When you hear the words “celebrity parents”, chances are the first thing you think is “nannies!” How else are celebrities supposed to work in the limelight, travel, be away from home so much, and look flawless if they don’t reel in a bit of outside help? After all, it takes a village to raise a child! Some celebrities really go OTT with relying on nannies – one simply isn’t always enough, especially if there’s more than one energetic kid running around the house. The sad thing is that relying on nannies so much can cause celebrity parents to miss out on important moments with their kids. But before you think Hollywood moms are lazy, it’s a myth that every celebrity hires help when they bring children into the world. In fact, there are quite a few stars who resist the temptation altogether and instead decide to be hands-on parents without an exit clause – even if that means long days, lack of sleep, and pure exhaustion. (At least they still have makeup artists around to help remove those under-eye circles, though!) Here are 10 celebs who can’t survive without their beloved nannies, and 10 stars who prefer to do parenting their way.
20 Can’t Live Without: Mariah Carey
First, Mariah claimed that she and her former husband, Nick Cannon, wouldn’t hire nannies to help with their twins, Moroccan and Monroe (aged 7). But then she caved, and who could blame her? Looking after two babies can be tough work! However, Mariah was clear about how she wouldn’t just rely on a nanny for everything.
“I wouldn’t be just like, ‘Oh, I’m having a child, yay! Let me get a nanny so I can give her the baby. Take the kid’,”
she told Hello! magazine. “That doesn’t work for me, I don’t believe in that.”
Mariah has also said that she remains hands-on with the raising of her kids, even though she has hired help. However, while nannies who work for the diva might be glad to have jobs, they’re lucky if they manage to hold onto them. In the same interview with Hello!, Mariah spoke of how she’s not afraid to fire nannies in a heartbeat. Celebuzz has also reported that Mariah tends to fire nannies when they get too close to her kids because she doesn’t want them to make themselves more important in the children’s minds than she is. One would think it would be good for the children to have a nanny to be close to, but it seems even when Hollywood stars hire nannies, they want to be the star of the show!
19 Go It Alone: Selma Blair
When Selma Blair gave birth to her son, Arthur (now 6), People reported that she was suffering from serious lack of sleep. But despite this, she still didn’t want a nanny, even though she tried to enlist one for a while. “Exhausted from an intense and problematic and long labor, I couldn’t recover and didn’t know whom to turn to,” the star recalls in an interview with Mother Muse. “I hired a nanny, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable without my baby. I nursed for years and was drained.”
Selma, who's a single mom, goes on to explain how difficult the next few years were for her. “I had one friend who really tried to be there. She cooked for me every Sunday night and always was there for support but I didn’t even know how to ask. I was with my beloved son every minute when not at work, and counted every minute as special, but I was deeply depressed.”
Since her experience, she seems a bit more open to the idea of childcare and insists that mothers should not avoid getting help. “I ask you to tell a friend you are overwhelmed,” she says. “Let a friend watch your child for a couple hours so you can sleep if childcare isn’t an option.”
18 Can’t Live Without: Chrissy Teigen
From before model Chrissy Teigen and her husband, John Legend had kids, she was very clear about the type of nanny she wanted around her children. As reported on Parents.com, she said, “No hot nanny!” Apparently, it’s been a regular joke in their celebrity household for ages. But on a serious note, Chrissy has been very open about all the help she uses for raising her kids. She told Entertainment Tonight that she feels lucky to have help from her husband, her mother, and a baby nurse. She went on to say that she feels blessed to be able to have a life outside of being a mom, which is thanks to all the help she has had with raising her kids, Luna (2) and Miles, who’s now a month old.
"Not a lot of people can go on date nights, can have a sitter, have someone take care of their baby. 'Me time' is important, but not everybody can do it,”
she said. "Every time I look at [my daughter] Luna, I wonder, 'How on earth does anybody do this alone?' I have the utmost respect for mothers [and] single mothers.” Nicely said!
17 Go It Alone: Jennifer Lopez
Glamorous singer and actress Jennifer Lopez might seem like the type of parent you’d assume would have lots of staff to help her raise her twins (now aged 10), but it just wasn’t for her. As reported by Baby Gaga, she tried hiring nannies to look after her children, but it failed because she couldn’t stand being away from her children for too long. According to The Daily Mail, Jennifer has previously admitted how overwhelming parenting can be, saying, "Nothing can prepare you for twins. I certainly was not prepared. I would [tell new parents to] "stay calm."' But even though she doesn’t rely on outside help to raise her children, Jennifer admits that it’s still hard to get quality time with them.
