Halle Berry believes having a career makes her a "better mother".

The 50-year-old actress - who has daughter Nahla, nine, with former boyfriend Gabriel Aubry and Maceo, three, with ex-husband Olivier Martinez - thinks parenthood has given her skills that help her in work, while feeling "fulfilled" in her professional life helps keep things smooth at home.

She said: "Having careers and being fulfilled that way makes us better mother.

"It makes us better able to operate in our careers with a sense of compassion and empathy that make us better businesswoman. We have to have them both and we have to keep trying to figure it out. And we get it wrong sometimes. And guess what, that is OK too."

However, the 'Kingsman: The Golden Circle' actress admits she always feels "a little bit guilty" and doesn't think it's possible to find a perfect balance between work and home life.

She told People magazine: "You don't ever balance it completely. It's a constant struggle of a little more time there, a little more time here, and feeling a little bit guilty all the time.

"I just keep telling all my mom friends who work that it's OK to give ourselves a little slack sometime and not let the guilt sit on us so heavily and know that we are doing the best we can."

And Halle hopes both her children, though her daughter in particular, seize the chance to work, have their own independence and be in charge of their own lives.

She said: "For both of my kids, but I have a daughter and she is going to have to work and I want her to work and have that independence and be the captain of her ship in life.

"She is learning that this is what she will have to do to."

When the 'Kidnap' star isn't working, her free time is devoted to her children.

She explained: "When I happen to have free time I am always thinking about what can I do with them. What can I do to have those moments really matter. I want that quality time because I know quantity is sometimes limited."