Becoming a Good Father: The Developmental Engine of First-Time Fatherhood

First-time fathers begin to develop their identity during their transition to fatherhood. The new standard for father involvement during this transition hinges on the dual expectation of fathers as caregivers and financial providers, influencing firsttime fathers’ identity development. By analyzing data collected from six focus groups ( N = 47 fathers), this qualitative study details men’s desires and motivation to become good fathers, and the related challenges. The findings support a conceptualization of first-time fatherhood as a “developmental engine” ignited during the prenatal period. Additionally, the findings suggest that differences in fathers’ identity construction fall across social location. Suggestions for future research examining the relationship between first-time fathers’ attitudes about their identities and their uptake of caregiving and provider tasks are offered in the context of fathers’ social location and macro-level factors.