Brett Young says his new baby daughter has made him a more protective person. So much so that the "In Case You Didn't Know" singer jokes that he's stocking up on fortifications to protect his family.

That's how the musician put it to Taste of Country Nights on Monday (Nov. 11) in the run-up to the 2019 CMA Awards. Asked how being a first-time father has changed him, Young explains the personality quirks he's developed since he and his wife, Taylor Mills, first welcomed Presley Elizabeth Young into the world last month.

Revealing the "crazy thing as a dad that has clicked" for him, Young speaks to the protectiveness he's experienced since his daughter's birth.

"I'm a super emotional guy, and you can hear that in my songwriting," he says. "But this 'I will protect you' thing has kicked in. It's like, 'I love you, you're cute. But also, I bought more bolts for the front door.' You know, 'I'm shopping for a shotgun. Don't worry; I got you.'"

Brett Young Fans Will Love Caylee Hammack

However, Young is sure to give credit to his wife for handling the lion's share of childrearing when he's out on the road. As for the specifics of his fatherly responsibilities, the singer says he's dutiful any time he's asked to pick up the slack on taking care of baby business.

"It would be unfair to complain," Young admits. "[It's] definitely my wife doing 99.999% of it. At the very most, I'll get a nudge every once in a while in the middle of the night, going, 'Can you just please change her diaper?' And that's when you have to — no matter how tired you are — just be like, 'Of course, right now? Yep. Got it.'"

He adds, "I've just started going back out [on tour], and they're short trips. But she's three weeks old today. They change so much every day. I'm really bummed that we put gigs in November and December. … It's been interesting. I miss them like crazy. And I also worry that I'm not there to protect them. Which, we live in a safe neighborhood; it's not like that. But you get kind of neurotic and irrational about it."

Next year will see a lot more touring from Young when he heads out on the Chapters Tour in January. But the musician will be sure to bask in tender moments with the daughter he hopes will grow up to be like her mom. And while the singer, who wrote a song for the child before she was born, may need a bit more education in diaper-changing, Young seems content to cherish his daughter's childhood any way he can.

"Her ears looked like my ears when she was born," the singer offers. "And then, the first trip I went away for two days, I'm like, 'They're starting to look like mom's ears. How are your ears changing in two days? I'm OK with it, I love mom's ears, but you can't change while dad's gone. Stop it.'"

That said, there's one topic that could bring out Young's most protective nature. Responding to the prospect of his daughter eventually dating, Young quips, "She'll do that after she starts driving, which won't happen till she's 30. We're going to get safe behind the wheel at 30; then we'll talk about boys."

See Country Music's Most Doting Dads

More From Taste of Country