LOS ANGELES-Nicole Kidman has put her directorial ambitions on hold to raise her family.

The 51-year-old actress - who has grown-up children Isabella and Connor with ex-husband Tom Cruise and 10-year-old Sunday and seven-year-old Faith with spouse Keith Urban - wants to do her best for her loved ones so won't go behind the camera as it would take up too much of her time.

She said: ''I want to be a good wife and I want to be a good mother so that requires giving things up that I want sometimes.''

And the 'Big Little Lies' star has also turned down opportunities to return to the theatre for the sake of her kids.

She explained: ''The problem is you miss bedtime - and that for me is something I'm not willing to do.''

While Nicole isn't ready to direct herself, she thinks there need to be more opportunities available to female filmmakers.

Asked if she thinks the industry has changed in the wake of Time's Up and #MeToo, she told Britain's Grazia magazine: ''I think there's been an extreme swing of the pendulum in terms of it becoming a part of the conversation but has it actually instigated enormous change? No not yet.

''There is still a dearth of [female directors]. There's definitely not parity and it's something that I hope doesn't get lost now in the conversation.''

The 'Aquaman' star tries to always ''move forward'' and not dwell on things that go wrong in her life and career, and attitude she credits to her parents.

She said: ''I try to just go through life, you know, and move forward.

''I always try to feel, 'OK, well, if this didn't work out, there's that, there's that, there's that...'''