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In reality, there’s no such thing as a bad parent. All parents do everything within their power and means to make their children happy. However, as an entrepreneur, you may find yourself drifting at times from your values. You may be so caught up in your project that you unintentionally neglect other areas of your life, and unfortunately, one of these is family. It is possible to be a good parent as an entrepreneur, and these points will show you how.
Why be a great parent as an entrepreneur?
An exceptional leader is a person who is able to lead across many areas in life, not just at work. They must also show leadership with family, leisure, finances, health, etc. And of all these areas, the family is one of the most important.
There is no glory in business success if you have no family to celebrate your professional success with you. It is more worth it by far to take care of your family, even it means taking a bit longer to achieve the famous career success.
Spending time with your children when they are young and still at home is an opportunity you will never have again. Once a second, minute or day is over, it’s gone for good.
It is all the more important to ask yourself in all your actions, what your children will say, think, remember, and model of you when you are no longer here. This is why it’s important to take time to parent your children.
Keys to balancing your life as a parent and entrepreneur
Keep these points in front of you at all times, on your desk in a frame, to constantly remind yourself of them.
Always put the family first
This means always involving your family in your overall entrepreneurial vision. One way to start doing this is by asking for your partner and children’s opinions.
You may think that your children are too young for this, but remember above all that it’s precisely their youth that lets them communicate without a filter. Don’t hesitate to involve them in your decision-making. Make your kids your board of directors.
You’ll find that this is not only fun but quite useful. Not only will they feel involved, but they will feel that they are part of the adventure.
Always keep quality time in mind
If you work from home, you are always at home. Have you ever stopped to ask yourself whether this time spent at home is quality time? Understand that the moments you spend with your children, outside of work, no matter how short they may be, must be 100% devoted to them.
Have fun, chat, laugh out loud with them. Put appointments with your family on your calendar. Remember that your family is both your most important client and fan club. They are the ones who will encourage you when things go wrong.
Also, prioritize quality over quantity. There is no point spending a lot of time with your children if this time is not taken advantage of.
Partner with your spouse
The goal of this tip is to make your partner feel that your business could not exist without their role in the family.
Indeed, when you’re busy with your project, it’s your partner who spends time with the children. Otherwise, your children would be unhappy, missing both parents.
So a partnership involves evaluating your respective contributions to the success of the business, you as an entrepreneur, and your partner as the one taking care of everything else. Ask them to also hold you accountable and draw your attention to the details of your life together.
Take the time to ask your loved ones how they are doing every day
Even if it’s just for 5 minutes, always take the time, every day, to ask your kids how their day went. Ask them who they played with, how their homework went, what subjects they enjoyed the most.
Even more importantly, always take the time to listen to their answers. If you only ask the question, there’s no point. Pay special attention to their answer so they truly feel that you are interested in them and involved. This also goes for your spouse.
Go on one-on-one outings with your children
The goal of this tip is to offer high-quality moments to each of your children without having to share it with others. For example, plan a trip to the movies or to their favorite restaurant with each one of them. They will definitely appreciate having time alone with you.
Go on vacation
At some point, you should be able to take a break and go on vacation with your family. Above all, you should be excited about planning the vacation with them in great detail, instead of asking them to choose a destination without participating in the organization. You may not think it particularly important, but your children will love knowing that you can’t wait to go, that you want to be involved. A family is a team and you have to take care of it.
Sign homework
Typically, teachers ask for a parent’s signature on students’ homework or exams, to make sure that the parents are following their child’s progress.
It’s important to take the time to sign your children’s homework because it’s worth all the gold in the world to them. Much of their academic effort is to make you proud. Deep down, they want to get grades that will wow you.
As an entrepreneur, you know that defeat is part of the path to success. So, if your child gets a bad grade, don’t punish them. Instead, ask your child what didn’t work, what they didn’t understand. Bring your entrepreneur mindset to the table.
Remember that when you make a mistake, you don’t like to be judged. It’s the same for children, if not worse, because they’re sponges; they absorb all emotions because of their lack of life experience prevents them from navigating criticism and judgment as easily as adults.
Moreover, when criticism comes from parents, it’s even harder for kids to recover, because, for a child, a parent’s good opinion is worth everything. What you think of your children is their life. Guiding them through defeat instead of punishing them for it will increase their confidence and self-esteem.
Have everyone around the table for a meal
Even if it’s only one meal a day, it’s vital to have everyone around the table, without any formalities. Just be there 100% and come up with a joke or a fun game that sparks instant discussion around the table. Have fun! Relax!
In conclusion, as we stated right at the beginning, there is no such thing as bad parents. You are the best parents for your kids.
Your kids are not asking too much (even if we think that they are asking for the moon pretty often!), they just want to feel that you care, that you got their back, that you are 100% yourself when you’re with them. That’s it. So just try to enjoy the best years of their lives… of your life!
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