Building your business as an entrepreneur is an amazing opportunity, but one that can make you feel guilty if you have children. After all, shouldn’t you be giving all of your time and attention to them? Your career as an entrepreneur is important to you and you know it will be beneficial for your family in the long-run, but nothing comes above the love you feel for your children.

How can you strike a balance so that you can pursue your dreams while remaining a responsible, fun, and approachable parent to your little ones? Whether your children are just learning to crawl or are heading into high-school, these six tips for raising children while building your business will put your work-life balance in order.

1. Strike a Work/Life Balance

One of the first things you will want to do when you are raising children while building your business is to learn to create a work/life balance. This term should be taken just as it sounds. It means that you will create a suitable balance between how much time you are spending on work pursuits versus how much time you are devoting to your marriage, your children, and your extended family, friends, and other responsibilities.

Creating a schedule and prioritizing your life. Put this schedule somewhere you can visualize it, such as on a calendar. This will help you get a better idea of where you are spending your time.

Once you can visualize your schedule, you will then be able to prioritize your time. Are you going to spend the night at your child’s play or spend it doing social media marketing to help build your business? Decide what requires your attention and what honestly doesn’t during the week. This will give you a balanced view of how to use your time.

“It’s all about quality of life and finding a happy balance between work and friends and family.” – Philip Green

2. Seek Reliable Childcare

The business world is not always conducive to raising children. If you are raising children while building your business and your mate is unable to take on the brunt of childrearing, it is in your best interest to see out reliable childcare.

Try and choose someone who your child is comfortable with such as a grandparent, aunt or uncle, or older cousin. This will make the transition seem more like a fun experience with family, instead of them missing out on time with you.

It may make you feel guilty, but there will be times where you need to take a conference call or business meeting with a prospective client that you will simply not allow you to stay home with your little ones. Having adequate childcare ensures that someone will always be there to pick up your children from school and make them dinner until you can come home and take the reins again.

3. Be Prepared to Work Whenever You Can

Being an entrepreneur means you have the flexibility to put your family first in your life. If you have to push back work for the day so that you can attend your child’s sporting event or parent/teacher meeting, you have the freedom to do that. Just know this means you need to be prepared to catch up on that work whenever it is possible to do so.

If the only time you can brainstorm ideas to build your business is between your child’s bedtime and 6 am, then you need to make it happen within that timeframe. Be prepared to work whenever you can to make your dreams a reality while making your family your priority.

4. Have a Realistic Timetable

In order to raise children while building your business, you’re going to need a realistic timetable. Growing your business is not going to happen overnight. It is going to take up a lot of your time and energy, which is why it is so important to prioritize your time.

Having a timetable will help you set goals and motivates you to work towards them before your due date for that specific goal arrives. Having your timetable visible to your entire family not only helps you remain accountable, but it also shows your family when you will be busy and creates an organized atmosphere in the home.

5. Quality Parenting Time

Your children need your time and attention in order to feel loved. They need to know that when they need you, you will be there for them. Creating a structured, safe environment is essential for your children to grow up feeling physically, mentally and emotionally taken care of. This is why it is important to carve out quality parenting time with your children.

This means being there for them at mealtimes, asking them about their day, addressing problems or concerns they have, as well as engaging in leisure time with them. Many families find it beneficial to designate one day a week to take time together away from their phones, friends, and jobs and focus on spending time together as a family. Play a board game, watch a movie, or head out on a local adventure. This time spent together will promote a strong parent-child bond and remind them that they are important to you.

“Kids are like a mirror, what they see and hear, they do. Be a good reflection for them.” – Kevin Heath

6. Don’t Pretend Your Family Isn’t There

When it comes to building your business, it’s only natural for you to want your clients and employees to see you in a professional light. But, that doesn’t mean you should be hiding your family in the background. The more open you are about your children, mate, and the needs of your family, the more understanding your clients and co-workers will be able you taking the time to raise your children.

Raising children while building your business isn’t always going to be easy, but it isn’t always going to be difficult, either. Learn to prioritize your workload, accept help when necessary, make time for playtime, and always let your children know that they have your undivided attention when they need it. These are the keys to successfully raising children while building a thriving business.