Do Parents in Business Face More Stress to Succeed?

 After yesterday's post regarding succeeding in business and the fact that you can't succeed if you see each misstep  as a failure, I began to wonder if perhaps those of us business people that are also parents face more pressure in business because of what we feel we need to portray to our children.

Let me see if I can clarify this!

All business owners risk losing money when they venture into ownership. All business owners risk of having to stop and close the business doors at some point.

Parents, however, must do this with this one thought in mind-my kids are watching.

We can send them great-or awful-messages as business people. We can use business ownership to teach our children about success, and how to be successful. This doesn't meant that what we try always works, like we talked about yesterday; but it means that we do not give up at every little misstep.

What better way to show our children this message than by doing so through our actual experiences in business?

Our children watch and listen to everything that we do. The other day I was telling a girlfriend how difficult it has been these past few months living so far away from my mom, who suffered a stroke and is now recovering across the country. Yesterday she had an angiogram. I was too far away to do anything, and I had to simply wait for her to call-and she was fine, but she called much later than anticipated, which stressed me out.

At dinner my daughter said, " You want to live in Florida now that you have two daughters?" I asked why she thought that and she said, "Because we are so far away from your mom."

They listen. As business owners we need to keep this in mind and use it as we operate our companies.

I believe that having two daughters has placed a bit more stress on my shoulders to succeed. I want to do so not just for myself, but for my family as well. in addition, I want them to see me working hard to accomplish my goals. I'd also like them to see that when you do work hard, your business can grow, and I hope in the future this is exactly what I am able to prove to them. Plus, as a mother to two daughters, I'd love for them to understand that they can do whatever they want in life, too. I can tell them this over and over, but what better way to get the point across than to show them?

What are your thoughts? Do parents have it tougher when it comes to business ownership? Also, do you feel pressure to succeed not just because of a financial attachment to your company but because of what you want your children to see and do in the future?

I would love to hear your comments!