Contributing Authors, Author at Great Dad

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10 Careers That You Can Balance with Childcare

January 19, 2021 by Contributing Authors

If you are considering a change of career so that you can spend more time with your children, there are plenty of options available. Whether you are going full “stay-at-home Dad” and looking for a way to make some money from home between carrying out childcare and household tasks, are aiming for you and your spouse to go part-time and take it in turns to look after the kids, or if you simply want a job that allows you more flexibility so that you can spend time with your family, there are many opportunities for you to consider!

In this guide, we will look at 10 careers that you can effectively balance with childcare responsibilities and achieve the work-family balance that you are looking for, as well as earn sufficient money to support your lifestyle.

Delivery Driving

Delivery driving has always been a job that works well alongside other commitments in life such as looking after children. Shift patterns are usually flexible, and often all that you need to start is a vehicle (and in some cases this is even provided for you). In the modern day, delivery driving has become even more accessible, with platforms such as Uber Eats, Just Eat, and Deliveroo allowing anyone to become a delivery driver.

Nursing

Nursing is usually a difficult and demanding job, although it is usually described as highly rewarding. Not only is it rewarding, but shift patterns are often flexible enough to balance around childcare obligations, and salaries high enough to make part-time working financially viable. Even if you have previously worked in an entirely different job, there are many opportunities to get into nursing as a second career, as there are many courses available to help you to gain the relevant qualifications, and a lot of the training may even be on-the-job so you can earn a living while you learn!

Teaching

Becoming a teacher is a career path that has been suited towards parents for many years, due to the high chances of being able to work part-time. As well as this, working hours for teachers are usually similar to those of your own children’s schooling hours, so teaching works well as a career path for those with school-aged children who do not want to be apart from them for too much of each day.

Writing

There are many different kinds of writing that you can get involved with if you have good writing and communication skills. Almost any topic that you can think of has opportunities to write about it, and publications or websites that look for pieces on that topic. If you cannot find a job as a staff writer for a publication, you can even write freelance, meaning that you can write when you want, and on the topics that you want. Even if you land a contract with a publication, it is likely that you will be able to work from home and be on hand to supervise your children!

Digital Marketing

Like writing, digital marketing is a surprisingly lucrative field. Instead of focusing on writing articles specifically, a digital marketer is responsible for devising and carrying out a business’ online marketing strategy as a whole. This can include social media marketing, PPC (pay-per-click) advertising, and SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Like writing this can usually be done from home and can be done freelance, or as part of a company.

Private Tuition

If you have any kind of skill that can be taught to others, becoming a private tutor can be a lucrative career choice as well as being flexible for you to fit around other commitments. You could teach a foreign language, a skill such as mathematics, or even teach somebody how to drive! If you are an expert, or even just experienced, in a particular field, you can make a significant income for relatively short working hours from becoming a private tutor.

Web Design

As web design takes place almost entirely on the internet, it makes sense that this is a career path that you can carry out from your home, as long as you have a laptop or PC. If you need to be in the house to keep an eye on your children, web design is something that you can do in the same room!

Computer Programming

Just like web design, computer programming is a discipline that you can take part in from home while keeping an eye on your kids. As it is a relatively solitary pursuit, and reliant more on attention to detail and planning than it is on communication, you can intersperse it with carrying out household tasks such as cooking meals and entertaining your children.

Graphic Design

Graphic design, like web design and computer programming, is another discipline that can often be carried out from home. As well as this, it is also a field where you can choose to work for a graphic design company or to work as a freelancer starting your own business. As long as you have the knowledge and the tools (mostly computer software) needed, becoming a graphic designer can be flexible and convenient as well as financially profitable.

E-commerce

Online sales is an area that is extremely lucrative as well as being flexible in terms of time constraints and convenient for home working. Starting an e-commerce store can be a great option for a business if you have web design and marketing skills. You do not even have to necessarily order stock of products to sell—the drop shipping model is a common and increasingly popular way of running an online store that eliminated many of the traditional barriers for online commerce.

