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Child protection services intervene with mothers, leaving fathers on the sidelines. However, fathers’ involvement is beneficial. The aim is to explore fathers’ and professionals’ perceptions of the factors influencing fathers’ involvement in family assessments and interventions. A qualitative design was used and 5 focus groups with 9 professionals, 10 mothers and 8 fathers, and 6 in-depth interviews with 6 fathers were carried out in Gran Canaria (Spain). A thematic content analysis was carried out using QSR NVivo 12. The category Determinants of paternal involvement in family assessment and intervention was obtained, made up of 3 subcategories: Personal characteristics of the father, Social characteristics and Influence of the mother on the father’s decision. Fathers claim that fathers’ personal characteristics condition their involvement, while professionals argue that it is due to mothers’ influence. Implications for professional practice and work with men are discussed. This study is part of a funded research project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The public persona of the 8th PM of Malaysia, Muhyiddin Yassin, was derived from the metaphorical framing of the Good Father archetype. Archetypes do not always lead to logical conclusions because issues are framed by focusing on specific aspects while avoiding those that are inconsistent with the metaphor. Metaphorical structures influence the way we perceive, think or act. Muhyiddin's abah persona can be described as monolithic. It normalizes the conservative Malay value that upholds the patriarchal role while marginalizing other ethnic or religious representations and their cultural and parenting practices. Muhyiddin had exploited this privileged position so as to further the asymmetrical power relation. The Malaysian collective fantasy of a Good Father is not uniform and Muhyiddin's abah was challenged by a Shadow Father counternarrative. This exploratory study is limited in achieving depth of understanding of gender roles representation but explores instead the strategic actors, namely Muhyiddin and his supporters, how they tried to build the image of a Good Abah, and how the narrative was negotiated and contested, as well as the ideologies that were promoted or reinforced by the father archetype. Findings include readers' polarized views of good father, low-key misogyny, the traditional and stereotyped expectation of men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the lessons taught by fathers in Romania from a Jungian perspective and examines how these lessons—whether positive or negative—influence personal development in a changing social context. Through a phenomenological-hermeneutic analysis of responses from 589 participants, the study addresses paternal influences and reflects on how lessons of resilience, ambition, and self-reliance shaped by the communist regime leave lasting emotional and psychological impacts. While these teachings were often aimed at preparing children for the hardships of life, they also led to stress, low self-esteem and anxiety. The study emphasizes the role of parents and educators in promoting psychological growth and highlights the delicate balance between promoting resilience and maintaining mental well-being. The Romanian context offers insights that resonate globally and underscore the profound influence of paternal lessons on personal and cultural development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Paternal postnatal depression (PPND) is a critical mental health issue that may harm family members' health and relationships. The Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) is the most common self-reported questionnaire for postnatal depression screening among mothers and fathers worldwide. However, identifying fathers with postnatal depression and determining the related factors have been neglected in some countries. Aims: The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of PPND and then to identify its predictive demographic and reproductive factors. Two cut-off points (10 and 12) for the EPDS were used to detect PPND. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 400 eligible fathers selected via multistage sampling. Data were collected using a demographic checklist and the EPDS. Results: None of the participants had previously been screened for PPND. The mean age of the participants was 35.53 ± 5.47 years, and most of them were self-employed and had university degrees. The prevalence of PPND was 24.5% and 16.3% using the EPDS cut-off scores 10 and 12, respectively. An unwanted pregnancy and an abortion history were the predictors of PPND at both EPDS cut-off scores, with gravidity and the number of abortions also being associated with PPND at the cut-off score of 10. Conclusion: In line with the related literature, our results revealed a fairly high prevalence of PPND and its related factors. This indicates the need for a screening program for fathers during the postnatal period to detect and adequately manage PPND and prevent its adverse effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contains thoughts on the journey a man undertakes when he becomes the father to a newborn child, and on the difficulties he faces. Drawing on both psychoanalytic theory and clinical experience the author considers the journey to fatherhood men undertake, exploring the need for them to tolerate change and loneliness as they support and protect the new mother-infant dyad. While infantile anxieties of abandonment may be aroused, the importance of the father's role in the newly established family is emphasised, particularly in relation to the child finding their own identity. Throughout the paper, parallels are drawn between the role of the father and the role of psychoanalyst or psychotherapist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fathers' Fear of Childbirth Scale (FFCS) was developed specifically to measure fathers' fear of childbirth. The aim of this study was to investigate the Turkish validity and reliability of the FFCS. This study used a cross-sectional and methodological design. The population of the study consists of 315 pregnant spouses who were registered at a hospital in Ankara, Turkey, between August 11 and 5 November 2021. The mean age of expectant fathers are 31.57 (5.88). After translating the FFCS to Turkish, a confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to examine its construct validity. Concurrent validity was established by examining the correlation between the FFCS-Turkish with the Fear of Birth Scale (FOBS) and the male version of the Childbirth Fear-Prior to Pregnancy scale (M-CFPP). Both internal consistency and test-retest reliability were examined for the FFCS-Turkish. Results: The scope validity index of the scale was found to be 0.96. Based on the results of confirmatory factor analysis, a two-factor structure with 17 items was verified. The fit indices were found to be χ2 = 309.610, χ2/df = 2.76, root mean square error = 0.075, goodness of fit index = 0.89, comparative fit index = 0.93, and adjusted goodness of fit index = 0.86. All fit indices were at good levels. A strong correlation was found between the FFCS and the FOBS and M-CFPP scales within the scope of concurrent validity. Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient for the entire scale was 0.93. The test-retest reliability was also high. The FFCS is a valid and reliable scale and measurement tool that can be used on Turkish expectant fathers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to describe the impact of COVID-19 on fatherhood experiences during pregnancy. A semi-structured interview guide was developed to collect qualitative data from fathers about their experiences in pregnancy and prenatal care, how they communicated with providers, strategies for information seeking, and social support they received during the pregnancy. One-time, virtual interviews were conducted via Zoom with fathers that were either expecting a baby or fathers who had a baby after March 2020 and were 18 years or older. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes that highlighted the fatherhood experience. In total, 34 interviews with new or expectant fathers were completed. Two central themes that highlight the experiences of fathers: missed opportunities to shift toward family-centered care and inequity in the parent dyad during pregnancy. Additional supporting themes included: limited patient-provider relationship, lack of telemedicine use, inadequate uncertainty management for parents, unidirectional information sharing between parents, and limited opportunities for achieving role attainment during pregnancy. The COVID-19 pandemic created a decision point for prenatal care. Instead of focusing on family-centered practices, prenatal care exclusively centered on the mother and fetus, resulting in problematic experiences for fathers including limited access to information about the pregnancy and health of the mother and fetus, heightened stress related to COVID-19 safety requirements, and few opportunities to attain their role as a father. Prenatal care should actively seek robust strategies to improve family-centered care practices that will withstand the next public health emergency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The historical influence of environmental factors on families has received relatively little scholarly attention. In this article we explore the impact of the 'natural' or 'more-than-human' world on Australian families through one of the most powerful examples of environmental influence: disasters. We take three case studies as our focus: Cyclone Tracy (1974), the 2011 Queensland Floods and the 2019-20 Black Summer Fires. Our primary source materials are oral history interviews with Australian parents, some of which are archived interviews in cultural collections and some of which are contemporary interviews newly-created for this research. Through these case studies spanning half a century, we analyse change and continuity in the ways in which disasters have been experienced and remembered by Australian parents. While parents consistently shoulder an additional burden during disaster by caring for children, the ways they do so are distinctly gendered and have remained so across time. But as disasters increase in frequency, ferocity and severity in an era of climate change, the way parents understand, respond and prepare for environmental crises is shifting. Australian parents increasingly see their childrearing duties as encompassing consideration of extreme weather in locating or renovating a family home, practicing evacuation drills, and anticipating potential disasters in planning family holidays. Awareness of climate risks is even influencing reproductive decisions about family size or whether to become a parent. We hypothesise that shifts in individual parent's disaster experiences may be collectively changing Australian cultural ideals of 'good' parenthood in the twenty-first century. Research conducted at the intersection of the history of the family and environmental history is becoming urgently significant in the present-day, as we seek to make sense of rapid environmental change and its personal and cultural impacts on our human lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the stability of child attachment to mothers and fathers separately, and to both parents as a network between the infancy and preschool periods using a sample of 143 biparental families and their children (73 boys) recruited from the general population. Attachment was assessed at 15 months with the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) and at 45 months with the Preschool Attachment Classification Coding System (PACS). First, results show no stability in attachment to mothers, to fathers, or to both parents as a network. Second, parents’ mental health, life satisfaction, marital satisfaction, and child externalizing behavior are associated with attachment stability. Taken altogether, group comparisons reveal that children with a stable secure attachment to both parents as a network have parents with higher levels of well-being and exhibit less problem behaviors than children with 1) a stable secure attachment to one parent and an unstable attachment to the other parent (from secure to insecure or from insecure to secure), or 2) who never had a stable secure attachment to either parent. This study highlights the significance of attachment to both parents as a network over time as it is associated with developmental outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines fathers' participation in parenting, parental role satisfaction, and parenting stress to contribute to the growing research on how fatherly involvement affects children's development. Specifically, the purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of fathers' parenting-related variables on children's social competence. Conducting a survey with 300 fathers of children under the age of eight in the Republic of Korea, we aimed to determine the fathers' characteristics, confirm the relationships between the parental factors and children's social competence, and identify the impacts of these factors. Among other results, children's social competence had a positive correlation with fathers' participation in parenting and parental role satisfaction, but a negative correlation with parenting stress levels. Fathers' parental role satisfaction had a particular effect on children's interpersonal skills, understanding of social knowledge, and emotional control, while parenting stress had an especially important impact on the latter. Participation in parenting affected all these social competence sub-factors, as well as emotionality. Overall, we were able to confirm the importance of fathers' participation for children to develop social competence. These research results can be employed as basic data to develop research and education programs related to fathers' parenting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Paternal participation and experiences in childhood weight management is an understudied studied area. Given the important role fathers play in childhood obesity prevention and treatment, the aim of this study was to explore Norwegian fathers' experiences of helping to prevent further weight gain in their children with overweight or obesity. Methods: Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with eight fathers of ten children with overweight or obesity and analysed by qualitative content analysis. Results: The analysis resulted in one overall theme: Balancing between assuming and avoiding responsibility for weight management with a desire to preserve the child's dignity, comprising two themes: 1) Alternating between concern, helplessness and responsibility, 2) Needing acknowledgement, and flexible and tailored professional support, both of which have several sub-themes. Conclusion: Fathers need guidance on how to talk to their children to prevent further weight gain, while at the same time emphasizing safeguarding the child's dignity. Healthcare professionals should address parents' own emotional barriers and include fathers to a greater extent as a resource in family-centred counselling and tailor guidance and support to help with childhood weight management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined father's parenting attitudes in association with teacher-child relationships and the mediating role of young children's self-regulation ability in this relationship. Participant fathers (n = 211), age range (below 30 to over 41 years of age) and teachers (n = 7), years of teaching experience (3 to 12 years) completed surveys of father-child pairs for 211 primary school children, with the teachers completing the children's self-regulation survey. Results following path analysis indicated that higher scores on the father's positive parenting attitudes were associated with stronger teacher-child relationships. The children's teachers reported that self-regulation ability fully mediated fathers' positive parenting attitudes to be stronger. These findings suggest a need for educators to engage with father parents to enhance children's self-regulation ability, and thus strengthen teacher-child relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Method Results Conclusions The Neonatal Care Unit is a challenging environment for parents. Previous literature documents the need for increased and more specialised understanding of support for fathers. There remains a dearth of literature on the experiences of ethnic minority fathers in particular, who may be less likely to access psychological support available.This project aimed to understand the barriers ethnic minority fathers face when accessing psychology support at a Neonatal Care Unit in England. Seven fathers from ethnic minority backgrounds participated in semi-structured interviews after their babies were discharged.Data were analysed using a Reflexive Thematic Analysis approach. Three main themes were identified: ‘Psychology is a Threat’, ‘It’s Not Really Talked About in our Culture’, and ‘A Space for Mum, Not Me’. These themes are discussed in reference to the extant literature, and recommendations are provided to improve access to support in this neonatal unit.There is a need to recognise interacting influences of gender and cultural norms in supporting these fathers, including understanding the role of psychology, consideration of stigma, and knowing families in relation to their cultural context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many taken-for-granted expectations for parents in Western societies are situated in normative assumptions. Social constructions of 'good' parenting may be a poor fit for parents whose children's development varies from a so-called typical trajectory. Normative assumptions about parenting can have harmful effects for parents of autistic children. Aims/Objectives: This paper examines representations of parenting autistic children in contemporary research and considers the potential effects of these representations on these parents' occupational possibilities. Methods: Informed by a critical occupational perspective, a critical interpretive synthesis (CIS) of 27 research articles focussed on parenting autistic children was conducted. Findings: Three major discursive threads were identified regarding how parents of autistic children are represented in research: gendered assumptions, caregiving as all-consuming, and disruption of normative expectations of parenting. Conclusions and significance: Normative discourses about parenting were (re)produced within this body of research which may perpetuate limitations in the occupational possibilities of parents of autistic children. Critical investigation into contemporary research is necessary to challenge taken for granted expectations for parents of children with autism, to mitigate harmful effects for parents, to inform transformative OT practices and policies, and to promote equitable service provision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experience of post-traumatic stress has been implicated in adverse outcomes for trauma-exposed parents and their children. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore how ex-military service (veteran) fathers who had received a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) experience and make sense of parenthood, their role as a father, and the parent-child relationship. Ten ex-military fathers from the UK who had been diagnosed with PTSD engaged in interviews which were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The analysis resulted in four themes; 'Not always being the father I want to be', 'Striving to protect', 'Developing insight and understanding', and 'Protective influence of children'. These themes captured participants' experiences of the perceived negative impact of PTSD symptoms on parenting and an evolving view of the self as a parent in relation to this, taking action to protect children from distress and harm, the importance of developing insights and understanding both personally and within parent-child relationships, and the distracting and motivating influence of children and enjoyment of the parenting role despite the challenges experienced in the context of a PTSD diagnosis. Findings are discussed in relation to the extant literature, and clinical and research implications are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Methods Results Conclusion In addition to mothers, fathers may find the perinatal period difficult and complicated and experience a wide variety of emotions, such as fear, anxiety and depression. These emotional changes can adversely affect a father’s relationships with his infant and wife. This descriptive study aims to investigate the fear of childbirth in fathers during pregnancy and explore its relationship with anxiety and depression.A total of 302 husbands of pregnant women participated in this descriptive study through the cluster random sampling method. The data collection tools were the sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics questionnaire, Paternal Fear of Childbirth Scale, Spielberger’s State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale.The mean (±SD) of paternal fear of childbirth score was 48.39 (±14.10) within the possible 17–85 range. According to Pearson correlation test results, fear of childbirth had significant direct correlations with depression (P < 0.001; r = 0.47), state anxiety (P < 0.001; r = 0.60) and trait anxiety (P < 0.001; r = 0.51). The adjusted general linear model results indicated that an increase in fear of childbirth score significantly increased depression (β = 0.18; 95% CI: 0.13 to 0.22; P < 0.001), state anxiety (β = 0.45; 95% CI: 0.38 to 0.53; P < 0.001) and trait anxiety (β = 0.35; 95% CI: 0.27 to 0.42; P < 0.001) scores obtained from participants.It is recommended to develop comprehensive programmes to screen fathers for fear of childbirth and any other psychological problems, such as depression and anxiety, to implement appropriate preventive and therapeutic interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The birth of an infant marks a period of profound change in first-time parents. Parental love and warmth, however, already begin to develop during pregnancy. Also for fathers, the development of bonding to the infant may be a unique process. The current qualitative study aimed to explore views and experiences of first-time fathers on the origins and development of paternal bonding during pregnancy and early childhood. In total, 30 in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with expectant fathers (second or third trimester of pregnancy; n = 10) and fathers of infants (0–6 months postpartum; n = 11) and toddlers (2–3 years of age; n = 9). Two major themes were uncovered from the data: feelings of bonding and facilitators of bonding. The first theme was supported with three subthemes: 1) from abstract to concrete, 2) positive emotions, and 3) uncertainties