Her kids travel all over with her, yet sometimes it’s not easy to schedule mom-children time. “My son said to me this week, he goes, "Mom, I'd like to schedule ... a picnic with you this week cause I know you've been, you know, working hard,” Jennifer said, according to the same Daily Mail article. “He was with me in New York, but still, he was like "Um I'd like to schedule a picnic for next Friday because we need more quality time." And I was like, "Okay baby."'
It just goes to show that even without nannies, working celebrity moms battle to be present for their kids all the time, but it's great that Jennifer wants to be with her kids as much as possible.
16 Can’t Live Without: Miranda Kerr
It’s not easy to keep things together when a child enters someone’s life, especially when it comes to the busy lives of celebrities. Australian model Miranda Kerr has been pretty open about reeling in help from lots of outside sources to help her raise her son, Flynn (7). From sometimes using a night nanny to relying on Deepak Chopra for post-birth meditation, Miranda’s not afraid to ask for help, as reported on the Sydney Morning Herald. She’s also not ashamed to be open about how she hires a nanny to look after her son when he spends time with his father, her ex-husband Orlando Bloom. As she told the Sunday Times of London,
"The nanny is with [my son] all the time when he is with Orlando; don’t get me wrong, he’s a great dad, it’s just me being a protective mother and wanting to make sure all his needs are met. I want to keep Flynn’s routine. Orlando’s fine with it. In fact, he likes it, it’s less pressure."
Interestingly, Miranda doesn’t use the same amount of help from a nanny when she’s looking after her son. "When I get home [the nanny] leaves and I switch my phone off," Kerr said. "My son is an absolute joy. ... My number one priority."
15 Go It Alone: Amal Clooney
One would think that A-listers such as George Clooney and his wife, Amal, would hire at least one nanny when they had twins - Alexander and Ella (aged 1) - but they wanted to parent without any help. And, it’s not just Amal who was changing dirty diapers – George told the Sydney Morning Herald that was his job. “What's the point of being a parent if you don't get your hands dirty? That's what it's all about,” he said. He added that he was really looking forward to raising his kids. “I am looking forward to their first word, talking and seeing what they come out with, that excites me. And how they're going to talk back to me.”
However, he admitted that parenting was quite chaotic. “It's a total train wreck. I'm not going to go into detail [laughs]. And I used to say to my friends, "What's the problem, this diaper thing is easy!" Yeah, now I know [laughs].”
The couple hasn’t changed their minds about being fully immersed in parenting. However, they have requested help from childcare expert, Connie Simpson, who’s helped other celebrity couples in the past. Talking to People, Connie said she actually ended her retirement to help the Clooney family out. Since the twins are almost at the "terrible two" age, it's time to call in reinforcements!
14 Can’t Live Without: Kylie Jenner
If you expect to hear that Kylie Jenner has lots of nannies to help her look after her daughter, Stormi, you’d be absolutely right. Life & Style magazine has reported that Kylie doesn’t just have one nanny to help her look after her four-month-old bundle of joy, but a total of four nannies! How would that work because it seems like hiring a lot of people to look after one child is a bit much? Not for Kylie, it isn’t! A source told Life & Style that Kylie keeps her nannies on rotation and “really loves having all the help she can get."
"As a first-time mom, there are a lot of things she’s unsure about. She wants to make sure Stormi has the best care possible.”
She clearly has good intentions with hiring so much help.
Kylie's also been very protective of her baby, even keeping Stormi indoors and not letting strangers get too close, the magazine goes on to report, adding that all the nannies were thoroughly scrutinized before being hired by the star. Nannies aside, let’s not forget, Kylie’s also got lots of family members around to help her if she needs them. Nothing but the very best for baby Stormi!
13 Go It Alone: Blake Lively
Instead of having lots of nannies, one of the trends happening in Hollywood parent circles is that of reeling in loved ones to help out with changing diapers or babysitting. That’s the case for Blake Lively, who’s got two kids with Ryan Reynolds, James (3) and Inez (1). Blake has said she doesn’t need nannies because she’s got her family to help her. She told NW magazine, "My parents are pretty much the nannies! They are the best baby nurses you could pray for. They raised five kids so they know what they are doing."
