Life as a single dad is one of the more difficult positions one can face. But there’s often more to it than people expect. Many times a new father will work and struggle with it for years. And he’ll finally find himself in a place in life where it seems manageable. Obviously, it’s not something one would describe as easy. Parenthood is never going to actually be easy. But eventually, it turns into a normal life where expectations are almost certainly going to be met.

And then something happens. It’s different for everyone. But it seems almost inevitable that in time something will occur which disturbs the balance. One of the most common examples of this involves quite a bit of irony. It’s not just about the father and his child. But rather it’s about the father’s own parents.

It’s just one of the natural facts of life that age can reduce one’s overall functionality. It’s something that everyone is aware of but few people actually prepare for. And the end result tends to be a single father who’s stuck caring for both his child and his parents. It’s a situation so drenched in irony that it would almost be funny if it wasn’t so stressful.

Looking for a solution

There are solutions out there, such as www.pegasusseniorliving.com. But these solutions always work best when one has had time to properly investigate them. There are quite a few issues involved. And understanding the solutions often necessitates first examining the underlying problems.

The biggest issue involved with being a single parent taking care of his own parents involves time. There’s so much more involved with adding another person to the equation than people imagine. It can sound manageable on paper, and this is what often prompts people to invite an elderly parent into their home. It’s often easy to handle it all when it’s only an issue of a day or two. So a quick visit can provide people with a false sense of security.

Lessons about responsibility and time management

Even more, good parenting often involves teaching children the value of perseverance. One can often end up using it as a teaching aid for children. A parent might hold out examples of a difficult situation with his parents as an example of helping people even when it’s hard. This is a good way to demonstrate how to do the right thing. But that becomes more of an issue if it continues over long periods of time.

There’s also the situation of time management as a whole. There’s just not much time in the life of a single parent. Kids need a huge amount of help through much of their day. But mornings are particularly challenging. Consider just how much needs to be done just in terms of time management. Babies are in constant need of diaper changes. And dogs can be an even larger time drain. Dogs require a full walk where they’ll want to examine every little place they do their thing. And even children who’ve fully mastered the bathroom have their issues in the mornings. Looking for shoes, coats and last night’s homework can make any morning hectic. Now, add a senior who needs help in and out of the bathroom along with their grooming needs. This can be a challenging part of your morning.

Relating to authority

There’s also the larger issue of resentment. It’s easy for parents to essentially become angry with their adult child while he’s taking care of them. Many elderly parents still have the case of getting help wrong. They don’t quite understand how their new role in life impacts it either. All of this further aggravates the situation.

One generally finds helping an elderly parent quite similar to that of raising a child. There are issues of dependence and even of sanitary issues, like bathrooms. The main difference is that an elderly parent is an adult.

Some of their needs have changed, but they’re still capable of a full life when they receive professional aid. They can go to a place where they can get the help they need, and also some extras. They can have prepared meals ready for them, they can attending wonderful programs, and they can go to activities that stimulate the mind and keeps them learning. If you are helping an aged parent, and they need more than you can give them, consider a senior care center. This could help both of you get the most out of these challenging years.