Out of their element: Fathers of children who are “not the same”

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The purpose of this research was to ascertain the meaning of fathering for fathers of children with congenital anomalies. The human becoming theory was the theoretical perspective for this descriptive-exploratory study. Findings showed that fathering for these participants is a desire to grasp the situation, mingled with disturbing feelings, while facing one's limits and gives rise to comforting views. Comfortable-uncomfortable ways of being with others emerge as fathering shifts one from the familiar to the unfamiliar, surfacing the joy-sorrow of the always-changing “now” and the unpredictable “not yet.” Implications for further research and practice are also discussed.

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