Macho men with daughters

[IDVortex]

I have no kids, so no advice. But reading these threads really makes me wish we had kids, especially a girl.

Have a 'adopted' niece, only thing ill say. They will look up to and come to you, as long as they know they're safe, loved, and cherished by you. My niece knows if she needs anything, next to maybe her grandparents, her uncle is the one she can call whenever and ill drop whatever for her.

 

[Robinhood21]

I always envisioned myself watching my son play football & taking him on hunts but I've been blessed with 3 beautiful girls. They're all great and once in a while my middle girl likes to go fishing and hunting. She's not obsessed about it like I am but with some convincing I get her out a few times a year and she always has fun doing it.

Changing diapers ain't no thing. Don't be that guy that never changes their kids diapers. I had a boss that told me once that he had never changed a single diaper of his 3 kids like it was some kind of flex. I looked at it as him being a douche bag..

 

[hikenhunt]

One thing someone said to me once that stuck and I completely agree with is: Long days, short years.

You'll feel like you're in an endless cycle of near sleepless nights, a kid that won't eat, fusses all the time, blowout after blowout, throw up down the hallway, etc. then you turn a corner and its on to sometime else. Soak in the moments, because it feels like you're stuck in a rut, then all of a sudden they are as tall as you!

 

[eddiewiggles]

I’m 26 years old. Have a daughter that’s about to turn 2, and have a son that will be here around the first of the year. People always say “there’s nothing like them” or “children are the greatest joy in life” which is true. But it’s not something you can truly understand until you have your own.

Before my daughter was born I mistakenly thought I wouldn’t have a problem disciplining her. It’s not so hard that I don’t do it, but man does it hurt your heart. I’m happy for you, and wish you the best. You’ll be wishing time will slow down.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[roosiebull]

I’ve been sitting around, patiently waiting for a couple of weeks now on the birth of my DAUGHTER! I’m still trying to wrap my head around that. Like most men, I thought my whole life I was going to have a son if I did have kids at all.

I’ve never changed a diaper! My one hunting buddy told me I was going to do great at it and said “you’ve dressed a lot of animals, it’s the same thing, just don’t get any poop where it doesn’t belong.”

To be honest, I’ve always wanted kids. Just wasn’t really happening. I commercial fish for a living, so I’m often gone for half the year. Half of the rest of the half, I was always gone hunting or out on an adventure. This year I’ve canceled my sheep hunt and caribou hunt. Super super weird. But my taxidermist ensured me, raising a daughter is better then any sheep hunt!

Let’s hear it! I’m curious to hear y’all’s advice. What’s it like raising a little female version of yourself?

I can relate, very much.

I too was out of town more than home commercial fishing, but as time went by I didn’t want to be gone all of the time, and still work on the ocean, but switched gears a little to be home more.

I think daughters naturally gravitate to dad, even though they rely on mom, they are nicer to dad we have to keep the balance, women are more emotional so the present father dynamic evens things out and we play an important role.

I will say it gets a little more challenging in the teen years, but our role is maybe even more important, we have to be the mediator, it feels like the most important time for us, they need the consistency in their life, because daughters can push mom’s buttons pretty easily, which doesn’t make any situation better, so a less emotional mediator is seemingly a big deal

I don’t think there is anything more precious than a little girl that is half you

 

[doc holiday13]

i'm 4.5 years into the journey.. First turkey hunt will be when she's 5...... so next year. She talks about hunting likes she's done it before

 

[Habitat#1]

Daughters are easier than boys to raise I think. Raise them to be self sufficient and confident. Both of mine hunt and can out shoot me with a rifle. We always told them if they didn't get in trouble and had good grades they could pick a graduation trip. Oldest one wanted a safari, only person in camp to have all 1 shot kills with her 7mag.She also drew NM oryx at 13 and made a 324 yard shot. My youngest hunts also and after get her nurse practitioner she wanted to go on a moose hunt since she could afford it. I get too go along to Alberta next month. One book you don't hear alot about that was decent was How to raise a rough and rowdy daughter>

 

[Dogone]

Love my daughter. My wife and I raised her to be confident and secure in her own skin. Show love and respect to your wife and your daughter will know that is how it should be. Then she won’t get tangled up with an abusive bum.

 

[LoH]

Dang, you know me too well! I was turd in my younger years…I have great regret for that and the way I treat some other men’d daughters. Also something I’ve been struggling with lately. Hits harder now, more then ever.

Well maybe now's your chance to set things right. "Purify your karma" as the buddhists say. The sting of my personal failures is sometimes the source of my commitment.

Very sweet thread, I have enjoyed reading everyone's stories. Good luck to you and your baby mama!

 

[Mt Al]

I have no kids, so no advice. But reading these threads really makes me wish we had kids, especially a girl.

