Almost 4 years ago now my life changed for the better. Not that the life I was living was bad at all. I loved my life. But, now I love it more than I could imagine at the time. On June 15th, 2020 my wife and I had our first child, Juniper Rain Kirchner. Things would never be the same for us and we’d grow in more ways than one. The Dad life began.
As someone who lives a very busy life and spends a fair amount of time away from home during hunting seasons, I wanted to do a little virtual check-in with what I’ve learned since our little girl came into our lives. Some changes I’ve made, mistakes, and what life looks like overall now. With any hope, there are some new Dads out there that can benefit from this. If that is you, let me just say, I’m stoked for you!
Fair warning, this is largely going to be about being a parent and has very little to do with hunting, haha. At the same time, it has everything to do with it.
Before the days of “Dadhood,” I remember always feeling like I had no time. To be fair, I still feel like that now as a father, but it was really eye-opening to me just how inefficient I was being with my time beforehand. Once our little girl came into the world, I didn’t have the luxury of doing things like going to the gym whenever I wanted or writing articles at my leisure. These were things that still needed to happen, but I had to find time where time didn’t exist. At least I thought.
Basically, I was squeezing every minute of time out of the day that I could and using it to its full potential
When my daughter was just born, my routine changed from getting up at 6 a.m. to getting up at 3:30 a.m. This allowed me to work on articles and my fitness before she got up. I’d also get stuff done when she’d take her naps during the day. The Dad life had me squeezing every minute out of the day that I could and using it to its full potential. It was the only way and that schedule lasted for about the first year of her life.
Nowadays, things are much more manageable. I still get up early, but now it’s because I don’t want something like working out to get in the way of spending time with my daughter. So, I get up at usually 4:30/5 and get my run in or whatever workout I have planned that day. This is also a time I like to write, because the house is quiet…like right now.
It always makes me chuckle now when I hear people who don’t have kids say they don’t have time. I think to myself, “Yeah, I remember those days.” The fact of the matter is, you have more time than you think and you’ll find it in the name of your kids.
When you have your first kid, your patience is likely going to be pushed to limits you’ve never experienced. At times you’ll feel the urge to either scream into a pillow or curl up in a corner and cry. Raising a human is tough on all fronts, but it’s the most rewarding thing I’ve ever been a part of.
You can’t negotiate with terrorists
There were times when Juniper was younger and I’d snap emotionally. I’m human and everyone has a breaking point. This never ended well. On the surface, raising your voice seems like it would translate well to a 2-year-old. Turns out, it is quite the opposite and in the end, always made me feel so stupid. They don’t know what they don’t know. When you yell, they yell, and nobody is listening then. Makes sense. A good friend put it to me this way. “You can’t negotiate with terrorists.”
Since then, I’ve learned that being calm translates to being calm. And if there is an outburst, being calm will result in an overall shorter situation. I’ve taken this newfound patience into the field too. There is no reason to rush things or act rashly. Let things play out and keep your composure. This has been especially true with archery hunting for me. You stay calm and the kid…I mean the deer will be less likely to blow up.
One of the biggest things I’ve realized living the Dad life is that we never stop growing. Whether it’s our patience growing, time management skills, or our hearts. This life is a marathon and each step forward will make you stronger in one way or another. The same can be said about hunting. At times, you’ll want to quit and be left questioning your sanity. Whether it’s becoming a father or becoming a hunter, great things don’t come easy. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Want to learn more about Backpack Hunting? Check out my book Becoming a Backpack Hunter – A Beginner’s Guide to Hunting the Backcountry.
Copyright 2019 Dialed In Hunter
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