Fathers' emotional experiences while parenting toddlers: a qualitative exploration

Though fatherhood research has recently burgeoned, extant literature primarily focuses on father characteristics and father-child interactions. A critical gap remains in understanding fathers' emotional experiences. Using the Parent Development Interview-Revised, 74 interviews with fathers of toddlers were coded using questions about six positive and negative emotions: joy, pain/difficulty, happiness, pride, annoyance/anger, and guilt. Themes reflected 4 overarching concepts: father-child relationship, child-focused experiences, father-focused experiences, and the fatherhood role or identity. Frequent themes included: watching their children grow, sharing affection and love, children's behavior, and spending time away. Some codes appeared especially salient for some fathers, such as growth in their co-parenting relationship and comparison to their family of origin. This study describes men who are deeply invested in fatherhood, highlighting the importance of research that goes beyond documenting fathers' influence on their children, and instead emphasizes the inherent value of fathers and in understanding fathers' experiences.