How to Start a Podcast With Your Kids
Seven years ago, Nick Pavlidis talked about podcasting at the dinner table, which interested his four-year-old son Pavlos. “I explained to him that it was like a radio show, but on a computer,” Pavlidis says. “At the time, podcasting was still in its infancy. He said, “Oh. Can I have one? “” This is how the podcast Five Minutes with Dad was born.
Since then, Pavlidis has released 200 episodes with his son Nick and daughter Angela, who are now 11 and 9 years old.
“It was an incredible experience to have this audio diary of my children from four and two [years old] to 11 and nine years old,” he says. “It’s really great to hear some of our really fun conversations.”
Getting started is easier than you think
“Five Minutes with Daddy ” has amassed a steady audience thanks to the long-standing persistence of the Pavlidis, recording new episodes on topics relevant to all families. And getting started creating podcasts with kids is just as easy – get started. The only real requirements are a computer and a USB microphone. You will also need audio editing software – and there are free options for that, like Audacity .
Consistency in how often you record and release episodes is also important so that as you find an audience, they know when to expect new content. When working with children, Pavlidis also recommends brevity.
“The reason it’s ‘ Five Minutes With Daddy’ and not ’45 Minutes With Daddy’ is because it took us a good hour of recording to get five minutes of usable sound when we first started,” he says. “Don’t worry too much about perfection. Get started, start living, and over time you will improve dramatically and can really talk to your children about what is important to them. You will learn a lot about them. “
Editorial side
It is also important to give children the opportunity to come up with topics so that they feel interested. Five Minutes With Dad Topics include how to help in your community, how to choose a pet, get rid of things you can’t control, be a role model, learn outside of school, and more. These topics are large in nature and that is by design. Pavlidis says the podcast’s theme is personal growth and leadership for kids. Within this framework, ideas and themes come from Pavlos and Angela.
“I let my kids work with most of the creative control of the show,” says Pavlidis. “They are moving topics. I would advise parents to be the structure of the show, but allow your kids to work with creative control because it keeps them interested, energizes them and creates those opportunities to really do magic. “
Giving kids the opportunity to set editorial direction allowed for good content, but also helped Pavlidis learn new things about his kids. When speaking on the microphone about a specific topic, they often use examples or share details of their friendships or other aspects of their life.
“My daughter or my son will share with me the context or their feelings about the topics we talk about, [or] examples or examples of what [they experienced] at school with their friends,” he says. “I’m learning a lot of really interesting things about how they feel or what they do on the show, but it also helps listeners start those conversations [with their kids] or make them more comfortable. important conversations. “
The show also served as an important outlet as Pavlos and Angela adjusted to the dramatic changes in their lives during the pandemic. Pavlidis says recording the episodes also helped them remember to just slow down and speak.
“Sometimes when you’re busy teaching online or just spending a lot of time, you don’t pause to have a serious conversation,” he says. “I was helped by some really positive conversations between me and them, which reduced their stress a bit due to the pandemic.”
Business side
Pavlidis uses the show to teach other valuable lessons. He pays Pavlos and Angela $ 10 per episode, which they then break down into smaller categories: $ 2 for donations, $ 2 for savings, $ 2 for investments, and $ 4 for spending money.
“Now if they want something that costs $ 8 or $ 10, they don’t ask me for money, they say, ‘Dad, can we record two podcasts? “, He says. “I use the podcast as a parenting tool to teach other important lessons. It’s not just about the show, but how we can use the show to reinforce the important principles that I want my kids to grow up knowing. ”
Several services, free and paid, are available to host podcasts and allow listeners to download episodes after you start recording. Platforms vary, and some have file size limits or the number of downloads allowed. Popular options include Podbean , BuzzSprout , Anchor , Spreaker, and Transistor , but just to name a few.
Basically, Pavlidis recommends giving up the idea of being perfect or immediately trying to attract the audience. Just dive in and start.
“It’s worth it even if no one [the other] is listening,” Pavlidis says. “We’ve been fortunate enough to create multiple downloads and subscribers; it really touches my heart, but even if it weren’t, it’s worth just spending those moments with the kids. “