So, I am the child of a startup founder. Roughly a year before I was born my dad founded a startup. Throughout most of my early childhood he would routinely be working for 10+ hours at the office and then work after me and my sibling were put to sleep. Plus, he was usually travelling 4-5 days a month trying to pitch his idea (we didn't live in a big center for startups). Basically, he wasn't there.
I love my dad. A lot. He is still one of my favorite people, and when I come home it's always a joy to talk to him. But, he just wasn't around all that often as a kid, and I know he really tried, but you just can't be in two places at once. Honestly, I think it was a lot harder on my mom, what with the financial difficulties (especially when the startup eventually went belly up for a bit) raising me and my sibling on her own, all that stuff. I'm not angry at my dad, he did something he really wanted to do, and worked really hard at it, but you know you can't stop growing when you're five.
The only piece of 'advice' I have is try to carve out a regular time for being with your kids. Every Friday night, my dad would take me and my sibling down to the lake, and we'd get food, and talk, and play at an arcade (I still can totally beat him at Space Invaders, by the way), and that w as a really meaningful time for me and my sister, especially on the weekends he was working, or when we found him passed out in his chair after working all night.
I love my dad. A lot. He is still one of my favorite people, and when I come home it's always a joy to talk to him. But, he just wasn't around all that often as a kid, and I know he really tried, but you just can't be in two places at once. Honestly, I think it was a lot harder on my mom, what with the financial difficulties (especially when the startup eventually went belly up for a bit) raising me and my sibling on her own, all that stuff. I'm not angry at my dad, he did something he really wanted to do, and worked really hard at it, but you know you can't stop growing when you're five.
The only piece of 'advice' I have is try to carve out a regular time for being with your kids. Every Friday night, my dad would take me and my sibling down to the lake, and we'd get food, and talk, and play at an arcade (I still can totally beat him at Space Invaders, by the way), and that w as a really meaningful time for me and my sister, especially on the weekends he was working, or when we found him passed out in his chair after working all night.