and worries. The second theme, facilitators of bonding, was supported with four subthemes: 1) experiencing the foetus, 2) meeting the child, 3) interaction, and 4) communication. Similar to previous studies, our results suggested that, in most fathers, paternal bonding originates in pregnancy and that it evolves over time. Seeing or feeling the child, both during pregnancy and postpartum, as well as interacting or communicating with the child, appears to facilitate fathers’ feelings of bonding. Involving fathers in pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting may be essential for their bonding process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parent coaching interventions have been shown to be effective for increasing parent responsiveness and improving communication skills for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, few interventions have involved fathers. Challenges to father involvement include scheduling limitations, as well as evidence that strategies and activities shown to be effective with mothers may not generalise to fathers. Fathers may benefit from interventions that target strategies, which align with father-child communication and interaction styles. To mitigate barriers to father involvement, this study investigated the effects of a 12-week hybrid intervention program that combined telehealth coaching and in-person father–child aquatics sessions, on a father's use of responsive communication and play strategies and child communication skills. A single subject, multiple baselines across behaviours experiment was conducted with one dyad (i.e. father, 5-year, 6-monthold child with ASD). Results showed that the participating father was able to quickly learn to use two of the three, targeted responsive strategies (i.e. follow-in comments, followin directives) within the context of parent–child aquatic play. The participating child showed small increases in use of spontaneous single words. Findings of this single subject study have important potential clinical implications for adapting ASD parent coaching programs to more effectively involve fathers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purposes of the current study were to develop a questionnaire to measure parental physical activity (PA) support in parents of children with disabilities and to examine factors associated with parental PA support. A questionnaire measuring parental PA support in parents of children with disabilities (PPSQ for PCD), consisting of three constructs (encouragement, co-PA, and logistic support) with 19 items, was initially developed and evaluated by the Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Three independent multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between the three constructs and parental PA orientation variables. With the item deletion approach, the final model with 12 items (four items in each construct) was developed, which revealed an excellent model fit ( x 2 = 78.42 [df = 51, p =.008], CFI = 0.98, GFI = 0.94. RMSEA = 0.05). The multiple regression analyses revealed that parental orientation variables were differently associated with each construct of the PPSQ for PCD. The PPSQ for PCD consists of three constructs, differently associated with parental orientation variables. This questionnaire can be used as an instrument to assess parental PA support. The Parental Physical Activity Questionnaire (PPAQ) can be used to assess parental physical activity support in parents of children with disabilities. The PPAQ measures three constructs (i.e., types) of parental physical activity support including encouragement, co-physical activity, and logistic support. Parental physical activity orientations (e.g., importance, enjoyment, and behavior) are differently associated with each construct of parental physical activity support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on Stephen's infancy and its implications in James Joyce "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man," exploring themes of rebellion, obedience, and artistic development. Topics include the symbolic significance of Stephen's babble reflecting infancy, his struggle between pleasing authorities and pursuing personal desires, and the transformative journey towards artistic independence and self-discovery.

The purpose of the current study was to examine association between physical activity (PA) of parents of children with developmental disabilities and theory of planned behaviour-related variables. A total of 95 participants completed questionnaires that measured the following variables: PA behaviours, action planning, intention, affective attitude, instrumental attitude. A path analysis was used to examine the associations between the variables. Among participants, 40% did not meet the PA guideline. PA affective attitude was positively associated with PA intention (β = 0.30, p =.009) and PA action planning (β =.22, p =.03). In turn, both PA intention and PA action planning were associated with moderate-to-vigorous PA in parents of children with developmental disabilities (β = 0.23, p =.008; β = 0.52, p <.001, respectively). Physical activity in parents of children with developmental disabilities were appropriately explained by theory of planned behaviour-related variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autumn, a season that sets the stage for incredible early childhood memories. On a particular fall day, a young girl along with her sister, rake leaves with their unpredictable yet playful father. Both young girls will gain an incredible early childhood memory with their father and carry this memory along with its lessons throughout their lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although infants' sleep behaviors are shaped by their interactions with parents at bedtime, few tools exist to capture parents' sleep parenting practices. This study developed a Sleep Parenting Scale for Infants (SPS-I) and aimed to (1) explore and validate its factorial structure, (2) examine its measurement invariance across mothers and fathers, and (3) investigate its reliability and concurrent and convergent validity. SPS-I was developed via a combination of items modified from existing scales and the development of novel items. Participants included 188 mothers and 152 mother–father dyads resulting in 340 mothers and 152 fathers; about half were non-Hispanic white. Mothers and fathers completed a 14-item SPS-I for their 12-month-old infant. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to explore and validate SPS-I's underlying structure. Multigroup CFA was used to examine measurement invariance across mothers and fathers. Reliability was examined using Cronbach's alpha. Concurrent validity was assessed using linear regressions examining associations between SPS-I factors and parent-reported infants nighttime sleep duration. Convergent validity was assessed using paired-sample t-tests to test whether the SPS-I subscale scores were similar between mothers and fathers in the same household. EFA and CFA confirmed a 3-factor, 12-item model: sleep routines, sleep autonomy, and screen media in the sleep environment. SPS-I was invariant across mothers and fathers and was reliable. Concurrent and convergent validity were established. SPS-I has good psychometric properties, supporting its use for characterizing sleep routines, sleep autonomy, and screen media in the sleep environment by mothers and fathers. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/08964289.2021.2002799. