So how do you Dads (and Moms) ever get time to play guitar?

[Lev]

Hey Guys,

I haven't been contributing much here lately but with good reason. I became a Dad for the first time three weeks ago when my Wife gave birth to our wonderful daughter Grace.

I don't think anyone can really prepare you for how much kids change your life especially in the first few weeks. It is hard work but it is also the best feeling in the world looking after one so small and helpless. I do however miss my guitar so for those of you who've been through all this before, how do you ever get time to play???

Gotta go chatch some ZZZ's now before she wakes again!

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff250/plevins/grace/014.jpg

[Kazz]

You wait until she is really zonked out for the night....and then squeeze in 20 minutes of playing....or wait until Mrs Lev is holding her for a feeding....then play a little for her to snuggle to....

[bigoldron]

New bride to start with, then 2 babies a few years later were part of the reason I sold all my equipment and quit playing back in the late 80's. No regrets though. I'd do the same over again.

Unfortunately, another reason for quitting was not only a lack of time and loss of interest, but I had also made some "less than intelligent" (OK, stupid then) trades and wound up with a really crappy Epi 335 copy. It "less than rocked" is the nicest thing I can say about it.

But, my new bride took my mind off the guitar. And, so did my girls later on. It's only been in the last couple of years that I rekindled my urge to play. Once you get that itch, you've got to scratch it. My wife and I have been married now for 21 years and my two girls are getting older (17 and 11), so they don't need looking after, so now I'm finding a little more time to play. :rockon:

Hang in there, Lev. You'll find time (and energy) to do a little "pickin' and grinnin'"! By the way, Grace is real beauty! God has richly blessed you as He has me. He definitely knew what he was doing when he didn't give me two boys! Kiss that baby every chance you can and tell her you love her every chance you can. And, when she's a little older, you might spark a little musical interest in her to start playing also. Good luck to you brother! :bravo: :D

[Algonquin]

Congratulations Lev... she's a beauty! :AOK:

These are precious times that are going to move fast... really fast! Enjoy as much of it as you possibly can.

Play your guitar to her if possible. Start leaning a few childrens songs so you can sing to her. Soon she will be gooing and cooing along with you! :bravo:

Enjoy the journey.

[Katastrophe]

Congratulations, Lev! She sure is a cutie!

For now, don't worry about playing. Focus on getting rest when you can, and taking care of your daughter for now. It's more than a full time job, but it's the best job there is.:AOK:

When my daughter (who is now 18 months old) came home from the hospital, I didn't have time to play at all for a few months. However, once she started getting bigger I would play some clean stuff while she was in her swing or in her exer-saucer. Sometimes that would be just the ticket for calming her down when she was fussy.

Now that she's walking and talking, sometimes she'll walk over to the couch by my amph and point. I'll grab the guitfiddle and play while she runs around and plays with her toys. Occasionally, she'll run up to me and strum while I hold a chord or two, or twist the volume or tone knobs while I'm playing.

Try to work out a time with your spouse where you can give her a break from watching Grace for a while, and in turn, she can take her off your hands while she takes Grace for a walk or to visit with friends. Time management becomes important, and it's important to have an occasional break for rest and relaxation.

When she starts sleeping through the night (which should happen in a few months), you'll get some more rest and be able to pick up the guitar at night after she goes to sleep. As she grows her nap schedule should change as well. Mine now only has one nap in the afternoon, but it's usually for a two hour stretch. That's good quiet guitar playing time on the weekends!

You'll get more time to play soon. Enjoy the time you have with Grace, time will fly by and before you know it, you'll be chasing her around the house!

[Katastrophe]

Hang in there, Lev. You'll find time (and energy) to do a little "pickin' and grinnin'"! By the way, Grace is real beauty! God has richly blessed you as He has me. He definitely knew what he was doing when he didn't give me two boys! Kiss that baby every chance you can and tell her you love her every chance you can. And, when she's a little older, you might spark a little musical interest in her to start playing also. Good luck to you brother! :bravo: :D

Ron, that's awesome advice. Truer words have never been spoken!

[Spudman]

Congratulations Lev.

For now there is good advice below. For when she is older I have found duct tape to be most advantageous to further my practice times. I'm not saying exactly how it helps but if you get a roll I'm sure you'll figure out what to do with it.:D

[Robert]

Congrats! I play when our girl is sleeping. Still, I don't get much time, which is why you never see much music being posted from me. Short of time - all the time!

[Brian Krashpad]

Congrats!

Everybody else has already said it better than I could. Just fit it in when you can. As they get older they require a bit less work, and even at this age you can play for them. Most babies and kids like music. As others have said, she make take after you and want to learn an instrument some day!

My daughter (now almost 15) tried drums for awhile a couple years ago, but I'm a terrible drummer and she didn't like the instructional videos we tried from our local library. Upside: we still have a drum kit just in case! More recently, she asked me to show her how to play bass. She's to the point where now she can go on the web and find bass tabs for songs she likes! Plus playing has awakened her interest in music generally, she's raiding my CD collection on a regular basis for her Ipod!

I hope you can find a way to share music with your daughter too!

Now get some sleep.

[Tone2TheBone]

Is there pics? I can't see I'm at work....Congrats with baby Gracie!

[just strum]

Hey Lev,

A big Congrats on the arrival of your first child. When I started playing both my kids were young teenagers, so besides school events, there was time for me to play. Now that I think back to when they both were young, I may not have stuck with the guitar, but it is obviously able to be done.

