FatherA father is typically the biological male parent of an offspring. A father may fit into one or more of the following categories which are associated with different psychological, social and legal attitudes. \nBiological (child possesses male parent's genes)\n*Natural father - the most common category: child product of man and woman \n*Surprise father - where the man did not know that there was a child until possibly years afterwards\n*Posthumous father - father died before children were born (or even conceived))\n*Child / teenage father - youthful father - may be associated with illegal sexual intercourse i.e. below the age of consent\n*Non-parental father - unmarried father whose name does not appear on child's birth certificate: does not have legal responsibility but continues to have financial responsibility (UK)\n*Sperm donor father - a genetic connection but man does not have legal or financial responsibility if conducted through licensed clinics (UK) Non-biological (social / legal relationship between father and child)\n*Step father - wife/partner has child from previous relationship\n*Adoptive father - child is adopted\n*Foster father - child is fostered\n*Cuckolded father - where child is the product of mother's adulterous relationship\n*Social father - where man takes de facto responsibility for a child e.g. as a "child of the family"\n*Mother's partner - assumption that current partner fills father role Fatherhood defined by contact level with child
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"An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered; an adventure is an inconvenience rightly considered." - Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874-1936) |