And, of course, Blake likes being as hands-on with her kids as possible. “It's tough when you get pooped on and barfed on, but having a baby is wonderful,” she said. “Even when it's tough and I'm exhausted I think 'I am so fortunate.' When are looking at your child and she's laughing, it's hard to do anything else.”
It seems to make more sense to have loved ones step in and help out with parenting children instead of hiring nannies because then the kids aren’t surrounded by strangers and outsiders. By spending more time with their grandparents or aunts and uncles, those celebrity babies can form stronger relationships with beloved family members. Everybody wins!
12 Can’t Live Without: Beyoncé
Beyoncé is another star whose motto when it comes to hiring nannies is “go big or go home.” Beyoncé and Jay-Z have hired a team of eight nannies to help them raise their three kids, Blue Ivy (6), and twins Rumi and Sir (1). It’s been reported by The Daily Mail that the couple spends a whopping $100,000 a year to pay their nannies. But why so much hired help? The Daily Mail also reports...
That since the twins don’t sleep at the same time, Beyoncé wanted three – yes, three – nannies to look after each child. They work in eight-hour shifts when looking after the twins.
Blue Ivy also gets two nannies, even though she’s quite a bit older. Wow! That’s a lot – and it doesn’t stop there.
Jay-Z and Beyoncé also ensured that they were able to bring all their children along for their On the Run 2 tour, which recently kicked off on the 6th June, and obviously, their team of nannies have joined them to keep the kids happy and well-looked after, according to ET Online. Seems having the kids tag along is a great way to ensure that Jay and Bey can keep their family life and careers going strong simultaneously. And, when money is not of the slightest concern, why not go OTT?
11 Go It Alone: Mayim Bialik
Smart and successful actress Mayim Bialik has a no-nanny rule she lives by because she values time spent raising her kids. As a mother to two sons, Miles (11) and Fred (7), Mayim wanted to express to people why she chose not to hire a nanny for her children so she wrote a blog post about it that you can read on Kveller. In the post, Mayim writes, “I want to raise my kids myself. I don’t want help from someone else or input from anyone other than my husband, who is home with our boys when I am working (I was the primary 24/7 caregiver for the first year of both of our boys’ lives). I like nursing all night, waking up at 6 am to feed my sons and try and keep them content. I like the challenges because I like the results. I like knowing exactly what they are interested in, what foods they like and don’t like, and I love being there if they fall, get discouraged or punch each other. I love holding them when they cry and seeing their joy when they build something awesome with LEGO.”
She goes on to say that it’s every parent’s choice to either have nannies or not. “ I don’t think I am better than anyone for making the choice not to have a nanny, celebrity or not. My husband and I made the choice that was right for us, and everyone gets to make the choice that’s right for them.” Exactly, and they seem to be doing what works for them.
10 Can’t Live Without: Jenna Dewan
Some celebrity moms are quite outspoken when it comes to the challenges of being parents, and actress Jenna Dewan is one of them. When she gave birth to her daughter, Everly, (5) she told DuJour Magazine that she was trying not to schedule her life around that of her baby. “Kids are life-transformative, but they should fit into your life,” Jenna said.
“You don’t want to feel resentful for forgetting about a whole part of yourself. It’s tough learning how to balance and multitask; it’s a lot of balls to juggle. That’s been the biggest learning curve of this year for sure.”
She went on to add that, “it takes a while to adjust to [being a mom]. You’re running around non-stop because your ‘me time’ is completely gone, but it’s also the most fulfilling thing in the entire world.”
Of course, it sure helps to achieve this mom-life balance when you can hire a nanny to help you out! The father of her child, ex-husband Channing Tatum, previously said that the couple hired a nanny when their daughter was born. As he told E! News, "I am sleeping a little, probably a little more than most. A lot of people who have a baby probably don't have as much rest as I do. We have [a nanny] helping us manage all the risks of having a newborn."
9 Go It Alone: Reese Witherspoon
Just because some celebrity parents like to raise their kids without the help of nannies, it doesn’t mean that it’s all smooth sailing. Actress and entrepreneur Reese Witherspoon has been vocal about that, after her experiences with raising her kids – Ava (18), Deacon (14), and Tennessee (5). As reported by Southern Living, Reese has said that her parenting hasn’t been perfect. “I think you love your kids with your whole heart, and you do the best you possibly can. There are some sacrifices you make, and it hurts your heart sometimes. But my kids tell me they’re proud of what I’ve accomplished and that just means everything. I grew up with a working mom, and I have so much respect for the things she did as a nurse and a teacher. I would never begrudge her that.”