Careers that can be balanced with looking after your children are not just limited to the 10 on this list—there are many more out there that may be suitable! In addition to this, technological advances are making working from home viable in more and more job roles, so the number of opportunities is likely to continue to expand.

Filed Under: Work

Tips for choosing a school with your coparent

January 6, 2021 by Contributing Authors

Coparenting after divorce or separation presents many difficulties. One difficulty that you may face is choosing a school to send your child to, especially if the family had to relocate after your separation. When you’re making the decision with your coparent about what school to send your child to, keep these tips in mind.

What is best for your child?

At the core of this decision is your child, not you or your coparent. All of your decisions should be made with your child’s best interests in mind, not out of convenience for you or your coparent. Education is extremely important as part of your child’s development. Make sure that this decision is made with full knowledge of its significant impact on your child.

Public or private?

The first thing you and your coparent should come to an agreement on is whether you want to enroll your child in a private school or a public school. There are pros and cons to both options, so you should take those into consideration. For example, if you want a smaller school, a private school may be the way to go. Less than 300 students are enrolled in 87% of private schools.

You should make this choice early in the decision-making process since it will impact the pool of schools that you have to choose from. If you’re choosing a public school, you should also take into consideration which parent is the residential parent. Public school options will most likely be based on where that parent lives.

Where is the school in relation to each coparent?

As mentioned above, you may have to choose a school based on the residential parent’s available options. On the other hand, you may choose a private school or purposefully going out of the district. You’ll have to consider the location of the school more. You and your coparent may take turns picking your child up from school. Try to find a location that will be close to both of you. If you’re part of the 19.6% of fathers that have custody, for example, but your coparent takes your child to a certain after school activity, you should take into account the distance from their home or workplace.

What curriculum and extra-curricular activities are offered?

If your child has certain interests in school or in extra-curricular activities, make sure that you’re taking that into account when you’re making your decision. If your child is more interested in STEM, choosing a school with strong STEM programming is important. On the other hand, your child may be artistically inclined. Choose a school with a good art or music program.

If your child is interested in a certain sport or other extra-curricular, make sure the school offers it. For example, if your child loves swimming, as 15% of kids 7 to 17 who go swimming six or more times a year do, you should look for a school with a swim team. If your child is interested in chess, make sure to look for a school with a chess club. Your child’s special interests may limit the options for schools or at least help you narrow down your list. Make sure you’re taking them into account.

Why is each coparent making their choice?

You may feel that you’re struggling to make a rational decision due to disagreements with your coparent. Take a step back from the decision-making process. Speak with a trusted friend or family member about your thought process. Think of why you have made the decision on the school you want to send your child to. If your “why” is nothing more than because your coparent doesn’t want that school, you need to really rethink your choice.

If you can give a rational list of reasons why you think a certain school is the best choice, you’ll be much better off. Make sure that you’re clearly relaying your reasoning to your coparent so that they can understand your thinking. They may have a different perspective than you. You should look at their different views not as an attack on you, but as an opportunity to think about things from a different perspective. The thing that both of you have in common is wanting to do what is best for your child. Keep that at the heart of your thought processes for the best possible school-choosing process.

What does your child think?

If your child is old enough to have a say in their school choice, make sure to consult with them. They are the one who will be most impacted by the choice you make. Therefore, their voice is an important part of the conversation. Make sure that you’re framing the decision as something they have a real say in and not as a choice between you and your coparent. They feel like making one choice or the other is going to be them choosing one parent over the other. This will likely cause them to struggle with the decision and feel as if there’s no “right” choice to make.

When you’re choosing a school for your child with a coparent, it can be difficult to make the best choice if you base your decision on emotion. Making an educated decision about your child’s educational future is very important. This is why you should thoroughly think through your choices and why you’re making them. If you find yourself saying things just to get a reaction out of your coparent, it’s probably not coming from the right place. Your child is the one who will deal with the consequences of your choices, not your coparent. Make sure to keep this in mind while making your decisions about their education.

