Single Fathers: The Real Truth about what its like from a father himself.
I noticed after researching the web, great deals of articles are related to single mothers. Very few are written about single fathers. Most of the material is based on personal judgments and experiences. I set out on a mission to find out first hand. Travis Highfill, a 28 year old Sergeant in the Marine core, generously volunteered to give us some insight on being a single father to his 4 year old daughter.
Q. Tell us about yourself and your family history? How did you come to be a single father?
“I am a single father in the Military. I raised my daughter 100% of the time all on my own. I don’t let anything about being a single father every get me down or make me distraught. Being a single father can be very challenging, but it can also be very rewarding. I became a single father in the military because my former spouse decided to go the other way. She left my daughter and I….we’ve been on our own ever since.”
Q. Do you have a support system built for those times you need help and the nights you just need a break?
“I do. I have friends.. I have coworkers..I have family!”
Q: What type of generalizations have you dealt with as a single father?
“I feel very lucky because most people feel I’m a great father and give me praise. I’m lucky to have not dealt with many generalizations. I felt that it may affect my dating life but everything that I thought that was going to be bad wasn’t. My daughter has had so many more positive female roll models since her mother left.”
Q: How do you handle dating and do you feel pressure from others to provide a mother figure?
“I don’t feel pressured into dating to provide a mother for my daughter like most people think. I feel I can provide everything she needs. Being a single Dad is not going to change the way I live my life and so that’s why I date.”
Q: How do or will you handle female sensitive discussions and problems?
“I have a lot of female friends and I also have a mother so I have a lot of female influences to go to or for my daughter to go to ask those questions.”
Q: What’s the hardest part about being on your own raising your daughter?
“A typical married couple has each other…when you’re a single Dad you don’t have any breaks, you don’t have any help.”
Q: Can you tell us the best part about being a single Dad?
“You get the Glory of being both the mother and father.”
Q: Other than your child what do you love the most?
“Having a family that’s always there for me.”
Travis did a great job opening up during his interview and his positive outlook is a refreshing spin on the traditional parenting roles.
Sources:
“JPROF – Inverted Pyramid Checklist.” JPROF – Inverted Pyramid Checklist. Freefind.com, 2005. Web. 10 July 2012. <http://www.jprof.com/writing/invertedpyramidchecklist.html>.
Hall, Jim. “Beginning Reporting.” Beginning Reporting. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.courses.vcu.edu/ENG-jeh/BeginningReporting/Introduction/home.htm>.
