‘I always wanted to be a dad’: the rise of single fathers by choice

A growing number of men are pursuing parenthood through surrogacy, adoption or fostering – without a partner. Here, dads who have gone it alone share their stories

The first night Joe Norton brought home his adoptive sons, Tarren and Owen, he considered his new life, then thought: what have I done? “It’s a monumental decision you’re making, and you’re making it on your own,” says the 54-year-old educational manager from Yorkshire. “The enormity hit me.”

Going from being a single man to the sole carer for two children was tougher than he had expected. There was the misbehaviour, particularly when the boys, who are brothers, began to settle in. (Experts call this period “regression”, but it is usually a sign that children are beginning to relax around their new parents.) He was also stumped by unexpected questions – what size socks did the boys wear? Norton had no clue what to buy. “You have an idea what size a T-shirt should be, but socks are a different thing,” he says, chuckling.

We go away for weekends, take the dog for a walk, go for hot chocolate. I think: it’s my job to do this?

There seems to be an assumption that men can’t do it on their own

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from Children | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2vvzcRL