Ryan Philippe, Reese’s ex-husband and co-parent of Ava and Deacon, has cited both his and Reese’s humble upbringings as being a foundation for their parenting style. “I want my kids to grow up and be people who I would want to hang out with, who are conscientious and care about the rest of the world and realize how lucky they are," he said, according to Metro. "That’s one of your jobs as a parent. I imagine it would be more difficult if we weren’t as hands-on as we are if we allowed them to be raised by nannies."
8 Can’t Live Without: Jessica Alba
Not only is she an actress, businesswoman, and mom, but Jessica Alba is a mom to three kids, Honor (10), Haven (6), and Hayes (5 months). How does she manage to juggle everything? With an amazing nanny who she loves so much, she’s honored her on Instagram with a moving tribute!
As reported by Refinery29, Jessica's post reads, "I'd like to introduce y'all to a very special person. My sweet @nannyconnie."
"Nearly 10 years ago she came into my life and showed me the ropes with my newborn baby Honor - even though it was only for 3 weeks, as a new mom, it set the stage for me to take on the biggest, most important thing that had ever happened to me."
"She taught me how to bathe, feed and soothe my new baby. And taught me about the importance of taking care of myself and gave me the space to have all the feels and not feel so alone."
That post's not just a really sweet tribute to her beloved nanny, but it also shows moms out there that it’s important to take some time off and look after themselves instead of feeling isolated as parents. Good for you, Jess!
7 Go It Alone: Kristen Bell
After actress Kristen Bell gave birth to her daughter, Lincoln (5), she told Us Weekly quite blatantly that she didn’t want to be the type of mother who raises her children with the help of a nanny, and she also didn’t want to be away from home more than was deemed necessary. It seemed like something that would be difficult for a celebrity and actress to pull off, but Kristen was determined to make it happen. “I’m back with baby full-time, which is so nice,” she said, after a stint of work when she returned home to her family. “I want to be very hands on. I want to cook for my family and feel present for them. I’m always missing [my daughter] when I’m not there.”
Since then, Kristen and her husband Dax Shepard have welcomed a second daughter into their lives, Delta (3), and their kids are still Kristen’s Number One priority. “I don’t let myself feel guilty about not committing to things anymore,” she told People when asked about what surprises her the most about being a working mother. “How I position it in my head is that I have more of an obligation to my daughters than I do to anybody else.” Nicely done!
6 Can’t Live Without: Charlize Theron
South-African born actress Charlize Theron is against the idea of having lots of hired help when raising her kids. The star, who’s a mom to two adopted children – Jackson (6) and August (2) – says that contrary to what people think, she actually doesn’t have a staff filled with lots of people to help her parent her kids. “People think I have a staff of 40, but I don’t,” she said in an Elle interview. “I have one nanny and my mom up the street and amazing friends and family. I call them my village.”
Charlize does think it’s important to ask for help as a mom, and it’s her mom who’s mainly stepped in to assist her with raising her children.
“I knew that I would have to have my mom help me if I was going to do this as a single parent,” she said. “To not acknowledge her co-parenting my children would be a lie.”
It’s refreshing that so many celebrities are stepping forward and being honest about how they need help when raising their kids, instead of keeping their nannies hidden away out of sight. And, with so much going on in their fame-ridden lives, it’s only natural that they can’t do everything themselves all the time.
5 Go It Alone: Eva Mendes
Another celebrity mom who’s behind the steering wheel when it comes to her parenting role is actress Eva Mendes, who’s a mother to Esmeralda (3), and Amada (2), daughters she shares with Ryan Gosling. Eva told InStyle magazine, “I’m a very hands-on mom; I don’t have a nanny. No matter how tired I am, I just do it.”
But sometimes it’s just not that simple, especially if you want to be a working mom. Even celebrities feel the heat sometimes. A few months after her statement, Eva said that she and Ryan were sticking to their guns of not hiring a nanny but they were relying on loved ones to help them out. As reported by CBS, Eva said, “I’ve never appreciated my family so much, they’ve been amazing. I don’t technically have a nanny, but I do have help.”
She also explained that she’s never really been against the idea of nannies – it boils down to different choices for different parents. As she said, “[I’d] like to clarify, I’m certainly not anti-nanny, you do what you need to do as a parent, but I’m so grateful that I have help with my family and [Ryan’s] family.”
