" I have never felt like a father - certainly not a good one"....

" I have never felt like a father - certainly not a good one".

Pinto, I felt the same at times. And my daughter was assaulted by a guy when about 19-20 in the course of her work........ and she didnt tell either her mother or I.
She told me about 10 years after she was married..... but wouldnt say who.......and wont to this day. So how do you think I felt? That I was the type of father who she couldnt turn to at that time? I always promised (not threatened) that I would kill anyone who introduced my children to drugs or harmed them in any way in those days. Maybe I should have kept that to myself. My big mouth backfired on me.
I guess that was due to heaps of unfair beltings from my father, who always reckoned I was in the wrong, and took everyone's word over mine, and I vowed I would support my children, right or wrong, every time.
When you have kids, there is no manual that comes with them, and we have to do what we think is best.
Sometimes, we get it wrong.

GZ