Robert Downey Jr. Stops 'Everything' for Family Dinner, 'Loves to Jam’ on Instruments with His Kids (Exclusive)

The 'Oppenheimer' Oscar winner and his wife and producing partner Susan tell PEOPLE about their happy home life

When Robert Downey Jr. climbed the stage at the Dolby Theater to claim his Best Supporting Actor Oscar, the Oppenheimer star gave a humorous and heartfelt speech and dedicated the award to his three children: Exton, 12, and Avri, 9, whom he shares with his wife of 18 years, Susan, and Indio, 30, from a previous marriage.

In the new issue of PEOPLE, Downey, 58, and Susan, 50 — who are also producing partners with their own company, Team Downey — give a glimpse into the happy home life they've created after meeting on the set of the 2003 thriller Gothika and welcoming their children.

At home, Downey brings the same devilishly funny energy he’s displayed throughout awards season as he swept the circuit.

“We all love his playfulness,” Susan says of Downey. No matter what hobbies Exton and Avri get into, Downey dives in.

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“He really cares about whatever they care about. And he will be indulgent,” she says. “Years ago [they were] into pancake art. We had everything you needed for pancake art.”

These days it’s music. “Both my kids and Indio, all three of them play instruments,” says Susan, who adds that Downey “loves to jam with them. Sometimes they’ll be like, ‘Dad, stop singing! Let me just play.’ But there is so much love.”

Downey delights in domestic life. He loves talking to Susan about possibly repainting the kitchen. At dinnertime the doting dad starts rounding everyone up: “‘It’s at 6 o’clock, it’s at 6 o’clock. Come on guys, it’s 6:01. Where is everyone?’ ” Susan says, mimicking her husband’s enthusiasm for punctuality.

“We say he's the perfect date because he's incredibly punctual and he makes sure that we are,” she adds.

“We always make fun of him about that, but I think that’s his way of saying, ‘I’m here. Let’s be together, let’s spend some time,’ ” she continues. "Let's stop everything and just talk and share."

The pair also tell PEOPLE they spent the day before the Oscars at Exton and Avri’s ball games, which proved to be a nice distraction before the big day.

“Baseball season is a boon for us because every weekend has this focus,” says Downey, with Susan adding, “Always games.”

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When they’re not on the baseball field, the kids are volleying jokes with their dad. Susan notes that when Downey, the son of underground filmmaker Robert Downey Sr. and actress Elsie, was growing up, “the commodity in his family was wit. And he passes that along.”

The kids, she says, “love to give him s–-t. It goes back to the wit and the humor. It's all good-natured, and they'll just call him out on stuff in a way that they would never do to Mom.”

For more on Robert Downey Jr., pick up the new issue of PEOPLE.

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