4 Can’t Live Without: Angelina Jolie
Sometimes raising kids can be chaotic, and that’s what life must be like for Angelina and Brad, especially since their divorce. In the past, they’ve been known to have hired six nannies to look after their six children – one nanny per child, The Sun reports. Angelina even hired her brother, James, to supervise the six nannies to ensure they were doing their jobs correctly, but she recently fired him because she noticed that the job was just too stressful for him.
"It was his job to be there if any of the kids woke up during the night and to deal with the nannies if they had any issues. He was virtually running the household and it became very draining,"
Stuff reports. "Angelina was worried about how exhausted he looked and realized he needed a break. Brad is coming back into the kids' lives, so things have calmed down a little. She's grateful that James was there, but knows she can't rely on him every step of the way."
Lots of nannies are required to look after the Jolie-Pitt celebrity kids because reports have claimed that Angelina hardly gets to see them. As reported by Hollywood Life, a source has said, “Even when she’s home, she is usually holed up in her room making phone calls. She likes to take credit for being a supermom, but she really doesn’t spend a lot of time with the kids.”
3 Go It Alone: Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi
Not just a full-time celebrity, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi of Jersey Shore fame is also a full-time mom. She’s openly admitted to how stressful being a parent can be, but she also says that she’s grown a lot since becoming a mom to her children, Giovanna (3) and Lorenzo (5). “I used to be scared of kids, I didn't like kids, I didn't know how to hold a baby," she says in an interview with ET Online. "But everything came so naturally to me once I became a mom. I feel more mature now. I'm more responsible, I'm a good mom ... yet I still know how to have fun when I want to!"
Talking to the online haters and mom-shamers on Twitter, Snooki expressed, “I don't have a nanny, I'm a "real mom" who runs a company and also stay at home mom taking care of 2 toddlers.” Her best friend, Jenni ‘JWoww’ Farley, told ET Online that she’s proud of Snooki. "There's a lot of negativity, criticism, and backlash, but she doesn't have a nanny, she doesn't have a chef and she’s able to be a full-time mom and a full-time celebrity -- and that ain't easy."
2 Can’t Live Without: Zoe Saldana
It seems to be a celebrity trend to hire a nanny for each child, and actress Zoe Saldana has jumped on the bandwagon. When she gave birth to twin boys, Cy and Bowie (who are now 2), she called in the reinforcements by hiring two nannies. She’s now also got a third child, Zen (2), and praises her hired help for assisting her in keeping her career going strong. And by “hired help”, we don’t just mean nannies. As reported by It’s The Vibe, Zoe explains that it takes lots of people to help her maintain her work-life balance. "Our assistant, our nanny, and our housekeeper. They are literally raising our children with us,” she admits.
“It’s because of them I am able to rip myself away as long as I can, and my husband as well, to do what we do. They’re teaching us how to manage our pain as they’re raising our kids with us."
Although it’s tough for Zoe to be away from her kids, she holds fast to her belief that she wants to show her kids the importance of chasing their own dreams. As she says on It's The Vibe, "I don’t want to raise kids who put other people’s priorities first. They need to know how to put their priorities where they need to be. You show them how you fight for your dreams."
1 Go It Alone: Jenna Fischer
Actress Jenna Fischer is one of those celebrity moms who refused to have a nanny and wouldn’t budge from her decision. Six years ago, she gave birth to her son, Weston, and when talking about parenting, she busted some celebrity mom myths that usually do the rounds. “It’s so funny because I think there’s the perception that every [famous] woman has a driver and a chef and a personal trainer and a nanny,” Jenna told People. “I don’t have any of those things. Like other working moms, I’m trying to figure out how to balance it all. When I say I’m going jogging with my son or eating certain things or whatever, there’s a tendency to be cynical and say, ‘Of course, because someone cooked it for her’ – or ‘she’s on a date, because she had her nanny watch the baby.’ No, absolutely not. I want people to know that.”
Jenna also explained that she felt blissful when she was around her child. “Making me a happier mama is just being with my baby. It’s such a weird thing that after having a baby, you’re supposed to look like you’ve never had a baby. Well, I’m proud that I had a baby! I don’t see any harm in celebrating that.” Nice! Jenna and her husband have since had a second child, Harper (4).
References: Daily Mail, People, ET Online, Hollywood Life, In Style, Hello!, Mother Muse, The Sun, Refinery29
