How to be a parent and actor

This is the crux of the matter. There is no distinction but also there clearly is. What is your focus? If you are reading this article then you classify yourself as a single parent but you are also an 'active' parent? This means that your child is looked after by you and you have parental responsibility in some shape or form. Maybe you look after your child 100% of the time, maybe just a fraction of the time. Either way they form part of your life and quite simply the most important aspect in your life. It's about dealing with the reality that is before you. As a single parent much of the burden of raising your child lies with you but this is no different whether an actor or in another profession. It is about understanding that there are boundaries as to the type of work you may take on. So you have just got a stage play in the West End and the daily schedule is 5pm to 12am. This is simply not going to work right? Possibliy, but you are also wrong as well. Do you have a support network? Somebody who can look after your child in the evening? No? Then build that network. It's what parents who are together do. It's no different whether you are single or not. Then you can take your child to school, maybe pick them up and then go to work. It's your choice but can also be a hard one. Missing children in the evening, unsociable hours and the weekend matinee and evening show is a hard one. So you decide theatre is not your bag so then there is TV. The hours can be long but on an established programme the work like balance may be pretty good and with good chunks of time away. Then there is the feature film. This varies but the bottom line is this. The children come first but don't deny your need for your craft. It's about what is right for you. Simply be the best parent you can be.