Chrissy Teigen’s viral tweet about childcare was refreshingly honest

Chrissy Teigen has made an amazing, multifaceted career for herself as a host, an author and a one-woman brand. The mom of two is very busy. It’s easy for the rest of us to look at her and wonder how she does it (and perhaps why we can’t), but Chrissy isn’t keeping the secret to her success a mystery. It’s pretty simple.

“I have HELP and a half. That’s it,” she explained when a Twitter follower asked her about balancing pregnancy, the fourth trimester and new motherhood with her super busy career.

She continues: “I’m so lucky to have it and I don’t know how anyone else does it.”

It’s no secret that Chrissy’s mom, Vilailuck Teigen (better known as @Pepperthai2 on social media) helps her out a lot, and, of course, Chrissy and John can also afford high-quality childcare that meets their family’s needs, something many families who aren’t celebrity millionaires struggle to do. Plus, as Chrissy mentioned in her tweet, her employer provided a daycare room on the set of her new show, Bring The Funny.

It’s so awesome that Chrissy’s out here saying “I have HELP” instead of perpetuating the myth of the mom who does it all. There are not enough hours in the day to do what Chrissy does professionally without help. You’ve got to delegate sometimes. You’ve got to know your limits.

And you’ve got to let go of the guilt. You can’t be working like Chrissy without a nanny or day care—and there’s no reason to feel guilty about either. A nanny can be an amazing resource for a family (if you can afford one) and quality, center-based day care is good for children’s social and emotional development.

A commenter on Twitter said it best: “I don’t care if you have billions of dollar or you’re a single mom, just admit that you need help because IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A TINY HUMAN.”

That user is 100% correct. It takes a village and Chrissy is so lucky to have one because too many moms don’t. It’s so cool that Chrissy’s workplace and other forward-thinking companies provide day care options, but most employers don’t. Parents who don’t have Chrissy’s privilege are contending with day care bills that are equal to rent or college tuition, and that forces many moms to go without it and stretch themselves beyond what is humanly possible.

Listen, Chrissy’s right: It’s not possible to do it without help. But you shouldn’t have to be one of the most famous women in the world to get that help. We all need it.

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