‘Driven Dad’: Overcoming the challenges of single parenthood - Ian Walton’s story

Single parents carry a heavy load - managing a household on one income, balancing work with childcare, finding time for themselves, and pushing through exhaustion and social stigma.

For single dads, those pressures can be even more pronounced. Although 15% of single-parent households in the UK are headed by fathers, as ONS figures show, they remain largely absent from public conversations.

And when it comes to seeking support, the gap widens even further. In 2024, only one in ten single parents who approached us for help were dads.

We spoke to one of them - a man who refused to be defined by crisis, and instead built something new from it.

When life changed suddenly, Ian Walton didn’t sink. He rebuilt.

Becoming a full-time single dad to his baby daughter wasn’t just a personal turning point, it was the spark behind Driven Dad, a new project supporting single parents navigating the emotional, practical and financial realities of raising a child alone.

In our chat, Ian spoke about mental health, work, money, fear, love and resilience, and about the private battles that parents often fight silently.

His story is hard, but also full of hope. And it sends a clear message: no parent should ever feel they’re doing this alone.

Starting ‘Driven Dad’

Ian launched Driven Dad just two months ago, right in the middle of the most challenging period of his life.

“I started it because of everything we were going through. The baby’s mum is a truly loving mother, but she just couldn’t cope on her own.”

His partner had long struggled with her mental health. After their daughter was born, things escalated.

“I became scared to go to work because I’d seen her lose her patience, banging things, smashing things, shouting. Not at the baby, but in front of her.”

The tension grew so intense that Ian installed ‘spy pen’ cameras in the house. Eventually, he stopped working altogether. When police and social services became involved, Ian was advised that he would likely become their daughter’s primary carer.

Becoming a full-time single dad

The transition came with a wave of emotions.

“It was overwhelming, but also a massive relief. The daily tension had been constant. Suddenly the baby had a safe, calm environment.”

After ten years together, the relationship didn’t survive the strain. But Ian stresses that his former partner is a devoted mother, and her struggles are not her fault. She is now receiving specialist support and remains part of her daughter’s life through supervised contact.

And Ian stepped fully into fatherhood - alone.

Work, identity and survival

Ian was a successful entrepreneur, running a small but profitable fintech business that required frequent international travel. Overnight, it ended.

“I had to drop everything to be a full-time dad.”

But he didn’t want to abandon work altogether, not out of pride, but purpose.

“I don’t want to be a parent living on benefits. I respect anyone who has no choice, but it’s not me. I refuse not to work.”

So he adapted. He turned to motivational speaking, a job flexible enough to fit around nap times.

“I’ve got a lot of business experience, plenty of failures and a few successes, and the only thing I could do from home was motivational speaking.”

He prepares talks while his daughter sleeps. For most events, he brings her along or arranges short-term childcare. To his surprise, her presence has become an asset.

“So far, having her with me has gone down really well. It’s sincere and authentic, she’s with me all the time, even at work.”

The birth of a support network

Driven Dad grew from more than financial necessity. Ian saw other parents struggling, many without the resilience he feels fortunate to have.

“I’ve always been able to see the positives. But a lot of single parents don’t have that built-in toughness.”

He wanted to help.

“I thought maybe I could be a listening ear, on the phone or in person. Offer some inspiration without preaching. Maybe help people start a small business or find part-time work from home.”

Despite being new, the project is already drawing people in.

“A few parents from local groups have contacted me. Some have emailed asking for my thoughts or just a chat.”

Understanding single parenthood

Becoming a single dad has changed the way Ian sees others.

“I used to think, ‘There are loads of jobs, why don’t people just work?’ Now I realise how incredibly difficult it is when you’re a full-time parent.”

The experience has humbled him, and broadened his empathy.

“It’s made me a lot more sympathetic.”

Loving someone struggling with mental health

Ian speaks about his former partner with gentleness and respect.

“Deep down she’s a good, decent person. I’ve always tried to remember that.”

He recalls moments when her frustration turned inward.

“Once a plastic bottle fell out of the fridge and she called herself every name under the sun. She said she got everything wrong. She just couldn’t cope.”

Soon, home life became unpredictable.

“It got out of control almost daily, screaming, shouting, smashing things.”

Seeking help was difficult, as she feared medication and believed conspiracy theories about pharmaceutical companies. Only recently, after professional involvement, has she begun accepting treatment.

“She started reluctantly, but she has admitted some of it has helped.”

Despite the pressure, Ian stayed afloat because he reached out early.

“I contacted social services early on and they’ve been really supportive.”

Family support has been equally vital.

“I’m from a big, close family, and that’s been a huge help.”

Money worries and coping with stress

Financial pressure became one of Ian’s biggest sources of fear.

“My biggest worry was not being able to provide for the baby.”

As things worsened at home, work became impossible.

“I was working less and less, earning just enough to cover the bills with nothing left.”

Sleepless nights were common.

“I’d wake at four in the morning worrying about rent or council tax.”

But his daughter kept him going.

“Just looking at her smiling and laughing pulled me out of those moments.”

He refuses to let hardship define their future.

“I don’t want to get trapped living on the breadline and struggling to get out of it.”

Ian’s story is not just about surviving upheaval, it’s about reshaping what single parenthood can look like. Through Driven Dad, he is turning his hardest chapter into a lifeline for others, proving that strength isn’t about doing everything alone, but about knowing when to reach out and when to show up for someone else.

You can learn more about Driven Dad and the support it offers here.