Writer 1:
As a child grows up, one of the basic instincts they'll have is a genuine attachment to their parents. Of course, when the father's not around, that can create SERIOUS psychological scars as a kid grows up. The kid experiences a childhood with the most reliable male figure in their life is absent, which can results in distrust issues, lack of discipline, and a serious defiance in authority figures.
So, what happens when that kid finally meets their father when they become a legal adult?
The most obvious answer is resentment. A kid may end up hating their father for feeling like they've abandoned them over their childhood. They may reject their father's reappearance in their life. Also, because a father is supposed to be the first real disciplinarian in their life, without it, that kid may even try to fight their father, figuring they didn't need them.
However, some kids actually so grow up not hating their dad for his disappearance. depending on what the father's absence was, the child could accept the father. There are several examples of that; the son that Karl Malone didn't claim for a while, or Dr. J's tennis-star daughter. This attributes more to the child's relationship with their mom. Sometimes, a mother's guidance is all a child needs to make sense of people growing up. Case in point of this example: one LeBron James. Arguably the greatest athlete of the 21st century is a shining example of a child being raised by a single mom who never needed his father, and only met himnot too long ago, much longer after James had found unparalleled success in the NBA.
I guess the real answer to a child's reaction of meetingtheir father for the first time lies with their upbringing. If they have felt that they've never needed the father,this relationship could prove to be more harmful than good. However, not all first time meetings have to godown the dark path.
