1st time dad and bass

[999Brent]

I am after some advice, not so much parenting advice, but more how having a baby effected the time you had for bass. Especially related to learning advance techniques.
My wife is due in the next few weeks, so it is an exciting time for us, but I am wondering how much time I will be able to dedicate to music. (I have a full time job as well and work approx 50 hours a week...)
I have been playing for more than 20 years so the need for a lot of practice for playing in band is not really required anymore, recently I have been learning more advanced techniques and been more interested in jazz and was thinking about joining as jazz band, I guess I am asking will I have time, or should I give it a few years...
Does the baby get used to bass playing at home?
Your thoughts, experiences and advice appreciated....

[Plays_For_Dog]

I'm a new dad. My daughter was born in October last year. You will have plenty of time. Babies sleep a lot through out the day. As they get a few months older, watching you move is fascinating to them, so you can sit them in a swing or bouncer and play for them. My daughter loves it!

Don't worry too much about the noise while they are trying to sleep. If you carry on with normal activites when they're asleep as you do when they are awake, they will adapt to sleep through the noises. We make no effort to be quiet when our daughter is asleep, so now she can sleep through anything. We take her to hockey games and she sleeps through them! When we score and the buzzard goes off, it startles her awake, but she quickly nods back off.

I work 10 hour days and still find time to squeeze in a 20 minute to an hour practice most nights. The weekends are always jam packed with chores and errands, but I always find myself in my man cave at some point in the day playing or even better, with the guys rehearsing.

Congratulations on the new baby. It is the most wonderful experience you will ever have. It will also bring you and your wife closer on a whole new level. I have fallen in love with my wife all over again watching her transition from my lover to the mother of my child. That 6 weeks or more you can't "play with her" really sucks, but in the long run it's worth it.

Aaaaaaand, collic. Most babies get it, so start preparing for it now. Hopefully your baby won't have it, but if he/she does, study up on it so you can handle it in the most effective manner possible. All babies are different, so all collic cures will be slightly different too. Our daughter had a milder case of it, but still it was enough to be a nuisance. Gripe water works well. If you have to, don't hesitate to get some medication from your pediatrition. Save yourself the trouble and give your baby some medicine to ease the collic pain.

Lastly, welcome the help your mother in-law and mother are willing to give. You and your wife will be so focused on being new parents that household chores will go abandoned. My mother in-law came in really handy cooking, cleaning and doing laundry. I had to go back to work within a few days, so my poor wife would have been overwhelmed if it had not been for her mother here helping. It certianly sucks having the mother in-law around, but during the first few weeks of being a new parent, you will be very thankful to have her (if she is availible).

Best wishes.

[pflash4001]

First off, congratulations on the baby. Welcome to the best adventure ever. My wife and I have a 9 year old, 5 year old, and a 7 month old. As mentioned before, live your life. It doesn't stop because you have a baby. Do all you can to keep baby healthy. I know it'll sound weird coming from a guy here, but seriously, encourage her to nurse the baby. My wife nursed all three of ours...still nurses the baby...and I swear our kids don't get half as sick as a lot of their classmates. It's the best for their health and the least expensive option. My kids go with me everywhere. My older kids were laying mic and speaker cables with be at setups for gigs by three...they've seen Santana, Tom Petty, Aerosmith, Clapton, Iron Maiden, and many, many others. My little girl went to see ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd when she was 3 months old. Don't overprotect them. Take reasonable precautions, but guide them through life by your side. Enjoy it. It's a totally different set of challenges, but the prize is infinitely more precious than any you can imagine.

[kingjames59]

My son will be 7 weeks old tomorrow! He does not sleep at night. Please over look any mistakes in this post because I am most likely typing with one eye open. I have been able to keep up with my 20 minute practice sessions, but I have found that learning new music has been a challenge. This could be because I am a newbie or my lack of energy when i get home from work.

[NGJBeaner]

Congrats man! My daughter is 9 months old and since week one I've never had a problem. She would watch me play and smile and laugh. A lot of times it would even put her to sleep. Just keep the volume at a considerable level of course.

[StrangerDanger]

Congrats! Youre about to find out why youre here on this planet, bro. My daughter will be two in April. It does hamper you a bit for the first few months but after that, you will be fine. You will find that your leisure time activities will become a lot more rewarding with less leisure time.

[251]

It's your life, your family & your priorities. If you are wondering, yes there will be moments when you will hesitate choosing between your desire to play & your family's needs. Which do you think you will come 1st?

Consider this, if you store your bass, you can still play it 20 years from now. You will not get a 2nd chance if you put the 1st 20 years of your child's life "in storage". You have already chosen. Be here now.

Reality check - you just became responsible. The good news is you do not need to grow up. Being around a child will remind you how to enjoy playing. Never grow up. It's a bad idea!

FWIW, having children & sharing their lives are 2 of the best 3 choices I have ever made. 8-)

End of lecture. I get to play with my 3 year old grandson this afternoon. There is a song he wants me to teach him; "Rolling Down to Old Maui". His Mother played the Stan Rogers recording she heard, in the car, growing up; "It's a darned hard life, full of toil & strife, we whalermen undergo, & we don't give a damn, as we drink our rum, how hard the winds did blow ..." GTG.

[999Brent]

Thanks for all the great comments and advice, really appreciated.

[funkingroovin]

+1 to everything everyone has said so far.. The only foreseeable "downside" will be having to learn all the children's songs like Twinkle-Twinkle,Ol' McDonald,Row yer Boat,etc..not so bad really,but you have no idea how many times in a row a kid can sing a song!