House Speaker Paul Ryan revealed his stricter parenting side just in time for Father’s Day.
Ryan, known for his own stringent health and exercise regimen, holds his kids to similar standards: The three Ryan children — 14-year-old Liza, 13-year-old Charlie and 11-year-old Sam — aren’t allowed to have any sweets or processed foods, according to a new interview with People magazine.
“I’m probably pretty overbearing about that,” the Wisconsin Republican said. “I’m not a sugar guy and my general rule for diet at home is, ‘If it wasn’t a food 100 years ago, we don’t buy it or eat it.'”
He said he did amend that rule in order to generate more “aggressive” behavior in his kids’ basketball performances: Ryan agreed to take them to Dairy Queen when they would score. As their skills improved though, Ryan eliminated that reward.
Ryan made it clear last fall upon becoming speaker that he would continue to spend the weekends with his family in Janesville, Wis., — a demand he says was born out of losing his father when he was a teenager.
“I lost my dad when I was young, so I’ve just always been extra-sensitive to the topic,” Ryan said.
Still, he told People that the most challenging question he receives is from his children asking when he’s going to be home.
“I miss things during the week, so the hardest question they ask is, ‘Are you going to be home?’ when I know that I’m not,” Ryan said. “That’s the hardest one.”
When Ryan is home in Wisconsin, he is an involved father. During the weekends, he can be found at his children’s athletic events, which he confesses can make his children nervous. While he says he’s not vocal in the stands, he and his kids talk about their performance afterwards.
Ryan said his conversations at home usually don’t revolve around politics. He views time at home as a break from that aspect of his life.
“We don’t talk politics at home very often. To me, I want to get away from it when I’m home on the weekends,” Ryan said.
