Joel Madden spoke to MTV recently about his career, but of course talking quickly turned to his lady-love Nicole Richie and their daughter Harlow Winter. Read the sweet quotes below:

“Being a father is nothing you can plan for. You’ve got to take it one day at a time, and there’s no manual or anything like that. It’s not a conscious change, it just happens to you all of a sudden. We had Harlow, and suddenly our priorities changed. We’ve both done a lot in our lives, had a lot of fun, but now it’s time to be parents, which is a different kind of fun. The priority is our daughter and the kind of family we build around her.”

“So far, so good. She’s 7 weeks old and amazing. She laughs and plays already. If anything, I’m the parent who gives the baby whatever she wants. Nicole has her on a schedule. She knows exactly what she needs. I just spoil her. If she’s crying, I’ll take her out of the crib and give her whatever she wants, so it’s a good balance.”

“We’re very serious about raising her the right way. … We’re both very hands-on about our daughter, because she’s the priority. I still am able to go out occasionally. I’m still able to DJ, and [Good Charlotte] will be going on tour, but for the most part, I don’t go out with Harlow to places where I think that she could be put in danger. That aspect of Hollywood isn’t a part of my life. You have to respect what it is, but you don’t have to participate in it.”

Source: MTV.com