expecting". It helps a lot with understanding what J (future mother) is going through and why she does things that I would normally consider way off the wall.

I've been a stay at home father for a while now, and I'll tell you it's really really hard. People in general are not accepting of single fathers or stay at home fathers. Most women with children tend to avoid the fathers with children at parks, reading times at the library, etc. You will have to work very hard to convince the women around you that you mean their children no harm before they will allow you to socialize, and even then they keep you at arms length. I've met a few other fathers that are in the same boat and I recommend you try to meet some as well. If you can, start your own fathers club of sorts and frequent the story/play times and such together as a group. The easiest way to meet other parents locally is by checking with the local church, bookstores, and libraries for their offered story/play times. Whatever you do, don't lock yourself up in your house with the baby, get out as much as possible and keep your sanity.

From one father to another, Good Luck!!! It's worth it!

I hadn't thought about that. Nice thing about my community is there are lots of activities geared toward children. It's a small community to so everyone gets to know each other pretty quickly. I didn't think about how mothers might avoid me and my child because I'm a single father, but I can see how that will be a problem. I do have a friend who's due date is right around the same time as my child. Maybe she will be willing to go with me to such events?

I do plan to keep up to date with children events (great thing is our local newspaper posts events for free and there is generally something going on every day)! We also have a group that focuses on getting parents and kids out on outdoor outings, things like walking along our riverwalk and pointing out flowers. It's going to be tough having two homes across the state.

well, good luck to you. IT'S WORTH IT!

www.immanuelproject.com
 

great website discussing issues single fathers and teen fathers have and go through....