“How do I make more time for the family?”
The question is a frequent guest in just about every parenting blog, forum, or group. Between overtimes, work that follows you at home, and emails and notifications from colleagues, many working dads and moms may find making quality time for the kids a tough challenge.
But worry not.
Somewhere out there, a dad out is facing a more hectic schedule and bigger work responsibilities than everyone around them. Yet they still make family time.
World’s Richest Dads
This isn’t to say your plight is moot as someone has it worse than you and still gets by. Your struggles and challenges are 100% valid! And that’s why we need to turn to people who’ve been in a similar situation and still came out in one piece.
Join me as we look at some of the world’s richest and busiest dads, and their unique approaches to making and spending quality time with wife and the kids.
And here’s one promise:
The lessons you’ll from these dads don’t require you to be rich like them!
Image Source: Pixabay
Richard Branson’s Super-Early Start To The Day
“There is nothing more wonderful than spending quality time with family. It is so important to recharge, reconnect and relax with the people you love,” says Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group.
With over 400 companies in the group, meetings ‘round the clock, and projects to push through, how does the self-made billionaire from UK make time for his family?
Simple:
He gets up at 5 in the morning!
Not everyone likes getting up that early. But for Branson, doing so gives him the head start he needs to exercise and spend time with his family. He either hits the tennis court, rides his bike, or goes for a run. After which, he takes breakfast with his family and plays with the little ones for a few hours.
Mark Cuban’s Weekend Schedule
Mark Cuban is an investor, author, philanthropist, and the owner of Dallas Mavericks. In 1999, he made history by making the largest single e-commerce transaction – buying a private jet online for $40 million!
One of his reasons?
So he can travel comfortably with his family and spend time with them while in the skies.
Chances are, you can’t afford a private jet. So why is Cuban in this list? Because of how he handles the weekend. The Dallas Maverick’s owner can afford as many nannies as his heart desires. But on Saturdays, he sends the nanny home so he, his wife, and his kids can lead normal lives.
“We try to be as normal as possible. The whole idea of someone serving you, this and that, that’s not us,” said Cuban in an interview.
For the entire weekend, Cuban goes full-daddy mode: making meals for everyone, playing with the kids, and tucking them into bed at night. Oh! And he does the laundry, too.
Brad Smith On Not Missing The Crystal Moments
Brad Smith is the CEO of the $4.7-billion business and financial software company, Intuit. Nearly 8,000 employees are under his wing and tons of responsibilities are on his shoulders. The CEO admits to missing some important moments with his wife and growing daughters.
That’s just reality. With our jobs keeping us occupied for more than a third of our waking lives, working dads can’t make it to every soccer game or PTA meeting.
Smith’s cool with it. But he makes sure he doesn’t miss the crystal moments. These events and occasions are extra special, like the birth of a child, graduation, birthdays, and more.
Aside from guaranteeing his presence when it mattered the most, Brad Smith also started weekend daddy-daughter breakfasts after taking up the helm at Intuit. The set-up affords Smith the opportunity to have a one-on-one conversation with one of his daughters on any subject the little Smith wanted.
Ryan Smith And His No-Screen Policy
Ryan Smith is the CEO and co-founder of Qualtrics, a data-collecting company now valued at $2.5 billion. With over 1,300 employees and overseas offices to manage, Smith’s days are packed with meetings, emails, and leadership responsibilities.
But the truly amazing part:
He still manages to connect and have fun with his five kids!
To keep up with his hectic schedule, Smith takes a step back to re-evaluate what he did for the past week, paying special attention to how and where he spends his time. He assesses how he’s doing as a husband, father, and CEO.
And if he feels he’s spending less time with the family than he should, the “40 under 40” CEO makes adjustments to his next week’s schedule.
To make sure he spends quality time with the little ones, Smith adopts a “zero screen time during family time” policy. Doing so allows Smith to be truly present for the people he loves the most.