Seriously, just tell him to smoke it overnight so it's ready by lunch. You still get that smoked flavor without losing a whole day with everyone. Family time should come first, not the cook.
Leo's overnight idea is the real fix here. My dad used to do the same thing with his smoker, waking up at 4am. We switched to putting it on before bed. The meat rests for hours and it's even more tender. You get the whole day back and the food is still perfect. It turns a chore into something that actually helps the day.