I’m Dan Pashman, Host of “The Sporkful” and “It’s Like I’m a Parent”
Dan Paschman hosts The Sporkful, a podcast about food and the people who eat it. Over the years, father of two children shared with the children a lot of thinking about the meal times, including on the hierarchy of children residues (he describes parents as “natural scavengers”), on the fact , how to break the ice cream cone for the next generation ( “Turn your fillings “To the bottom!”) And his protection of discerning eaters. He tells us about his parents and shares his tips for a successful family restaurant.
Name: Dan Pashman. Location: Greenlon, NY. Job: Host of The Sporkful podcast. Family: wife Janie, daughters Becky (8) and Emily (6).
Tell us a little about your family and your career. Was life mostly according to plan or were there any surprises?
In terms of my career, I’ve always dreamed of hosting my own radio show (which turned into a podcast). Personally, I dreamed of meeting the perfect woman, marrying her and having two beautiful children. So my life turned out exactly as planned, but the fact that the plan really worked is a big surprise!
Tell us about your morning routine. What are your best tricks to get out the door?
Trick One: Run! Just run away from home as quickly as possible and never look back. But really, I think you should be communicating with your partner – who is doing what on what morning, etc. My real trick is that I have a backpack that has everything I could ever need. , from headphones to deodorant, so I never really have to collect anything. I put my laptop in my bag and leave. I carry this bag with me everywhere and is always ready!
How much outside help do you get as a parent? Who or what cannot you live without?
My wife Janie is amazing, she keeps everything together in our home despite having three part-time jobs and being the primary caregiver. Also, my relatives, Alice and Jean, live nearby, and they help us all the time. They are the best!
What gadgets, apps, charts, or tools do you rely on? Have you come across an unusual parenting product that changed your life?
I rely most on Gmail and Google Calendar. My to-do list is the unread messages in my Gmail. My stress level and heart rate are directly related to the number of unread emails on my phone. If it reaches 100, I will largely need to be hospitalized.
Has the way you work changed the way you become a parent?
I am much more efficient now. It’s just that you will have much less time to waste when you have children. This will help you find a way to get the same amount of work done in less time.
What food do your kids most often look for at home? Do you name your dishes?
Their number 1 is pasta and cheese out of the box. When it comes to dishes that involve real cooking, Emily’s favorite is my brine-baked chicken, which I call Emily’s Chicken. Becky’s favorite food is my egg and cheese burrito or an egg and cheese sandwich that I call “The Egg and the Cheese Master.” I am very proud of my egg and cheese sandwiches.
Do you have any tricks on how to go out to restaurants with young children?
All parents know to order food for their children as soon as possible, but not everyone knows that drinks should be ordered for themselves at the same time. You then order food and have dinner while the kids eat dessert. Then grab your dessert and eat it at home when the kids fall asleep.
What about picky eaters?
Don’t worry about this! We just did The Sporkful podcast called In Defense of the Picky Eaters . Choice in food is so common, especially among children between the ages of three and six, that it can hardly be called choosy. If your child is growing up and the pediatrician says he is okay, that’s okay. And there is an evolutionary explanation – the prehistoric children who jumped through the forest, eating every bright berry they found, did not last long. It makes sense that kids are wary of new products and prefer to stick with familiar ones. So relax! Parents take picky eating too seriously.
How do you unpack?
With drink and / or exercise, not necessarily in that order.
What are you most proud of as a parent?
I watch my children do the same thing as me.
What moment are you least proud of?
I watch my children struggle with the same problems as me.
What do you want your child to learn from your example?
To be kind.
What are your favorite funny / weird / special family rituals?
For a birthday half, we cut Twinkies in half and give the person half a Twinkie on half a paper plate and we sing “Hap Ha Bir Da to you …”
Has anyone ever given you parenting advice that you really liked?
Someone said, “Between a clean home, happy children and your own mind, you can only choose two.” So our house is quite a mess.
What’s the hardest part about being a parent?
It never ends .
What’s your favorite part of the day?
I come home from work and make the kids run to the door to greet me.
The only thing I would like to say to other parents who are pursuing a career:
Do your best and just try to be there. Sometimes I’m with the kids and I’m distracted because I’m still thinking about the work I just finished and the work I have to do after they go to bed, but at least I’m there. I remember when I was younger my parents often came to my baseball games straight from work, so they were still in their work clothes. I have always appreciated that they came. They probably still thought about work sometimes, and now I can tell you as a parent that the games were incredibly boring, but they were there.