Seven years ago, Nick Pavlidis talked about podcasting at the dining table and piqued the interest of his then four-year-old son Pavlos. “I explained to him that it was like a radio show, but on the computer,” says Pavlidis. “Back then, podcasting was still relatively in its infancy. He said, ‘Oh. Can i have one ‘”And so it is Five minutes with papa Podcast was born.
Over the past few years, Pavlidis has released 200 episodes with his son Nick and daughter Angela, now 11 and 9 years old.
“It was an amazing experience to have this audio diary from my children, ages four and two [years old] up to 11 and 9 years old, ”he says. “It’s really cool to hear some of our really fun conversations.”
Getting started is easier than you think
Thanks to the longstanding persistence of the Pavlidis, Five Minutes with Dad has built a regular audience that records new episodes on topics relevant to all families. And that’s how easy it can be to create a podcast with kids – get started. The only real requirements are a computer and a USB microphone. You’ll also need audio editing software – and there are free options for that, for example audacity.
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How often you record and post episodes is also important so that they know when to expect new content when looking for an audience. When working with children, Pavlidis also recommends keeping things short.
“The reason it’s five minutes with dad and not 45 minutes with dad is because it took us a good hour to get five minutes of useful audio when we started,” he says. “Don’t worry about perfection. Start going live and over time you will improve a lot and really have conversations with your kids about what is important to them. You learn a lot about them. “
It took us a good hour to get five minutes of useful audio when we started. Don’t worry too much about perfection. Go ahead and go live and over time you will improve a lot.
The editorial page
It is also important to give children opportunities to develop topics to make them feel like owners. Five Minutes with Dad topics include helping out in your community, choosing a pet, letting go of things you can’t control, being a role model, learning outside of school, and more. These issues are inherently large, and that is by design. According to Pavlidis, the topic of the podcast is personal growth and leadership for children. In this context, the ideas and topics come from Pavlos and Angela.
“I let my kids run with most of the creative control of the show,” says Pavlidis. “You determine the topics. I would encourage parents to be the structure of the show, but let your kids run with creative control because it keeps their interest and makes them excited and creates the opportunities to really make magic happen. ”
Letting the kids set the editorial direction has resulted in good content, but it has also helped Pavlidis learn new things about his children. During on-mic conversations on a specific topic, they often use examples or share details from their friendships or other aspects of their life.
“My daughter or son will give me context or things that they feel about the issues we are talking about. [or] Instances or examples of things [they’ve experienced at] School with her friends, ”he says. “I learn a lot of really cool things about how they’re feeling or what they’re up to on the show, but it also helps the audience have those conversations [with their own kids]or make yourself more comfortable having important conversations. ”
The show has also served as a major medium as Pavlos and Angela adjusted to the drastic changes in their lives during the pandemic. According to Pavlidis, recording episodes helped everyone remember to just slow down and talk.
“Sometimes you don’t take a break from the hustle and bustle of online learning or just through the days to have deep conversations,” he says. “It helped have some really positive conversations between me and them that alleviated some of their stress related to the pandemic.”
The business side
However, Pavlidis also uses the show to teach other valuable lessons. He pays Pavlos and Angela $ 10 each per episode, which is then broken down into smaller categories: $ 2 for donations, $ 2 for savings, $ 2 for investments, and $ 4 for spending.
“If you want something that costs $ 8 or $ 10, don’t ask me about the money, just say, ‘Dad, can we do two podcasts?'” He says. “I use the podcast as an educational tool to teach other important lessons. It’s not just about the show, it’s about how we can use the show to reaffirm important principles my kids should know. ”
Various free and paid services are available for hosting podcasts that allow listeners to download episodes as soon as they start recording. Platforms vary, and some have limitations on file size or the number of downloads allowed. Popular options are Podbean, BuzzSprout, anchor, Spreaker, and transistor, but these are just a few of the many possibilities.
Above all, Pavlidis recommends overcoming the idea of having to be perfect or building an audience right away. Just dive in and get started.
“It’s so worth it, even if no one [else] listen, ”says Pavlidis. “We have been blessed to create some downloads and a following. It really pulls me to the heart, but even if it wasn’t, it’s worth spending these moments with the kids. ”
