Marília Reginato Gabriel

Percepções sobre a paternidade: descrevendo a si mesmo e o próprio pai como pai

Becoming a father can be experienced both as a time replete with new meanings, transformations and responsibilities, as well as a period of re-evaluation of values and of own father childrearing behavior. The aim of this study was to investigate the experiences and feelings of fathers regarding their fatherhood and their own fathers. Participants were eight men, primiparous fathers, aged between 28 and 41 years who responded a semi-structured interview. Content analysis of the reports revealed that fathers describe themselves as participants in the tasks of caring, and also attentive and concerned with the childs education and health. Differences and similarities in relation to their own fathers childrearing practices show that, at the same time they want to reproduce their own fatherss succesfull behaviors, they also try to avoid what was considered mistakes.