Macho men with daughters

[Dos Perros]

I think it's tough for me to be certain how daughters are different than sons, as I only have one of each. Not enough data to make useful conclusions I think. Certainly, having both is one of the biggest blessings of my life. I feel I have a good shot to have lived a complete life once it is all said and done.

My daughter is my treasure. She is just such a special person. How many 6 year olds would crawl 200 yards through prickly pear and sand burrs? Not many I think.

 

[kkp005]

I’m a girl dad. Always thought I’d have a boy but God blessed me with 2 little girls. There’s a special bond with a dad and little girl that I just can’t describe. Spend all the time you can with them because they grow up so fast. Mine are 8 and 4. My oldest shot her first buck when she was 7. She is deadly with her little tikka 223. Welcome to the girl dad life amigo!

 

[Chris in TN]

I think it's tough for me to be certain how daughters are different than sons, as I only have one of each. Not enough data to make useful conclusions I think. Certainly, having both is one of the biggest blessings of my life. I feel I have a good shot to have lived a complete life once it is all said and done.

My daughter is my treasure. She is just such a special person. How many 6 year olds would crawl 200 yards through prickly pear and sand burrs? Not many I think.

Mine haven't done many stalks yet but when my middle child was 6 I shot a doe one afternoon near the house. I heard her crash and knew she was down and I could hear my middle and youngest kids playing in the yard. I walked back to the house and grabbed them both and put the six year old at the shot site, explained the situation, and stepped out of the way and watched her follow blood to the deer.

I mean it was a pretty easy trail to follow and only about 60 yards, but she followed it with zero problems. I videoed the end and regret not getting the entire 60 yards on video.

Take them early and often:

 

[5MilesBack]

I asked an old sage in my life for parenting advice once. He said; “date your daughters. If you date your daughters they’ll never settle for a man of lesser character than yours, and if you’re not okay with that you’ve got other issues.”

I have three daughters, all three have been GREAT kids, and now young ladies!! I used to do daddy/daughter dates with each of them. I also took each of them on a summer camping trip. All the trips were different because we never left with a plan. Just went with the flow, and let each of them choose where they wanted to go, and what they wanted to do. We've also gone on hunting trips. The timing and tags just never seemed to line up with my oldest, but her two younger sisters have shot elk, and the youngest also shot a moose 2 years ago. They're all out of the house now, but we're still very close. My oldest went and moved to MO, and completely screwed up my plans for tags and PP's for her.......now that she's a NR. SMH

 

[tony]

I didn’t find out until I was packed to leave and head back home, my then GF was going to have a baby. I took a job down SE Ohio and ended up hating it and was going to head back home.
Her dad called from the OB dept, and said you’re going to be a dad! I had no idea and she didn’t tell me. Longer story obviously

Anyway, raise boy or girls the same. Fair, tough, respect, love, understanding.
Got to break them young before they get all feral like most of these little assholes running around.
Be involved in their lives, school, friends, activities. My girl played baseball then softball through high school, graduated with honors, while her dad was in special ed classes for a time.
She graduated from college/culinary arts, and owns a restaurant in Pittsburgh Pa.

She liked guns more than hunting. Wasn’t the kill, she just hated sitting and being quiet.
I got her a BB gun at 5 and built a “range” in the basement
She’s 33 and still has that daisy

Just keep them active, outside, and off the tablets and phones when they are young.

 

[Jimmy]

Someone told me that having your own child is both the greatest thing you will ever experience, and also payback for everything you got into as a kid.

 

[TopherDave]

It's great! Start them out young and they will probably more into doing outdoors stuff then you are!

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AK Family! Heck yeah. Love to see it!

 

[Q_Sertorius]

It’s great!

____________________
“Keep on keepin’ on…”

 

[DapperDan]

Had my first kid in January. We had no idea what we were having and when she came out I picked her up off the bed, looked down, and told my wife we have a baby girl!!!! Just like you I was nervous and concerned and elated and overwhelmed. Great advice on the poopy diapers. It isn’t bad. Well, there are going to be some moments referred to blow outs but imma let you learn about that on your own.

Take time to enjoy each moment as she grows. It’s been 7 months and mine has gone from teeny tiny with all sorts of challenges like being breeched and needing chiropractor work, a sever lip and tongue tie limiting her ability to suck which led us to feeding her out of a syringe for 3-4 weeks, to a neurological scare that turned out to be nothing, as well as just normal parts of having a child.

What I can tell you for certain is your dad instincts will kick in. Two things will happen. You will become softer and more patient and more loving/nurturing. The other thing that will happen is you will become more aware of your surroundings and be a force to be wrecked with when it comes to your child. And when she’s says da-da the first time be sure your significant other is close by to pick you up bc it will melt you to the floor.

Congrats. You will be fine. You have a community of working/hunting fathers here for support. If you ever have any questions about anything including pros and cons to breast milk vs formula, when to start feeding them solids, or even vaccines vs no vaccines please feel free to ask. You can even dm me if you’d like.

Just remember, you guys are her parents. You raise your child as you see fit and don’t let anyone tell you what to do. Family tends to cross this border a lot. lol


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[Gstew1930]

Just had my first daughter last week. This has been an enjoyable read

 

[119bowhunter]

Congratulations!

