Leo Westboy, 41



Chloe was in nursery and gearing up for school when she came to live with me full-time. All my focus was on giving her a warm and loving home. I think she was so young that the change didn’t upset her and we quickly got into a routine that suited us both. She remembers living next door to her friends but doesn’t remember living with her mum and sadly she hasn’t had contact with her for a long time. I’d encourage any man in a similar position to get support from Dadshouse.

Now Chloe’s a teenager but she’s not troublesome and we rarely argue. I do most of the cooking but she’s started putting the washing machine on and we sort out chores between us. My biggest worry was what would happen if I wasn’t here, so I made a will stating Chloe should be cared for by my friend and his wife.

Chloe, 13



We get along very well and I’m really happy with him. It’s a peaceful house and we do things together like baking, or watching movies. I can talk to him about anything and he’s very understanding, though I always say that my friend’s mum is like a second mum to me if I need her.

My dad and I talk about school and what I might do when I grow up. I really like French so he’s encouraging me to do something with languages. I never really think about him being a single dad, and when I was at primary school a lot of the other parents didn’t realise it was just him and me.

I think he’s perfect the way he is and I don’t want him to ever get a girlfriend, though when I get a boyfriend he might.

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