A Halifax single dad wants to help others through the process he’s gone through himself.
Chaz Thorne is hoping to connect with other single dads and help them by sharing his experiences with the release of his book, Single Dads Are Sexy. The official launch for the book is June 15, the day before Father’s Day.
Thorne got the idea for the book after a conversation with another single dad. Thorne, who is a single dad to his 14-year-old daughter, Ferity, says he wondered if there were any dedicated resources for single dads like them. What he found were academic journals, books for single moms written by single moms, and online sources of lists - but nothing that really spoke to the experience of single dads.
Besides working as a filmmaker, Thorne is also a consultant for businesses. He spent some time researching how a book could help men in their first year of being a single dad. And he reflected on his own experiences, too.
“To be honest, I was my own audience,” Thorne says. “I was wondering what I’d write for that one guy, and that one guy was me.”
Thorne wrote the book in what he calls the four-R framework: react; recovery; rebuild; and redefine. He says the book talks about each step for that first year and how men can navigate them, from the initial shock of becoming a single dad to finding your own way and even dating again. Thorne says that first year is the real test for single dads.
“I found that was common, going through those stages,” Thorne says. “I think if you can give it a year, you can give it a lifetime.”
For Thorne, writing the book was therapeutic and painful, and he hopes other men will find it helpful.
“When they are done the book, I hope they find a seed inside themselves that make them feel OK,” Thorne says.
Thorne also hosts a companion podcast for Single Dads are Sexy. With the book and podcast, Thorne says he’s building a community of support. He’s heard from men around the world, and he says he’d like men not only to support other men, but help change the perception of men as single fathers, who are involved in parenting and not just babysitting.
“I’m trying to start it, but I hope other guys pick up the mantle,” Thorne says.
The book launch will be broadcast via the podcast and hosted by Thorne’s longtime friend, Nancy Regan. Thorne says the timing of the launch is perfect. Besides being Father’s Day, the next day also marks his 44th birthday and June 10 is the 10-year anniversary of him becoming a single dad.
Thorne says between the book, podcast and his Facebook account, he makes certain no one is speaking badly about their exes. He says he and Ferity’s mom have worked to put their own issues aside to benefit their daughter.
“I have an amazing kid and I will be forever grateful to my daughter’s mother so I can be a parent to my daughter,” Thorney says. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
The launch of Single Dads are Sexy: Father’s Day Launch with Chaz Thorne and Friends is June 15 from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Halifax Central Library, Paul O’Regan Hall. For more information, visit https://www.singledadsaresexy.com.
Read an exclusive, first-person perspective from Chaz Thorne on being a single dad in the June 15 edition of The Chronicle Herald.
