Amir wants to be like Baba as a father in several ways.

-He would like to command respect as Baba always did because other people's approval is obviously very important to Amir.

-He would like to be willing to sacrifice for his child as Baba sacrificed for him.  While Baba does not seem to give up much for Amir in the first 8 chapters of the novel, when he leaves Afghanistan, he sacrifices everythingfor Amir (wealth, status, comfort, recognition, home, etc.).

However, Amir certainly does not want to emulate Baba's

-inability to show approval toward a child who longs for it

-secrets which harm his children (Hassan's true origin, Amir's feeling of betrayal)

-emotional distance