Have a 'adopted' niece, only thing ill say. They will look up to and come to you, as long as they know they're safe, loved, and cherished by you. My niece knows if she needs anything, next to maybe her grandparents, her uncle is the one she can call whenever and ill drop whatever for her.

Good on you!!! Being a safe person for her to come to when she's hating mom and dad will make a huge impact on her life!

 

[Mt Al]

Girl dad here, two daughters who have been out of the house for years. There is no rewind button as a parent, and we spent a ton of time outside hunting, fishing, just being in the wilderness and they bring it up all the time. They were in diapers when we started, but kept it easy, fun and plenty of snacks and burgers together on the way home. Building fires, seeing things none of their friends will ever see, building confidence and by far the most important, just being together with no one else. We butchered deer, elk and a ton of birds, then made jerky or grilled up the meat together.

I'm so thankful that I could take that time when they were young. There's nothing (NO THING) more important. Zero.

Best of luck, there will be good times and very bad times but if they know they're loved unconditionally and you're a safe harbor when things go sideways, you're in good shape!

 

[SloppyJ]

I have two boys and secretly i was hoping for a girl on the second. Im totally stoked on two boys though. You'll be just fine. I always worried that if I had a girl that she would be too girly and not want to go do fun outdoors stuff with me. That was just me being naive and not having any experience as a parent.

My best friend has a daughter thats the same age as my oldest. It seems to me that girls are as cool as their dad's are. If they have a dad that doesnt do anything with them then I can see them sticking to typical girl things.

However, we started taking both kids dove hunting at 5 and theyre both getting their first shotgun this year to hunt with us. She fishes with us and hunts white tail too.

Girls are super fun and she always has a bit of a different perspective than us which is good for everyone.

 

[dirtshooter]

We have 2 boys. 5 and 2.5 and last week our daughter came along. Great thread just in time!

Both my boys want to hunt with dad apparently so this fall I think I'll take the 5 year old and see how he does sitting in the blind.

 

[ianpadron]

Oh buddy your life will never be the same and you're going to realize how lame it was before that little gift from God showed up. I was pumped to have a kid, knew it was going to be awesome, but the past 10 months have exceeded all expectations by several orders of magnitude.

Our little girl is 10 months old and every single day I am blown away by how much I love her. She is 100% a daddy's girl and every time I walk in the door she crawls over as fast as possible to give me a hug and get her kisses...I feel like the dang Grinch when his heart grew 3 sizes in a single day LOL

My wife and I are both super active, and were committed to making the baby part of our adventures from day one. We have done just that and the payoff has been huge. By 2 months old, in the dead of winter, we'd bundle her up and trudge around a 5 mile loop in the snow here in MT...she'd sleep and look at the trees.

By 9 months, we had her peak-bagging in the Beartooths at 10,600 feet, just straight chillin' in a backpack. Doesn't fuss, just giggles, smiles, and naps. Sleeps like a rock when we get home. Seems totally enamored being outside hanging with her parents and puppies, because that's her "normal". She goes on my daily ruck in the kid pack, loves it. We notice a drastic difference between her and our friends' kids/babies who run the show rather than just being dragged along on regularly scheduled programming.

Her toys are "boring", no shows or screen-time, and her first real food was ribeye steak lol. We're intentionally giving her a non-traditional (by today's standards) childhood with the hopes that we can shape a strong, well-adjusted young woman who makes the world a better place. So far, it seems to be paying off.

One thing to always keep in mind with girls, is that every single thing you do/say around her is setting the standard for what she is going to expect from a man someday. The way you treat her, her mom, the way you talk about others, offer a helping hand, communicate, etc.

For me, it has been a huge blessing to be held to a higher standard, and even though there will never be a fella good enough for her, I pray that I can set a good enough example that she can figure it out without running into the same issues so many young women do these days.

Biggest responsibility we'll ever have, and also the best thing we'll ever do, raising kids!

 

[mattflipper]

I was in the same boat as you. Have hunted and fished my entire life and when my wife got pregnant with our first everyone was saying “I bet you want a boy to take hunting”. Well we ended up with a girl. Then came number 2, girl again. I never once had thoughts other than, I guess I’ll have to teach these girls to hunt. Looking back, if I had a 3rd I’d want another girl. Mine are awesome. They can get all dolled up and look pretty but can get dirty and bloody in the woods just like a boy but that’s cause of how they were raised. Don’t treat yours any different than if they were a boy and they’ll turn out just like you expect. As for the hunting part, you’ll quickly shift your focus from 12,000 feet up a mountain or 30’ up a tree in freezing temps to figuring out the best way to get your kid on any legal animal from a ground blind or whatever is needed to make their hunt fun. Some of the stuff that would never get a second look from most hunters have been some of the best “trophies” I’ve been involved with killing. It’ll put the fun and real meaning of hunting back into it for you. Enjoy every moment because it really does fly by. These next 18/20 years will be the fastest of your life.