My name is Ivan. I’m a father of two children, aged 4 and 6. I’ve been taking care of them on my own for almost three years now, after the divorce.
When I was married, I didn’t really think about managing their daily needs that much. I tackled the challenges as they came along: potty training, transitioning to kindergarten...
I love my children, but things can get difficult when you’re alone. There’s so much to do... I found out that the center for social welfare runs workshops that can be helpful for parents, and I have decided to join. There were times when I would be so tired after work that attending proved difficult. However, many interesting things I'd heard there made me keep on going.
For 15 weeks, I have joined the workshops with my kids once a week and tried to keep practicing at home what observed and experienced. This helped me change some attitudes and behaviors on my role as a father for my children. Nowadays, when I run into a situation which I cannot deal with, I just remember what we did workshops, I put it to use, and it works!
I used to have a hard time getting my son to take his fever syrup, but now I know how to talk to him and get him to collaborate and listen to me.
Still, I occasionally get together with some of the parents from the workshops. We get in touch on social media, and, every now and then, we grab a cup of coffee. It means so much to be surrounded by people who understand what you’re going through.
The kids and I are slowly finding our way: now we can already make a pudding cake all on our own!
Thanks to the support of THSN partner Rastimo Zajedno in Croatia, Ivan has found the support he needed to better take care of his two children.