I recently had a conversation with a married friend of mine in which he complained about the difficulties he was experiencing as a “co-parent” with his wife. After we hung up, I got to thinking about the things that I appreciate about being a single dad. With no further explanation, here’s the brief (and certainly incomplete) list of what I came up with…

1. Nobody is there to undermine my efforts to raise a happy, healthy, well-disciplined child. The last thing any parent needs is another parent that “rescues” the child from valuable lessons whenever one is about to be learned.

2. When one of my daughters used to get hurt it was usually mom that provided comfort. As a single dad I now get the opportunity to demonstrate my “comforting” skills.

3. When my daughter, her friends, and I throw a dance party there are no other adults there to laugh at my dancing abilities (or lack thereof).

4. Single women are often mesmerized by single dads…and hey, I can use all the help I can get.

5. Quality time…with no distractions.

6. I get to do it my way…no consulting or adjusting my parenting style to appease the emotional needs of another parent.

7. Being the biggest influence with regards to my daughters’ future relationships…being able to teach them what is acceptable and what is not with regards to relationships.

8. Being able to build memories that will likely last way beyond my time here.

9. Having an excuse to watch my favorite “kid’s” shows…shows that I wouldn’t otherwise be caught dead watching!

10. Two words: Disney Dad!

There’s no doubt that I could add a handful of other benefits that go along with being a single parent…these are simply the first reasons that popped into my mind. Can you relate to any of these?