We’re ready for celebrity parents to get real about their privilege

They say it takes a village to raise a child. We know that’s true: from daycare teachers, nannies, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and more, there are so many people who help shape and raise our children.

Our kids are better for having so many strong role models. But we’re better as parents, too, for having help.

Bree Newsome Bass, an activist and artist, says she’s tired of wealthy parents discussing how they balance raising their children without mentioning the immense support they receive from others-especially hired help.

“Random but I’m really tired of seeing wealthy &/or celebrity parents discussing childcare & work-life balance without acknowledging the support they receive from a staff of nannies & other domestic workers. That is not the situation for the average working parent,” she tweeted.

She’s absolutely right. That is not the situation for the average working parent. We don’t have au pairs, chefs, and maids helping us run our homes…though we wish we did. We would celebrate the heck out of those employees for helping feed our families and keep them safe.

And that’s Newsome Bass’s point.

“Domestic workers, nannies & other caregivers deserve to have their labor acknowledged & not hidden in the shadows to create an unreal image of the successful person who’s able to do it all.”

She continued, “It’s not a shameful thing to have people helping you. A lot of people rely on others to help with childcare or keeping their homes clean. The more we acknowledge that, the more we demonstrate appreciation for these important forms of labor that are often unpaid or underpaid.”

Moms across the world agree.

One woman commented, “Some honest voluntarily sharing of “I can only do this because I can afford help/have family help/partner stays at home” or whatever would at least help me, personally, feel less down on myself because I can barely run my household with young children let alone anything else!”

Another responded by writing, “These are the same people who push the rhetoric that we all have the same exact 24 hours in a day. No, no we do not. The privilege in that statement is glaring.”

It’s just so true. We love seeing celebrities be open and honest about how they actually don’t do it all. They have help.

Last year, when a fan asked Chrissy Teigen how she juggled pregnancy, motherhood, and her career, the supermodel had us cheering when she responded, “girl I have HELP and a half. That’s it. There is no way I could have done without it.”

Just a few months ago, Amanda Seyfried explained how her mother lives with her family and helps raise her daughter, Nina.

“I am so lucky, I know I am,” she said at the time.

This. This is what we need. More honest conversations from women we admire about how, no, they don’t do it all alone. They have help and they are immensely grateful for it.

2020 has been a rough year, especially for mothers.

Mothers of small kids are three times more likely than dads to lose their jobs during the ongoing pandemic.

1 in 5 women has been pushed out of the workforce since March.

42 percent of women with children under the age of two have been forced to leave their job since the pandemic began.

Food prices are up. Incomes are down. And the cost of housing is soaring.

As mothers across the country and world do their best to earn an income, support their families, and raise their children, it would be nice if celebrities could be a little more honest about their privilege.

These are women with a large platform. They can use that platform to help other mothers feel a little less alone.

Let’s also show more appreciation for the skills and services of the workers who help raise our children: teachers, nannies, tutors, au pairs. Thank you for all that you do when it comes to our kids.

They say it takes a village. Thank you for being our village, especially in 2020.