We did not find out what we were having ahead of time and I wanted a boy so bad…my wife said she could tell what it was by the disappointment on my face. Fast forward 5 years and she started Kindergarten this week and has been the greatest blessing I’ve ever had. She’s my best friend and adventure buddy.

I try my best never to tell her no when she comes and asks me to play with her no matter how tired or busy I am, I know it won’t last forever and I want to soak up as much of that as I can.



Oh, and always bring plenty of snacks…that’s probably not daughter-specific but just a good rule of thumb with raising kids in the outdoors

 

[Mighty Mouse]

Congrats on the incoming child. Kids are awesome…a huge lifestyle change and a lot of work, but it’s the most important and rewarding work you’ll ever do.

My advice is to 1) put a ring on your baby mama’s finger (if you haven’t done so already) and 2) start looking for a new vocation. The best thing you can do for your children is to be present with them daily and provide a stable home with two parents fully committed to each other.

 

[butcherboy]

I have a son and then two daughters. They are all great but the relationship between a dad and daughter is something special. I also take them out separately on little dates. Do all the outdoor stuff as well. My middle daughter is a feisty, no fear, red headed terror/angel! She loves to read and read at a 12 grade level when she was in the 4th grade. My youngest is very emotional and tender hearted.

One thing I will say that no one else has is to learn to apologize and quickly. There will be times when you raise your voice, send them to their room, etc. Give yourself and her a few minutes to cool off then go in and have a soft yet firm conversation with her. Be sure and say your sorry about what happened and then explain why it happened and that you don’t like raising your voice to her etc. it will happen but be ready now.

Also, those dirty diapers are different than cleaning up a boy. That poop gets into all nooks and crannies and you have to get it out. I don’t handle that stuff well or puke. I would clean it up when my wife wasn’t around but I dry heaved the whole time! Did my best when she was around as well but she would usually take over after she laughed herself to tears. Here’s a few pics of when they were little and a few more recent

 

[TreeDux]

Congratulations on becoming a dad. Great thread with a lot of great insights throughout. I have a 7 year old daughter. In all likelihood we’re a one and done family. That brings me down sometimes because it comes with the realization that so many of those sweetest moments have come and gone. It happens so very quickly. Every age and phase has its own joys and wonders. Revel in all of it.

 

[lintond]

Girls are awesome I have 2 out of 3, my 2 year old daughter is extremely strong willed and independent she runs the house and the other two.

Just remember you’re raising good adults not kids. Give them confidence in everything they do, raise them outside, and your good to go, because daughters always take care of there fathers in later years

You are right about taking care of dad. My dad lived with my sister for the last 18 months of his life because she was a better caretaker than my mom (or me). My MIL is currently doing the same with her father, even though he abandoned her at a young age.


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[timekiller13]

2 daughters here.

You will learn a lot about things you never knew you cared about.

I’m expert on French braids. I know a ton about ballet and lyrical jazz (my daughters are both competitive dancers). And I know the lyrics to about every Taylor Swift song there is.

But my girls also love the outdoors. One doesn’t care to hunt, but she loves fishing and hiking. The other does it all. We have been at dance competitions in the morning and then sitting in a tree stand that afternoon (sometimes with her big pink bow still in her hair!).

The big takeaway is they can still do the “girly” things while also being an outdoorsman. And you can learn those girl things as well. It makes you a more well rounded person (IMO).

 

[2ski]

I have no kids. I have no real advice. I just wanted to say, when I scroll down to the bottom of this thread where Rokslide suggests similar threads to this topic......."Started Dogs" is what it says is a similar thread....

 

[Blind Squirrel]

Daughters are great. Don’t forget they are the secret to getting hunting $ passed through the budget committee. My 14yo and I are headed on a moose hunt next month.

 

[kpk]

I'd never changed a diaper or really even held a baby until my daughter was born, made me super uncomfortable. That immediately changed when I had my own - it'll come naturally, don't sweat it.

You HAVE to take interest in their interests and that includes hair, make-up, tea parties, bracelets, etc. My wife told me, "It might not mean anything to you, but it means everything to her right now".

She's 6 now and is half princess half feral animal and the best friend I could've asked for.

 

[WoolyBugger]

Just had our second daughter this spring. I was on the fence about having kids the first go around and it came unexpectedly but was ultimately welcomed. I had never held a baby much less changed a diaper or taken care of a baby. Holy cow I wouldn’t trade that surprise happening for anything in the world. She’s almost three now and every time I’m walking out to the garage or going to grab something out of the basement I hear a little voice behind me say “I come with?”. Be ready for things to take a little longer because she wants to climb in her car seat herself or carry something that would be way quicker for you to carry. Those kinds of things seem to drag on but the months and years start flying by.

Young kids also don’t notice who buys them the best toys or the other nonsense that clutters the house but rather the ones that spend time with them. Before I had her, I was working a full time job and guiding fishing any chance I could book a client then any free time I had past that I was fishing or hunting for myself. My house was just somewhere I sometimes slept and stored my stuff. Now, I’m doing enough to scratch the itch and keep the freezer full because its hard to be away. I don’t mind at all. It does help that her favorite food is “dead deer steak” (she’s into assigning what animal any meat we eat is from). All that to say, I didn’t think I would ever be the one who is at home with a kiddo getting ready for Halloween instead of in a deer stand and not think twice about it.

I also think if you had a good set of parents yourself, having a kid is the only way to truly understand and appreciate all they did for you. At least for me it was.