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This mixed methods study explored Australian fathers' views about relationships and sexuality education (RSE) and their role within it. In the article we examine contemporary fathers' engagement with discussing relationships and sexuality with their children, compared to their recollections of their own fathers' involvement. We draw on survey data from 612 diverse Australian fathers of children aged 3-12 years and interview data from 10 fathers. We find that, according to participants' self-reports, fathers' involvement in RSE has increased from one generation to the next. We identify five domains that have influenced this change: shifting norms regarding the role of fathers, gender and sexuality; a rejection of their own fathers' approach; concerns for daughters; the women in their lives; and a sense of responsibility. We argue that schools and other RSE providers should engage with these domains to support fathers to take greater strides towards strengthened engagement in RSE with their children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paternal stress is often assessed by maternal report and is posited to influence infant development indirectly by contributing to a mother's stress and experiences during pregnancy. Far less is known about how direct effects of prenatal paternal stress, as described by fathers themselves, are related to an infant's physiological functioning. We assessed fathers' own experiences of stress and examined its direct impact on infant respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), a biological index of self-regulation, at seven-month postpartum. During the third trimester of pregnancy, the UCLA Life Stress Interview was conducted to assess chronic stress in mothers and fathers (N = 90). Infant baseline RSA and RSA reactivity in response to the Still-Face paradigm were assessed at seven-month postpartum. Infants of fathers with high prenatal stress showed lower baseline RSA, possibly reflective of poor infant psychophysiological regulation. The predictive role of paternal stress remained significant after controlling for maternal stress. Our findings provide emerging empirical evidence to support the influence of prenatal paternal stress on infant RSA, highlighting the important role of fathers for child development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the research evaluating the import of paternal migration for children's outcomes has taken 'left-behind children' as a single group. Taking a life course perspective, this paper distinguishes fathers' short-term and long-term migrations, as well as return migration, as they affect children's productive activities. Using the Mexican Family Life Survey (2002–2009), we followed school-aged children from two-parent households in 2002 and observed their activities as they transitioned into adulthood from 2005 through 2009. We found that fathers' short-term migration is negatively associated with children's labor force participation, especially for 12 – to 18-year-old boys, suggesting that paternal migration may interrupt adolescent boys' labor market transition in the short-term. Fathers' long-term migration and return migration does not significantly alter children's activities. However, the negative role of fathers' long-term absence and benefits brought by the paternal migration trip are important mechanisms for educational persistence and the labor force entrance of 12 – to 18-year-old girls, highlighting the conditions under which certain mechanisms may work. This suggests that migration is a family process, with the outcomes lying in the interplay of the stages of migration, children's life stages, and how gender is treated within cultural and familial contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While most preconception care (PCC) interventions are aimed at women, men are also in need of PCC to reduce risk factors affecting the spermatozoa quality. The objective of this study is to explore male perceptions regarding the need to engage in PCC. In a mixed-method cross-sectional study, 229 men participated with a questionnaire and 14 individual semi-structured interviews were conducted. Questionnaires data were analysed using multiple regression analyses. The interviews were analysed using thematic analyses. Most men did not retrieve preconceptional information (n = 135; 59.0%) nor visited a preconceptional consult (n = 182; 79.5%). Men who categorised their preconceptional lifestyle as unhealthy (score ≤6 out of 10) less often retrieved information (adjusted OR 0.36 [95% CI 0.14–0.93]) than men with a healthy preconceptional lifestyle. While several men expressed their fear for infertility, this did not lead to an increased uptake of PCC as men felt they were healthy enough already. Despite high awareness of the positive influence of a healthy lifestyle, the perceived need for preparing for pregnancy among men remains low. Tailoring preconceptional information towards male needs provides a window of opportunity to improve men's reproductive health and possibly the health of future generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between being a parent and personal well-being has been the topic of interest and debate in recent decades. However, most of the studies in this field are from high-income countries in North America and Europe. This is an important limitation since parenthood is a phenomenon highly dependent on sociocultural context. The purpose of this article was to identify and examine the main findings related to the well-being of mothers and fathers in Latin America through a systematic review of the scientific literature. This review shows that, in general, mothers and fathers expressed feelings of well-being. However, parenthood significantly affected their daily lives and simultaneously represented a source of frustration and displeasure. Gender stereotypes, the type of family and work–family conflicts were variables relevant to these factors. Our results show the importance of developing policies and strategies that favour gender equity and provide support for vulnerable families in Latin America countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports on the findings of a quantitative online survey investigating Australian fathers' perspectives on communicating with their children about relationships and sexuality. A diverse sample of 612 Australian fathers of children aged 3 to 12 years completed the Sex Ed Dads survey, sharing their views on sexuality education and their role within it. Here, we discuss the relationships and sexuality-related outcomes fathers say they will value for their children during the teen years. We argue that contrary to assumptions perpetuated by the media, the outcomes Australian fathers value most reflect modern and holistic understandings of relationships and sexuality. The study found that fathers' top priorities for their teenage children were their capacity to avoid violent relationships, understand consent, and recognise and report sexual abuse, while their lowest priorities were delaying sex until marriage, and avoiding pornography. A slightly elevated level of concern for daughters compared to sons was evident in the data, and religious status was the socio-demographic characteristic responsible for most of the significant differences found. The findings offer insights for media, as well as schools, resource developers, and sexuality education providers seeking to support the increased engagement of fathers in sexuality education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is an empirical study aiming to examine the attachment patterns of the fathers who embraced their babies and who did not; and to investigate their participation to the caretaking of their new-born babies. The research was conducted with 50 fathers by face-to-face meeting in delivery rooms and