Is Being an Entrepreneur Dad Possible? Valuable Lessons Learned

Earning a living is part of raising a family, and one of the routes you can take is becoming an entrepreneur dad. If you’re considering becoming a “father-preneur,” however, your worries might be pulling you back. Will you be able to run a company while still being a good father? Will your business get in the way of spending quality time with your family?

There are a lot of challenges that may make it seem as though being an entrepreneur dad is impossible. However, Dad University has created a helpful guide to help you find the right balance. Whether you’re a dad who’s planning to become a businessman or a businessman who’s about to become a dad, this article is for you. Let’s dive in!

Setting Expectations for Dad Entrepreneurs

What happens when you become a dad entrepreneur? Your life will become busier, and realistically, it will not be an easy time. Those who have to take care of newborn babies can expect sleepless nights and less time for themselves. While not impossible, being a dad entrepreneur while caring for an infant will be extremely hard.

Things will get better once your child grows older, but the challenges will still be there. You will still need to find the right balance when it comes to spending time with your family and running your business. We’ve shared a few tips to help you find this work-life harmony so you can succeed in both aspects.

Having a Supportive Partner

We’re going to tell you straight: having a supportive partner is of paramount importance if you want to succeed as a dad entrepreneur. If not, either your marriage is going to suffer or business is going to fail. There will be lots of internal struggles and battles you’ll face running your company. Having a partner who criticizes and is unsupportive of how you fight these battles will only lead to an unhappy, even toxic, relationship.

Make sure that your wife is on the same page about you becoming an entrepreneur. You have to let them know about your desire to become an entrepreneur, even before they commit to marriage or having children. This will require clear communication, attentiveness to their response, and awareness that your dynamic may change.

Being Home for Dinner

Work will consume a lot of your time, and you will eventually start missing a few dinners without even realizing it. Family meals are an important time for bonding and strengthening your relationship with your wife and children. Your absence will only make you seem emotionally distant to your family. Make sure to spend time with them during dinner and create a space where everyone will feel at ease and open to conversations.

As they grow up, your child will start having different priorities and miss dinners, too. When this happens, you and your wife will have to find ways to ensure that family meals don’t go away. You can do it on weekends or set dates when attendance at family dinners is required.

Scheduling Family Time

Speaking of setting dates, another way to ensure success as a dad entrepreneur is to have control of your own time. It may seem like you have limited time as you run your business, so you’ll have to pencil in family time on your schedule and stick to it. You don’t have to outline the activities for this, just make sure that the time is spent with your family.

Your schedule doesn’t have to be strict. Otherwise, you’re all but forcing your family to adjust to your own time. Instead, use the allotted schedule as a guide for everyone — this helps your wife and kids set their expectations and plan ahead. In addition, don’t let slight deviations bother you too much. You should make your family feel that they are still your priority, and small changes to your schedule are inconsequential compared to the time you spend with them.

Having Self Awareness

Are you spending too much time focusing on your business? You need to be able to gauge if you’re dedicating enough time to your family instead of your company. This is self-awareness. Your wife and kids may already be feeling that they’re not your priority as you work long hours. Don’t let it get to a point where they’re used to you not being around. Having an awareness of how you spend your time will help you determine if you’re using up too much on unnecessary things.

Being Present for Your Family

There’s no point in spending time with your family if you’re not going to be present. You could allot hours of family time, but if you’re going to be constantly on your phone or laptop dealing with business matters, then there’s no point. You need to be present and make an effort to connect with your family. In other words, be in the moment.

Quality is more important than quantity. So, even if you had only a few hours with them, at least they were great hours. Shut your phone off, even if it’s difficult. Don’t think about your next meeting or the next client you need to talk to. Instead, give your family your undivided attention and make memories.

Wrapping Up: Becoming an Entrepreneur Dad

Finding the right balance between being a father and being a businessman will take practice. You’ll need to make a conscious effort on how you spend your time with your kids as you run your operations. You won’t get it right at first, but achieving this harmony is possible with determination and dedication on your part.

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