We often hear that being a parent is the "hardest job in the world." It's true. You're responsible for a life. You must care for and nurture something so fragile and all the while set a good example for them to follow. That doesn't count the endless tasks and cleaning.
Being a parent is the hardest job in the world - unfortunately it also doesn't pay.
That means that millions of hard-working moms and dads have to take on a second full-time job to pay the bills and save for their child's education. It's a daunting task for parents and some don't have a partner to rely upon.
While we may hear touching stories of single mothers breaking their back to make sure their children have a good life, we rarely hear about single dads. They are out there though.
Richard Wiley is the proud father of 5-year-old Ashtyn. Sadly, her mother passed away, leaving Richard to take care of her by himself. He also owns a power-washing company which keeps him busy throughout the day.
Child care is expensive and many parents can't afford it, even if they do have a job that pays well. Richard commonly takes Ashtyn out on jobs with him. He says she either sits in the car while he's outside spraying a house or business, or she comes inside with him.
Posted by Richard Miley on Thursday, November 16, 2017
Most people don't mind having a little ray of sunshine around, but one prospective customer wasn't so keen.
And they let Richard know it.
While the customer may, in theory, always be right, Richard took to Facebook to voice his grievance with they had to say - and the community responded in a big way.
Word got around about the shaming Richard experienced and it resonated with people. A father trying to do his best for his little girl is an easy person to like. Soon after Richard's phone started to ring and it just kept on ringing.
Posted by Richard Miley on Tuesday, October 9, 2018
"I don't mean to make any money off of my daughter. That wasn't the goal of this," he told ABC news. "It opened a lot of people's eyes that single dads have it rough too."
He might have a bit of a break coming as Ashtyn starts kindergarten in August.
"Hopefully, I built up a good enough client base where I won't need her sales expertise anymore," he quipped.