maternity wards in Health Sciences University Adana Numune Education and Research Hospital and Adana Gynecology and Children Diseases Hospital between October and December 2016. Communications of fathers and newborns given in their laps were observed in experimental group after birth and time of keeping newborns on their laps were determined by a chronometer. Communication of fathers with their babies, attachments and attending to care of their newborns were investigated 1 month after study. A significant correlation was found between fathers' taking their newborns on their laps and attending to care (p < 0.05). Introducing newborns to their fathers shortly after birth and giving them to their fathers are determined as a significant finding for attachment between babies and fathers in further periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mental and physical health problems are common during early fatherhood. The current study aimed to assess a broad range of mental, physical and social outcomes for fathers of young children (aged 0–4 years) participating in a pilot evaluation of 'Working Out Dads' (WOD). These results were complemented by a nested qualitative study capturing the perceived outcomes for fathers. The sample consisted of 53 fathers who completed pre-, post- and 3-month follow-up measures. There were significant reductions in psychological distress, depression, anxiety and stress from pre- to post-intervention, which were maintained at 3-month follow-up. There were significant improvements in perceived vitality levels across all time points, and improvements in general physical health, social support and parenting self-efficacy from pre- to the 3-month follow-up. The nested qualitative results revealed that fathers and their partners perceived positive changes to paternal health, social support, parenting and the couple relationship. These findings contribute to the evidence-base for interventions targeting fathers' health in the early years of their children's lives. The current findings will be used to inform further development of WOD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on findings of the Sex Ed Dads survey which sought Australian fathers' perspectives on communicating with their young children about relationships and sexuality, as informal sexuality educators. Given the majority of existing family-based sexuality education research draws on the experiences of mothers, gaining insights from fathers is a much needed first step in designing resources to support paternal engagement in sexuality education. A diverse sample of 612 Australian fathers completed an online survey about their views on sexuality education and their role within it. Participating fathers valued sexuality education for their children and believed that their own informal contribution to its provision was important. Fathers reported high levels of comfort discussing a wide range of topics with their child at the age they deemed appropriate, although a gap between what fathers believed they should discuss and what they actually discussed was found. Findings offer insights for schools, resource developers and sexuality education providers seeking to support increased engagement of fathers in the sexuality education domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identification of the nurses and fathers' understanding of the stress sources facilitates nursing interventions and increases parental satisfaction. The quasi experimental study with pretest and posttest was administered to a sample size of 70 fathers with preterm neonates hospitalized in the NICUs of Gorgan University of Medical Sciences in 6 months. The Parental Stressor Scale (PSS) was used. The data were analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistical methods. Evaluation of the differences in the domains showed that narrative writing had significant effects on all three domains. The results showed that the highest stress reduction was observed in parents' relationship followed by infant behavior and appearance while the lowest stress reduction was observed in the sights and sounds in the intervention group. Narrative writing may be considered an efficient supportive intervention to reduce the fathers' stress, infant behavior and appearance in the NICUs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parents offer unique information and are recognized as the main informants about children's social emotional functioning across time and situations. Inter-parental agreement was analysed with 100 preschoolers (Mage = 54.94 months) being rated independently by their mothers and fathers, using the Portuguese version of the Preschool and Kindergarten Behaviour Scales – Second Edition (PKBS-2). Data were analysed according to four levels: index of agreement, index of disagreement, risk level and item analyses. The results indicated a low to moderate inter-parental agreement, with Pearson correlations ranging from.35 to.59. Fathers rated their children as having more social withdrawal problems (unique score that reached statistical significance) than mothers. No differences between mothers and fathers were found in the number of children included in risk level categories. Item analyses showed high similarities between informants concerning social skills and behaviour problems. Relevance of collecting mothers and/or fathers' reports for research and practice purposes are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Throughout Africa, there is recognition that the person fulfilling the role of a father may not always be the child's biological father. This is clear in the seminal work Male Daughters, Female Husbands: Gender and Sex in an African Society, where Amadiume illustrates the significance of divorcing gender roles from biology. In the South African context, a similar notion is seen in Mkhize's conception of Social Fathers. Like Amadiume, this study was inspired by Adesina's assertion for African studies to move towards producing, 'works of distinct epistemic significance' rather than the 'regurgitation' of and the usual 'protest scholars' that African scholar's focus on. Consequently, this article illustrates that in contexts of maternal households the role of the father is played by social fathers. The article concludes that, while father absence has been widely reported, the absence of biological fathers does not necessarily mean that caring and nurturing African men are not present in the lives of children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Is contemporary masculinity too fragile to handle the weight of care, dependence, and disability? Aaron Jackson's Worlds of Care explores the ways that men in the United States face the economic, emotional, and relational challenges when their children with developmental disabilities require intensive care. How does this kind of parenting affect these men's understanding of their responsibilities, their life-course, and their gendered identity? The book demonstrates the social conditions that create the challenges in the first place – such as an arduous form of capitalism and trajectories of masculinity that scar men's engagement with care. And it shows us also what it is like for men to live in and through these conditions in the pursuit of a good life for themselves and their children. In the context of a literature that focuses on the relationship between care and the social conditions of women, the result is a rare and insightful look into the relationship between masculinity, dependence, and disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the mediated role of children's language in the effects of fathers' and mothers' parenting on children's school readiness. The