Widowed fathers' adjustment to the single parent role and the influence of gender roles

Widowed fathers with dependent children face a complex situation as they manage their expanded parenting responsibilities as the surviving parent while grieving for their spouse. Since there are specific parenting roles that mothers and fathers are expected to fulfill that are largely shaped and reinforced by gender role socialization and norms, it is particularly expected that challenges may arise when widowed fathers need to fulfill aspects of the caregiver-nurturer parental role that are not traditionally assigned to men. The literature reveals very limited research focusing on the unique experiences and needs of widowed fathers with dependent children. The importance of gaining a better understanding of how widowed fathers adjust to single parent role has been emphasized by research findings indicating that widowed parents' coping and parenting approaches and overall adjustment can have a significant impact on their children's well-being. This study employed qualitative conventional content analysis that allowed the researcher to engage in an in-depth examination of the experiences of eight widowed fathers and how they made adjustments to their parenting role after the death of their spouse. The findings of this study indicate that widowed fathers have to undergo a significant process of adjustment as they assume the single father role. It appears that widowed fathers have to continually reshape their role and responsibilities as a single parent, as a male, and as a person, as they balance their parenting and provider roles after the death of their spouse. The gender specific parenting roles and gender role norms that are still prevalent in our society also appear to inform aspects of the widowed fathers' experiences of taking on the primary parent role as well as the nature of the challenges they faced in doing so. Additional themes from the data included: relationship between prior paternal involvement and difficulty of adjustment, fathers' sense of children's need for continuity and routines, shifts in parenting style during adjustment, and unexpected changes in fathers' sense of self. Findings are discussed with regard to clinical implications for working with widowed fathers with dependent children, and recommendations for future research with this population are provided.