Filed Under: Divorced Dads

How to design the perfect home office

October 28, 2020 by Contributing Authors

With the Covid-19 pandemic having put a stop to office culture, as most of us are forced to work from home rather than going into the office each day, it has meant that having a work-life balance has taken on a whole new meaning. Being able to find a quiet space at home where you are able to concentrate and work productively isn’t easy for everyone. After all, trying to get work done from bed, the couch or at the kitchen table isn’t easy – with plenty of distractions around to limit your ability to focus.

There has never been a better time to invest in an office at home, to allow you to divide your leisure and working hours, so that you can be more productive when you need to be. We’ve come up with some ideas to help you design the perfect home office, with features and additions to motivate you as you work.

Limit technology

Unless your job involves developing software or coding websites, you should try to limit the number of screens in your office. One monitor and a laptop should be sufficient for any employee working from home – keeping your personal phone in the kitchen so that you are not tempted to scroll through social media or check your personal emails. Simulating the working environment you have at your work’s office, where you are expected to stay off your phone, can help you to use your time more efficiently during your working hours. This also helps to keep your office desk free from clutter that can get in the way of your ability to concentrate.

Strategic decoration

Your office shouldn’t be too busy, unless you’re a designer, artist or technician who needs the motivation and inspiration for certain projects while working from home. However, there should be some decoration in your office, so that your office is a space that you enjoy working in. Having a cold and empty office is much less enticing and will discourage you from working from there. Consider purchasing some indoor plants that will spruce up the office, and improve the air quality of the room. Having a few photo frames can also help to motivate you, by reminding you of the reasons why you work and why you should remain focused for your working hours.

Solid support

Ensure that your desk is the perfect height so that you can comfortably work on your computer and have all screens within eye-level. Having to stoop down and lean in to reach your computer will progressively cause aches and pains in your back. Additionally, it’s worth investing in a good office chair that has a supportive back, and can be adjusted to allow your feet to hit the floor firmly. This will save you a whole host of medical trouble later in life, by maintaining your spinal health as a result of keeping a good posture. While these options aren’t cheap, there are plenty of discounts and offers available, which you can find in one place on websites like goodshop.com .

Although having an office at home won’t guarantee that you’ll meet your targets for work, it will help you to focus by simulating an office environment and making working from home a little more comfortable.

Filed Under: Work

Wrapping your head around reverse mortgages

July 8, 2020 by Contributing Authors

Retirement always sounds like a good idea on paper, but retirement with a little spending money sounds better. You will not be the first person to have wondered how to free up some more money for use during their retirement. A retirement home loan, also known as a reverse mortgage, is a perfect solution, exclusive to those of retirement age. Here’s a breakdown of everything you need to know about this unique kind of loan.

Payback time

When it comes to paying back your loan, you have far more time to pay back a reverse home loan than you do for a regular mortgage. A reverse home loan is designed to provide you with some backup cash during your retirement, by giving you back part of the total value of your home. The payback terms are dictated by how long you choose to live in the house. If you choose to leave the house after a year of taking out the loan, the repayment will be due then. If you choose to leave 10 years after taking out the loan, that is when the repayment will be due. The flexible nature of this condition gives you a lot of control over the loan period and its repayment.

Don’t forget the basics
Although this may seem idyllic at the outset, you do need to understand that, as with any loan, you will still be subject to paying interest on the money you borrowed. If you are unable to pay back the loan amount, including its interest, after the loan period has ended (when you choose to leave the house), the house will be sold to cover outstanding costs.

Therefore, it is important to calculate the current value of your home accurately before taking on a loan. Your lender will assist you in determining this value using a reverse a home loan calculator, which is a tool that helps to determine the value of your house by taking factors such as age, location, and condition into account. Because you are prohibited by law to borrow the full value of your home, this calculator will help to determine what percentage of the total value you are eligible for, in the form of a loan.

Taking your money into your own hands

Once your lender has approved your application, you will need to choose how you will take delivery of the funds. Luckily, there are several available options when it comes to deciding how you want to borrow it. You could set up the payments as recurring episodes, like when you received a monthly salary. It helps to create predictability around monthly income and you’ll know what you have to spend in a month.

