INTRODUCTION
We are privileged to conduct the interview of Zeeshan who is an inspiration to all the dads out there. He is Pakistan’s first Dad Blogger who promotes a good family life and talks about equal parenting and equal partnership.
Q & A WITH ZEESHAN KHURRAM
1. Describe yourself in three words.
Family man, Adventurer and Foodie.
2. Tell us about your journey. From where you started? Who inspired you?
I randomly started posting my family pictures, my experience as a father and somehow it became a blog. I learnt on the job. When i started I didn’t even know what an influencer means and how big the social media platform actually is but with time seeing different people from around the world i have learnt a lot. Social media has a lot of opportunities and if you don’t fall in the number trap it’s alot fun.
3. What’s the motivation/story behind this passion of yours?
I am a creative at heart with a very boring job so this is like an outlet for me to show my creativity and also share how important it is to have a family. I am very passionate about equal parenting and equal partnership (not sure if i follow it completely, my wife can answer that) and i feel Pakistani men should be more involved in the day to day life of their wife and kids. It really helps build a good family environment.
4. Has parenthood changed your perspective on the world in any way? If yes, then how?
Yes, it really has. Parenting changes you as a person, you are more careful of what you do, how you do it and the implication it can have on your kids. Your decisions matter more than ever as people in your family depend on them. I think you’re more mindful of the environment you create and also more scared of the bad environment which can affect your kids. While I say that I still have a strong belief that a child who receives good moral, social and religious education at home doesn’t go astray very easily.
5. Are you satisfied with your childbirth experience? Is there anything you wish would have gone differently?
My wife chose the hospital and we were quite satisfied with the experience. It went smoothly and the doctors were super cooperative with us.
6. What are the tips someone gave you which proved so helpful to you during parenting?
I’ll be honest we were given a lot of tips but we always decided that we’ll learn on the job. We had my mother and mother-in-law if we ever had any query or problem.
7. How do you manage your time with kids? What’s your schedule?
I don’t work 9-5 so I have windows in my day where I come home and spend some quality time with my kids. Sometimes it’s a few hours straight and somedays it’s hardly an hour but I try to give them my undivided attention and do things they enjoy.
8. Can you help our readers to know the ideas you have for healthy eating habits?
I’m not a very healthy eater, I eat out a lot but I do know what’s good so if you’re looking to eat healthy I would recommend having three proper meals. Breakfast should be the heaviest and Dinner the lightest. Add a lot of vegetables to your diet (i love tori, karelay, baingun). Daal is a great way to get your protein because its not ideal to have chicken everyday. Many people think that healthy eating habit means eating continental or English food but our desi food can be very healthy if made in less oil (desi ghee is a great alternative).
9. How do you deal with your child’s tantrums?
Tantrums are nightmares. Whenever our kids throw a tantrum we try to talk to them and if that doesn’t work we leave them alone for sometime. It mostly works but if it doesn’t I give in and my wife takes over. She would discipline them. It’s more like good cop and bad cop. It definitely helps when both the parents are on the same page.
10. What kind of relationship do you have with your child? -Strict -Friendly -Mix
I have a very friendly relationship. I would play with them (literally act like a child) and they don’t take me seriously unless I’m angry. Being friendly with your kids definitely helps keep the relationship smooth and they find it easy to communicate with you. I hope we can keep it like this when they grow up.
11. What does your child do when he/she meets a stranger?
My son used to be very unsocial while my daughter has always been social. They do get quiet at first but after a while they’re fine. They really enjoy meeting people, especially kids in their age bracket. I think when you take your child everywhere with you they’re more likely to get accustomed to meeting people.
12. Share your views on how being in a good school gives the child a sound foundation for life and the child is groomed into a socially mature citizen.
I have a very different view on schooling. Choosing the best school is important but it doesn’t have to be the most expensive one. I strongly believe that a child’s grooming is done at home and while they can learn alot at school their character and behaviour would depend on their upbringing, so it’s very important for parents to be fully involved in their child’s life.
13. How much time in a day do you give to your child?
Not much, maximum 2 hours.
14. Give advice on how to schedule time with the child, wife and other chores.
It’s important to give your undivided attention be it your wife, child or parents. Quality of time matters a lot more than the quantity. You can’t schedule but you should honour your commitments.
15. What do you advise new daddies to be cautious of?
Fatherhood is the best thing that happened to me. I just wish i knew more about postpartum depression, read up on it but other than that try to take each day as it comes and make your memories by learning on the job. No matter how much you read up on parenting, everyone has a unique experience.
That’s all. Thank You!