moderated roles of maternal employment and child sex were also examined. Data were drawn from the Panel Study on Korean Children (PSKC), using a total of 1730 families (male children: 51%). First, in families with full-time working mothers, fathers' support parenting at age 4 predicted better language development at age 5, which in turn predicted better school readiness at age 6. Second, nonworking mothers' behavioural control parenting at age 4 predicted children's better language development at age 5, which in turn predicted better school readiness at age 6. Lastly, mothers' behavioural control parenting at age 4 directly predicted children's better school readiness at age 6. The study broadens our understanding of the influence of parenting on children's school readiness via children's language development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The following poem is the third section of an unpublished book titled El viaje final. I began writing the book after my father's death in 2016 as a way of dealing with grief and continued working on the book in 2017. The book contains eight sections and is the first volume of a poetry based on the life of Jaime Ferrán. Poem III begins with his death in February of 2016 in Smyrna, in the Atlanta area. He had been living with me for three years, from 2013 to 2016. The poem also goes into his childhood and adolescence in Catalonia, up until the time he went off to study law at the University of Barcelona in the second half of the 1940s. I chose this section because it seemed the most emotional, a text in which the memories of my father's life merge with my own. The first volume of El viaje final ends with Poem VIII, in which my father travels for the very first time in 1955 to the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Absence, and particularly the absent father, has been identified as a common feature in late eighteenth – and nineteenth-century French novels. In an era in which the patriarchal order was changing and the King — the nation's father — was removed, it is unsurprising that so many of its novels have absent fathers. In the subsequent decades, as many children were left orphans in the wake of the Terror, the lack of a father figure has been identified as a key issue in the crisis of masculinity which arose in nineteenth-century France. The absent father figure has previously been identified as a crucial element in Mme de Staël's Corinne (1807) and in the work of George Sand. Yet, the influence on the vulnerable young male hero of the absent biological father (and his difficult relationship with a replacement father figure) remains unexplored in the work of other women writers in which it also plays a key role: most notably in Mme Cottin's Claire d'Albe (1799) and Mme de Krüdener's Valérie (1803). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-income fathers are likely to drop out of parenting service provision, as access and retention in services remain barriers to parenting education. To boost access to evidence-based parenting information, one potential solution is mobile-based parenting apps. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate whether currently available parenting apps in both Google Play and iOS stores contain content for low-income fathers, with specific focus on whether apps are consistent with self-efficacy theory and evidence-based factors associated with father engagement. Utilizing systematic review procedures of search, screening and coding, apps were analyzed for content comprehensiveness and user ratings and evaluated based on theoretical dimensions of paternal self-efficacy and evidence-based factors associated with low-income father engagement. Of the 1,582 apps identified, 65 were included in the review. Of these apps, only one (1.5%) specifically targeted fathers, with the remaining apps (98.5%; n = 64) targeting both mothers and fathers. Results indicate that apps contained limited evidence-based content targeted for low-income fathers. User rating scores were associated with app content related to parenting stress (β =.540, p =.005) and co-parenting (β = −.552, p =.001). Implications include a need for more evidence-based content tailored to low-income fathers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the parenting style of male couples who become fathers via surrogacy, adoption or fostering. In a European study, 35 gay fathers and 33 heterosexual fathers answered questionnaires with respect to their parenting style with their first-born child, temperament characteristics of that child, and their own personality. The results indicate that gay fathers show higher levels of warmth and cooperation with their partner than heterosexual fathers. Gay fathers also reported less irritation if their first-born child displayed a negative temperament. No differences in the parenting style were found with respect to the sex of their child. Our results contribute to the limited empirical research about same-sex male parents and parenting style. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we draw together literature on rural masculinities, fatherhood, and mental health to explore how men experiencing mental health problems understand fatherhood. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 24 men who reside in rural southern Manitoba with a focus on mental health and wellness, perceptions of masculinity, support and living well. In this study, it became apparent that fatherhood was a theme that many of the participants reflected on in response to our questions about their mental health and wellness. It is notable that fatherhood emerged as a key theme related to mental health for those men who had children. This article examines how these men spoke about fatherhood and specifically, how they struggled to negotiate alternative masculinities when working with their fathers, their experiences of aggression, desires to be a better father that their father, and their reflections on changing practices. We argue that fathering can provide a transformative space and hopeful practice for rural men experiencing mental health and emotional distress. In doing so, our paper contributes to research on changing masculinities and the consequences for challenging normative masculinities in rural space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The British television series Downton Abbey (directed by Julian Fellowes) could be considered a media phenomenon without precedent. Since its release in 2010 and throughout its six seasons, it reached a global audience in over 220 countries. At a time when the father figure is dissolving, fading, or missing in the content of television series, the worldwide success of Downton Abbey features the image of Lord Robert Crawley (Hugh Bonneville), Earl of Grantham, the father of an aristocratic family in England. This article will analyze paternal image from its ontological and historical roots, considering truth, transcendence and goodness, as well as manifestations of paternal virtues. Given the fact that virtue is not easily measured, the analysis will show that a father's identity can be reflected in a series of virtuous actions, as manifestations of core virtues. These virtues are the basis for a quantitative content analysis of the seven episodes of the first season, through the application of a methodological tool for audiovisual analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the factorial structure of the Security Scale Questionnaire (SSQ), exploring measurement invariance across mother-father-child attachment relationships, child sex, and country. We used the new 21-item SSQ version that integrates both safe haven and secure base behaviors in a