"I think every day is different, right? My daughter's 6, and my son's 7. With where they're at, you never really know what you're going to get, so that kind of keeps you on your toes," Jeff, 39, said. "We're starting to get into some sports and more activities and whatnot. So, it's been nice to be around and see them take on those challenges and figure things out."
Regarding his parenting style, "I'd like to say that I'm a little stern in rules, but they do a good job of following them," smiled Jeff, who was the definition of a veteran presence during his playing days. "There's also times when you just let them do what they want and run wild. I think kids need that. So yeah, we're working on it. But it's been fun."
It's also been an adjustment, as this marks the first summer in nearly two decades that Jeff hasn't been training for an NHL season. He first broke into the league with Philadelphia in 2005 and recorded 442 goals, 409 assists and 851 points across 1,321 games.
"For the last 19-20 years, I've had a schedule – even in the offseason," Carter said. "So now to wake up and my days are consumed by other people's schedules, it's a little different for me, but I've enjoyed it. We're settling in nicely."
The Carter family is also settling into Pittsburgh full-time after spending previous summers in California. Jeff won two Stanley Cups in parts of 10 seasons with the Kings before the Penguins acquired the forward from Los Angeles at the 2021 trade deadline.
"We loved it, honestly, from the moment we got here… it just felt super easy, laid-back, relaxed," said Jeff, who's from London, Ontario. Wife Megan is from central Pennsylvania. "Both our families are on the East Coast as well, so that was a big thing, getting closer to everybody. But we just really enjoyed the area and the seasons and being able to get outside and do so many different things around town. It's been really good."
Jeff spent time with his former teammates in the Pittsburgh area before everyone went their separate ways. They went golfing and attended a few concerts, and when everyone gets back, Jeff plans to offer Evgeni Malkin a deal on cutting his grass. The guys got Jeff a Toro TimeCutter riding lawnmower as a retirement gift, which he loves.
"I'm gonna call Geno up here soon," Jeff laughed. "Give him a really good price. The lawnmower's gotten a lot of use, probably twice a week. It's nice; it takes me an hour to get everything done, and I usually do it when nobody's home. It's just a little getaway for me. So, I've really enjoyed it."