Another popular option is to set up the funding as a line of credit, so that you can access the money as and when you need it. Finally, you could opt to have it paid out as a single bulk payment, which means that you will have the full amount available to spend at any point as you require.

Filed Under: Money

The Single Dad Wardrobe Must-Haves – How to Ooze High Fashion and Style

May 19, 2020 by Contributing Authors

Calling all single dads! Are you ready to do a massive overhaul of your wardrobe? Is your lack of fashion and style perhaps putting the wrong impression out there? Do you feel like you’re not making the best first impression on meet-ups and dates simply because you don’t know how to put together a high-fashion style? Rather than just give up and carry on with the wardrobe you have, why not take a little time to make some changes, update your wardrobe, and in fact elevate it in terms of fashion.

Of course, coming to the conclusion that it’s time to change up your wardrobe is one thing; actually doing it is an entirely different beast. Where do you start? What are the key items to pick up in order to build a high-fashion and trendy wardrobe that suits and flatters you? Here we’ll take a look at some very basic steps that you can start to take right away that will help you revamp and, in fact, drastically improve your single dad wardrobe.

Amp Up Your Casual Wardrobe

While your first thought may be to invest in all new suits, shirts, and ties for work, in reality it’s probably your casual wardrobe that needs the biggest overhaul. Men are notorious for just grabbing whatever fits off the rack without giving much thought to current trends, what is stylish at the moment, and of course what flatters them most. Now is the time to change up your way of thinking.

A casual wardrobe has the ability to be just that – casual – but in a way that looks extremely well thought out, proper fitting, and speaks to your own personal style. Your casual wardrobe can really make its own fashion statement and create the kind of confident first impression you want to put out there.

So where to start? A great place that isn’t intimidating is your footwear collection. Designer sneakers are one of the easiest and most impactful pieces you can add to your casual wardrobe.

Take for instance the Fendi sneakers available online through SSENSE. They feature a wide variety of Fendi sneaker styles in all different colors and cuts, which means you’re going to find at least a pair or two that work with your look. This is a great way to be comfortable while running around after the kids, but ooze style and high fashion at the same time.

And it doesn’t stop at footwear; you can also amp up your collection of joggers and sweatshirts. The first rule in looking for high-fashion is to ensure you’re not wearing oversized items. Buy the size that fits you correctly. From there, you can start to look at the various designers and what they offer in their casual lines. They tend to feature more form-fitting cuts, higher quality material that just drapes nicer on the body, and the hottest colors, prints, and textures.

Get Into Color Blocking

If your big issue is putting an outfit together, not knowing what colors and prints work together, you can get into the habit of color blocking. Color blocking looks incredibly high-fashion and sophisticated, yet it is probably the easiest way to style an outfit. All you have to do is choose items in the same color tone and family to create a monochromatic look. The end result is something you’d see on a fashion runway.

With that said, there are a couple of tricks to follow. Ideally you want to choose neutral colors for this fashion trick. Try not to rely on black all the time; instead try color blocking with brown, olive, camel, tan, ivory, white, navy, or gray. Don’t forget: just because you are sticking to one color palette, this doesn’t mean you can’t mix various fabrics and textures. This will add interest to the outfit.

Accessories Work for Men Too

If you’ve been under the impression that accessories are just for the ladies out there, it’s time to think again. In fact, accessories are a really simple and instant way to elevate your look. Accessories can include a designer watch, a high-end stylish belt, a fabulous hat that makes a statement, and scarves that you can pair with blazers and jackets. There are actually a large number of men’s accessories that you can invest in that will truly give personality to each of the outfits you create.

Letting Your Inner Fashion Icon Out

So, if you’re a single dad and you’ve been feeling like you’re stuck in a style rut, it’s time to break free and let your inner fashion icon out. Dressing in a more stylish, high-fashion way helps to create a sense of confidence, which is an extremely attractive trait. Looking good helps you feel good, and every aspect of your life will benefit when you feel good about yourself.

Filed Under: Single Dads