Charles Kelley Reveals the Major Adjustment He Made When He Became a Dad

Charles Kelley and his wife, former publicist and Womanista founder, Cassie, welcomed their 3-year-old son Ward in 2016, with the couple’s lives changing dramatically after becoming parents.

The Lady Antebellum singer reflected on the biggest change he had to make after becoming a dad during a recent number one party for Brett Young in Nashville, revealing that his son provided a different kind of alarm clock than what he was used to.

When one of Kelley’s co-writers noted that the “first three weeks [of parenthood] are hell,” Kelley chimed in that it was “the first two weeks for me.”

“It was so like you’re just on such a high, what is happening. It’s the next two months of like, we’re musicians, we’re used to sleeping in until 10,” he explained. “That’s the biggest adjustment.”

“But the truth is you adjust, and you grow up, and you learn how to just pivot and just change,” the musician continued. “I went from literally, me and my wife both, never waking up before 10 to waking up at six in the morning every morning and just getting used to it. It is what it is. It’s such beautiful thing. It makes life so much more precious. It brought me closer to God than I thought I ever would be.”

Now, Ward is 3 years old and already following in his dad’s musical footsteps, as evidenced by an Instagram video Kelley posted in June that shows his son going to town on a toddler-sized drum kit as his mom accompanies him on the ukelele and Kelley provides some helpful advice.

Eventually, Ward finishes playing and tells Cassie, “We have to go backstage,” authoritatively heading down the hallway.

“Let’s go backstage now!” Kelley joked in the video’s caption.

With his backstage knowledge, it’s clear that Ward has spent some time on the road, with Kelley telling PEOPLE in 2018 that he and Cassie began taking their son on tour so his dad doesn’t miss a minute of Ward growing up.

“My wife and I have such a strong relationship that it’s just so much better when they’re out with me. Having them with me is so cozy,” the Georgia native shared. “I also don’t want Ward to grow up [and] be like, ‘I never got to see my dad — he was always traveling.’”

“He’s got such a unique situation to be able to see the world that most kids don’t have,” Kelley added. “I want him to grow up knowing how privileged he is and to not take it for granted. We’ve brought him along and really wanted him to be a part of our lives — not just this kid that you see every once in a blue moon. I want him to be proud of what I’m doing and hope I’m a good example for him.”

Photo Credit: Instagram / @charleskelley