two factors structure. Participants were 457 children (224 girls and 233 boys), ranging from 9 to 14 years old (M = 10.84, SD = 1.02) from Portuguese and USA samples. We confirmed the SSQ's two-factor structure, although four items were unrelated to the latent structure and excluded from the final model. Results showed that SSQ can be used to study both mother/child and father/child attachment relationships. Multi-group analyses suggested measurement invariance between boys and girls and between Portuguese and USA samples. Our findings suggest that the SSQ can be considered a valid and cost-effective tool to measure perceived attachment security in middle childhood for both mother/child and father/child relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While it is true that the father occupies the third position and that he is excluded from the mother-infant dyad, he does not have to be the "forgotten" parent, and, in the last few decades, there has been an increased interest in remembering the father. However, in both theory and practice, the focus seems to be on remembering the importance of the father for the mother and infant, while comparatively little attention has been given to the father himself. In particular, there is a lack of research on the father's representation of himself as a father. In an effort to explore the representational world of the father, psychoanalytic research interviews were conducted with South African fathers whose infants were in the phase of pre-oedipal development. The findings suggest that, for the fathers in this research study, rudimentary and inchoate representations of the self as a father predominate until the father experiences his infant as actively responsive to him. At this point, the father appears to undergo a highly affective, internal reconstitution which binds him to his infant and which begins to enrich his representation of himself as a father. Through the mirroring gaze of the infant, the father is conceived. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: Birth registration; trans parenting; mother; father; parent EN Birth registration trans parenting mother father parent 524 527 4 01/07/21 20201201 NES 201201 I R (McConnell And YY) v Registrar General And Secretary Of State For Health And Social Care And Others i [2020] EWCA Civ 559 revealed the different priorities of the Court of Appeal and the President of the Family Division when deciding this novel case concerning trans parenthood. The issue at stake was whether Freddy McConnell, a trans man with a gender recognition certificate who had subsequently given birth to a child (YY), must be registered as that child's mother rather than father or parent. An application was also made on behalf of YY for a declaration of parentage under s 55A of the Family Law Act 1986 that McConnell was YY's father. [Extracted from the article]

Parenting in the Global South reflects a bias towards capturing the practices and experiences of motherhood. Thus the study aimed at examining perceptions of men, as fathers and their contributions on the overall development of young children in Botswana. The objectives of this study were how fathers' define fatherhood and their roles in children's upbringing. A mixed approach using purposive sampling was used to collect data from 156 fathers. The finding revealed that most of the fathers in Botswana still believe that their main role in the family is to look after the monetary aspect of the household, whereas bringing up of children is part of the mothers' responsibility. It is concluded that fathers do not always have parenting skills and support services have difficulties in reaching men. It is recommended to generate a public research agenda that will heighten awareness of the benefits of father involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the association of personality traits and paternal/infant background characteristics with subjective well-being (SWB) among fathers of preterm infants. While studies of parental care of preterm infants have focused on mothers or both parents, studies focusing specifically on fathers are relatively rare. In this study, we provide new information on the personality traits and paternal/infant background characteristics and their association with SWB among fathers of preterm infants. This study used a cross-sectional design. Participants included fathers of preterm infants hospitalised in the neonatal intensive care unit, neonatal intermediate care nursery, or postpartum ward of a medical centre in northern Taiwan within 5 days of birth. The Personality Inventory Scale and Subjective Well-being Scale were administered and background characteristics of fathers and preterm infants were measured. A total of 104 fathers participated, of whom 73.1% showed a moderate level of SWB. Fathers with higher extraversion and openness exhibited higher SWB, while fathers with higher neuroticism exhibited lower SWB. SWB was also predicted by age, infant weight, family structure, and paternal education level. These factors cumulatively accounted for 48% of the variance in SWB. Fathers' SWB was associated with extraversion, openness, neuroticism, age, education, family structure, and infant weight. The personality traits of fathers should be considered when developing plans for family support after following preterm infant birth. In addition to focusing on maternal well-being, programmes to increase paternal well-being would benefit the families of preterm infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored what support male partners of women admitted to Mother and Baby Units (MBUs) wanted. Although research has highlighted the need to support male partners of women admitted to specialist MBUs, little is known about the type of support men want and how they wish support to be delivered Ten men whose partner was admitted to a MBU in the United Kingdom or Australia participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using Thematic Analysis. Five themes were identified: (1) A smoother journey to and from the MBU, (2) Feeling included, (3) Uncertainty about 'what is going on', (4) Barriers to support and (5) Facilitators of support. This is the first qualitative study to specifically explore the type of support male partners of MBU patients would like in terms of content, delivery and timing. Participants expressed the need to be involved in care decisions regarding their spouse and infant and to be offered advice from professionals. They highlighted barriers to accessing support and offered solutions to minimise those. In terms of clinical implications, we recommend a support package, which could be developed for MBUs to improve outcomes for male partners and their family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many fathers strive to be better parents. Yet it remains unclear what qualities contribute to effective fathering; less is clear about how such paternal efforts are viewed by their children. Based on theoretical frameworks and previous qualitative studies that assessed father roles, a set of father role items was developed to assess undergraduate students' views of their fathers (n = 1,208). Factor analysis revealed two distinctive aspects of fathering quality: considerateness (friendly, supportive and child-centered) and traditionalism (authoritarian, disciplinarian and provider). A path analysis revealed directional and relative effects of these two dimensions on perceived fathering quality. Further, based on these two distinctive dimensions, four fathering styles were developed, which predicted children's developmental outcomes. Ways of improving paternal parenting are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]