Buds of parenting in emerging adult males: What we learned from our parents

The authors examine the precursors of parenting buds (representations regarding parenting before actual parenting) by following 60 men from adolescence to emerging adulthood. Quality of relationships with parents, and attachment representations (state of mind with respect to attachment and attachment styles) assessed in adolescence, contribute to the development of parenting buds in emerging adulthood (desire to have children, perceived parenting capacity, satisfaction with future parenting, self-as-a-parent and future-child perceptions). Quality of relations with parents in emerging adulthood is also associated with parenting buds. Qualitative analyses reveal distinct profiles of parenting buds among participants with different attachment representations. The findings highlight the importance of studying parenting buds as part of the attempt to understand the development of the caregiving behavioral system.