July 5, 2025 — Nashville, TN
It started as a strange rumor on parenting forums — and now it's confirmed. Fox News host and father of seven, Pete Hegseth, has a very unusual daily routine: he wakes up at 4:00 a.m. every morning just to handwrite a personal note to each of his children before they wake up.
Yes, every single day.
The notes, sometimes tucked under a pillow, sometimes folded into lunchboxes, range from motivational quotes and Bible verses to short reflections, inside jokes, or even reminders of moments they shared the day before.
“He’s been doing it for years,” said his wife, Jennifer Rauchet. “Even on days when he’s exhausted from travel or broadcasting late into the night — the alarm still goes off at four.”
At first glance, the habit seems excessive — or even performative. But for many Americans, it’s become a surprising source of admiration.
“It’s not about the handwriting,” one parenting blogger wrote. “It’s the message it sends: ‘You matter to me, even before the world wakes up.’”
A War Vet’s Approach to Fatherhood
As a former Army National Guard officer and combat veteran, Pete Hegseth has long spoken about the value of discipline, duty, and presence — but few knew how personally he applied that to his family life.
“I missed too many moments when I was overseas,” Hegseth once admitted in a podcast interview. “Now, I’m not missing a single morning — even if I don’t see them before school, they’ll know I was thinking of them.”
Sources close to the family say the children — ages ranging from toddlers to teens — have saved years' worth of the notes in shoeboxes and folders.
“Some are silly. Some make us cry,” said one of his older sons in a rare interview. “But all of them feel like… Dad.”
Why It’s Striking a Chord with Americans
At a time when many parents struggle to unplug from work or social media, Hegseth’s analog, ultra-personal habit feels almost radical — and oddly nostalgic.
“It reminds us of the kind of parenting our grandparents did,” one fan commented. “Except with a modern twist — it’s intentional, it’s consistent, and it’s full of love.”
Online reactions have poured in since the habit became public:
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“He’s setting the bar high — and I’m here for it.”
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“Say what you want about his politics, but this is elite-level dad stuff.”
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“This inspired me to write to my daughter today.”