Challenges encountered by fathers in childcare from pregnancy through early childhood

Abstract

Objective

This study was to identify which situations fathers who are raising children experience difficulties from pregnancy to the childcare period.

Subjects and Methods

Group interviews were conducted with fathers of children aged 6 years or younger. The transcripts were qualitatively analyzed to identify codes, subcategories, and overarching categories of experiences.

Results

The study involved nine fathers actively involved in caring for their infants and young children. During the pregnancy stage, they [struggled to understand the physical changes and associated coping mechanisms affecting their pregnant partners]. They felt that the [lifestyle adjustments necessitated by their wives' pregnancies were burdensome] and often found themselves [suppressing their own feelings to accommodate their wives' emotional fluctuations]. They also expressed [frustration with societal expectations that did not allow them to prioritize family life]. Throughout the childbirth period, they experienced [anxiety about the safe delivery of their child] and searched for ways to [fulfill the roles expected of them as husbands] while also [juggling household responsibilities and work in anticipation of the childbirth]. During the child-rearing period, they [strove to engage with childcare task], [perform housework and childcare, but it backfires], and managed [the burden of balancing work with family life]. They also had to [navigate the changes in family relationships and the increased need for attentiveness as their lifestyles evolved].

Conclusion

The nine fathers actively engaged in child-rearing struggle to understand the physical changes their partners experience during pregnancy as well as how to cope with them. They find the lifestyle adjustments necessitated by their wives' pregnancies to be burdensome, and they suppress their own feelings in order to accommodate their wives' emotional fluctuations. Regarding the childbirth and child-rearing periods, the findings align with previous research. During childbirth, they experience anxiety until the child is born and search for ways to fulfill the roles expected of them by their wives, attending the birth while feeling perplexed and helpless. During the child-rearing phase, they must adapt to changes in their lifestyle and family relationships, tackle childcare tasks they find difficult, and remain attuned to their wives' emotional states.