Guitars are fun, but enjoy that young child.

[sunvalleylaw]

Lev, the others have covered it pretty much. I first got a guitar (my acoustic) 6 or 7 years ago when my kids were young, and I could not find the time to really start into it. If you are patient, and put first things first, the times will come, and you already know how to play, so you can hop in and use it for stress relief and to get your mind off the craziness that can be part of family life for a while.

When my kids got a little older, and my oldest started lessons, that was when I was able to start and I found this place. I still run out of time and energy to give it as much time and effort as I would like, but time comes, and it sure is a nice way to spend some quiet (or LOUD) time when I get it. You just can't compare yourself to single folk with no responsibility. That drives one crazy.

On the other hand, as long as I let him come to me and show me what he is doing rather than bug him about it, my oldest is becoming someone I can play guitar with. It is awesome. He taught me the main lick to "Ironman" the other day after learning it at his lessons. :AOK: :D

[aeolian]

First, Lev, I have to congratulate you and your wife on the arrival of your child. She's beautiful!

I don't remember how it happened but I quit playing guitar a couple of years before I met my wife. We got married in 1989 and by 1996 we have 2 kids. When my son (the youngest) was about a year old I started getting the itch to play again. It was not easy to find time, but sometimes when the kids were occupied with playing with their toys and games I can actually play a little. I used an amp simulator and headphones so the noise was not a distraction. Now they are older and I do have more time to play.

I enjoy playing guitar, and I love my wife and my children. My family comes first, but playing guitar still gets a modest amount of attention.

[Childbride]

Lev, Grace is a Precious, Beautiful Gift.

she's just adorable. :)

[M29]

Congrats Lev:AOK: I remember holding babies when I was single at family functions or what not and it just was not the same until you hold your own. After that it is such a joy to hold anyones baby! What a blessing:AOK:
Again...Congrats to your and your family.

M29

[bigoldron]

Play your guitar to her if possible. Start leaning a few childrens songs so you can sing to her. Soon she will be gooing and cooing along with you! :bravo:


Sure, learn some kid songs that she'll get into like "Sunshine of Your Love" or "In a Gada Da Vida" or maybe "China Grove"... :D ;)

[t_ross33]

Congrats, Lev!! I have 3 girls, 13, 10-1/2, and 8. Give me a shout when you need some advice :D

As far as guitar playing goes, when my kids were small I was not involved with a band and music wasn't a big priority - it was always there, but "life" stuff always took over. I did, however, always find time to noodle with my acoustic - even if I was just watching TV.

Kids are great. Life changing in some ways, but there will come a time when your life once again becomes your own.

But when it is all said in done, make sure you take some "Lev-time" now and then. Seriously, if you are well balanced and happy, your kids will pick up on your attitude and outlook on life far, far quicker than they will ever take anything you tell them to heart... for the first 20 years of so anyway ;)

Rawk it when you can. Hopefully you will instill a lifelong love of music in Gracie the same way my Dad did in me, and I'm (hopefully) doing in my kids.

Peace and Blessings,

Trev

[just strum]

Congrats, Lev!! I have 3 girls, 13, 10-1/2, and 8. Give me a shout when you need some advice :D



Trev, you have a lot of boys that you are going to have to interrogate in the near future.:rotflmao:

[bigoldron]

T_ross33 and I have the girls. If you start having boys, then you'll need to check with mrmudcat. He's got an abundance of them!

[Tone2TheBone]

Finally saw your daughter's angelic photo from home. She's awesome and so cute! Babies are great!

[t_ross33]

Trev, you have a lot of boys that you are going to have to interrogate in the near future.:rotflmao:

Oh, it's starting already. But I have plans. Each more sinister and diabolical that the last. BWAH HA HA HA!!!








:rolleyes: at least that's what I tell myself. Gawd, I wish I didn't remember what I was like when I was 13, then I could at least be oblivious, now I have to try to be delusional :rotflmao:Beer helps. :beer: So does guitar :rockon:.

Oh well. They are really good kids. All you can do is love 'em. :AOK:

Trev

P.S. Yes, Lev. Someday this will be you too :poke:

[just strum]

P.S. Yes, Lev. Someday this will be you too :poke:

Sooner than you can imagine:D

[bigoldron]

Oh, it's starting already. But I have plans. Each more sinister and diabolical that the last. BWAH HA HA HA!!!


I've found the movie "Uncle Buck" to be a good reference guide on how to handle the little turkeys that tend to hover around. I especially like the hatchet and the cordless power drill. They definitely get the boys' attention! :rotflmao:

[t_ross33]

I'll just greet them at the door with...

"I've got 150 acres and a shovel..." :nono:

Oh well, looks like 13 y/o wants to be a guitar player, so who knows what kind of riff-raff she will drag home :rotflmao:

[bigoldron]

Oh well, looks like 13 y/o wants to be a guitar player, so who knows what kind of riff-raff she will drag home :rotflmao:


My 17 year old's boyfriend actually does play guitar, so he and I hit it off. We'll sometimes ignore her to play. She's got him coming to church and he's joined, which we're excited about. But, he's also playing bass with our youth praise band (which I kinda head up), so I'm happy to get someone trainable on bass. Especially since that lets me keep an eye on him. ;)