Crazy?

[275RLTW]

Being the father of two little boys, the youngest is just 2 month old, it is nearly impossible to keep my tactical sense separate from fatherhood. The following are a few examples of this blending of the father/operator. My wife thinks that I am crazy (using these as examples), I think they just make sense. For example:

-Diaper changes are refered to as "combat" (baby does not appear to have to go anymore) and "tactical" (possibility of getting peed on, keep new diaper in hand before removing old one)

-Diaper bag is called "baby bug out bag" and accepts molle pouches (40mm grenade pouches hold baby bottles perfectly)

-personal bug out bag now contains baby wipes and hand sanitizer

-I am reminded NOT to use powder measure when mixing formula for baby regardles of how clean it is

-I have to refrain from reading them "On Combat" by Dave Grossman as their bedtime book

-I refer to them as my "fire team"

-Instead of the alphabet, I'm working on teaching them how to give an op order

-My oldest loves MRE's and already has a favorite

-We work on fine motor skills by loading magazines

***disclaimer***I do not let either of them play with any guns (yet)***
While some of these are completely true, I have probally attempted them all and have thought of (and refrained from) many more. I think this is just fine, however you and your wives may have different opinions. I have not allowed them to go rapelling yet but only do to a lack of harnesses that small.

[Troublco]

My wife came home one day and found me with my (at that time) 7 year old daughter and 4 year old son, at the kitchen table, "counting bullets". They were helping me load magazines, so each one would count out the proper number to fill a magazine and I'd load one as each got me the rounds. They thought it was great fun, and my wife's reaction was amused astonishment at first followed by lots of laughter. They both learned firearm part nomenclature early, and my daughter (9 now) is always right with me if I'm working on one of my guns; wants to know what I'm doing and why, how the parts fit together, and what effect what I'm doing will have on the gun. She's also one of the few little girls who can watch Bambi and start thinking about what's for dinner. At 7, she started helping me process my deer (or antelope, or elk) because she wanted to. My wife, fortunately for me, is amused by the whole thing. She's very supportive of my hobbies, and doesn't mind the kids being there with me doing them.

My son's first round downrange came when he was 6; he was with me at the club while I was sighting in my varmint AR. He put a couple downrange, the first was 2" high and to the right of the bull. Daddy has that target AND the cartridge case, along with pictures of my boy with the rifle, ready to go into a shadow box. My daughter just got her first .22 for Christmas courtesy of pickenup; we haven't had a chance to go shoot it yet due to vacation and my club's closure for some HVAC work but it's coming up here VERY soon. She's so excited, I have no idea how she's managed to be so patient as long as she has. Definately Daddy's girl.

[theGinsue]

-Diaper changes are refered to as "combat" (baby does not appear to have to go anymore) and "tactical" (possibility of getting peed on, keep new diaper in hand before removing old one)

-Instead of the alphabet, I'm working on teaching them how to give an op order

Do you get hazardous duty pay for the diaper changes? At least tell me you get decorations for successfully compleing a tour of duty in a public diaper changing station!


Teach them the phonetic alphabet. Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta......



I think you guys are on the right track with raising your kids. Teach them these skills when their young and they'll have them with them their whole lives.

[GreenScoutII]

I can relate.

I have four little girls ranging in age from ten years to 18 months. I have been laid off a lot during the last 12 months and so I have done tons of Mr. Mom duty.

As men, we don't necessarily employ the same parenting methods our wives do. Below are some things my daughters would probably have never learned had I not been their primary caretaker as of late...

1. Five second rule: It is proven, scientific fact that it takes a full five seconds for germs to crawl on to a dropped cookie. Therefor, if it is retrieved within the five seconds, it is safe to eat.

2. .30-06 brass held at just the right angle makes a supurb whistle.

3. Green chilis mixed in with eggs is a perfectly acceptable breakfast for an 18 month old child.

4. Bacon is it's own food group.

5. Potato cannons are really, really cool. The potato cannon can help inspire future career opportunities. It sure helped "astronaut Barbie" get on her way.

6. 90 weight gear oil smells really, really good.

7. There really are only two kinds of laundry. Clean and dirty. No further distinction is necessary. Just throw it in the machine and add enough soap. If it comes out cleaner than when you put it in, you have success!

8. Contrary to what mom says, the dog is an excellent precleaning agent for dishes.

There are more, this is a constantly evolving experience for all of us...

[275RLTW]

[quote=theGinsue;159317]Do you get hazardous duty pay for the diaper changes? At least tell me you get decorations for successfully compleing a tour of duty in a public diaper changing station!

No hazardous duty pay or decorations although sometimes I do think changing diapers is a old form of chemical warfare! I do have it down to a drill like science; no go's are unacceptable!

[wyzardd]

My oldest was maybe 7 when he was playing with Nerf guns with a friend & I heard him tell the other kid to "keep your booger-hook off the bang switch"

Both of my sons started shooting pretty young - I cut down the stock of a 10/22 to fit a little guy, but I had to hold the barrel up or they'd tip over forwardish.

No way I'd take a chance measuring formula with my powder measure though. I wouldn't want to get that nasty stuff in my powder.

[Troublco]

6. 90 weight gear oil smells really, really good.

There are more, this is a constantly evolving experience for all of us...

I simply must take exception to this one. As much as I love the smell of Hoppe's #9, WD-40, ATF, and even Kroil, I simply can't develop any sort of positive emotion when the mere memory of the stench of 90 wt enters my mind. I can't really think of anything, a week old dead Brahma in the summer heat of Texas included, that reeks quite the same as 90 wt.

[Ryan_Th3_K1d]

My oldest was maybe 7 when he was playing with Nerf guns with a friend & I heard him tell the other kid to "keep your booger-hook off the bang switch"

That's freakin awesome...I've never heard it described quite like that. I'm definitely going to use that next time I'm at the range

[wyzardd]

I can't really think of anything, a week old dead Brahma in the summer heat of Texas included, that reeks quite the same as 90 wt.

90 wt reminds me of the one and only time I was downwind of a large quantity of liquefied pig shit.

[Tim K]

When were were getting ready to adopt our daughter last April, my wife came home with a diaper bag for me. Needless to say, since it didn't have any place for my grenades, I told her to return it. Instead, I bought a Maxpedition bag, one of the sling it over your shoulder types with an integral holster and grenade pouch (actually, I think it's for a water bottle, but I like to think I could put a grenade in it....if I had one.)

When we went to China to pick the little one up, I brought my "diaper" bag and used it for it's stated purpose (to carry diapers) and to carry all the crap I typically travel with. At the beginning of the trip, I received all kinds of smack talk from the other fathers (most all flaming liberals) for, get this, my "man bag". This from guys who didn't think twice about walking all over China carrying a big bag with a pink bunny on the side. Fags.

All through the trip, guys would say things like "where are we", and I'd whip out my GPS, or "I can't see under here" and I'd hand them my Surefire. Multiple times someone needed a screwdriver or pliers and I'd dig out the Leatherman. One ding dong even wondered what we'd do if the bus broke down in some remote part of the country (not likely where we were where it's wall to wall people) and I pulled out my SPOT GPS emergency beacon. After the first few days, I noticed that most all of them had quit teasing me, and about half asked where I got it. Fortunately, I never had occasion to use the "oh shit" first aid kit I carry.

I was frankly stunned at how unprepared most of those guys were for any problem that couldn't be solved with a call to room service.

I still use that bag as my diaper bag, but now it has more appropriate "tools" stashed in it than what I was allowed to take to China.