Stay-At-Home Mom Explains Why She Also Has A Full-Time Nanny In Viral TikTok
"Every family is different."
Stay-at-home moms have a very, very hard job. No breaks, no PTO, no hour-long commute in silence to decompress from an exhausting day. They’re truly one of the hardest working people in the parenting game. Not only are they the ones on the front lines, dedicating their time to raising the next generation, but they also handle so much more.
One mom on TikTok went viral for sharing that, as a stay-at-home mom, she also has a full-time nanny.
For those scratching their heads about why she would hire help when she’s at home with the kids, once she breaks down her day-to-day agenda, the situation becomes much more clear.
Jen Miller (@jenamillerco) posted a now-viral “day in the life” TikTok showcasing why she and her husband decided to hire a full-time nanny for their daughter even though Miller is present in the home for the majority of the day.
According to Miller, she starts her day at 5 a.m. each morning, hoping to get a jumpstart on the day before her daughter wakes up. Miller works out and gets ready for the day. She spends the rest of her time that morning with her daughter before the nanny arrives at 8 a.m.
After that, Miller, who once was a business owner, gets to work on house management and special projects.
“I run our house like I ran my business,” she explained. “Using project management software to stay on top of all operations from daily to dues to planning travel, managing our Airbnb, working on our shared side hustle, scheduling social and volunteer time, and carving out hours for admin, errands, household and creative work.”
Once the nanny heads home for the day around 4 p.m., Miller switches back into mom-mode, making dinner, running bath time, and putting her daughter to bed.
Miller explains in the video that she and her husband made the cooperative decision to hire a nanny so Miller could spend more time at home and work on other ventures.
“I've run my own business but decided to take some time off from clients to focus on a few other projects,” she explained. “My husband runs his own startup which means he works long hours and puts in work seven days a week.”
“We don't have any family in Austin, where we live, so, our nanny offers the support I need. You might be wondering why we need full-time help if I'm home every day and here's the rationale why.”
Miller’s video should definitely help quiet the inevitable criticism as she documents how much work she truly does for her family, especially considering two of her tasks are actual jobs that bring in income to their home.
She also notes that the arrangement she and her husband have allows her to be the best mom she can be and avoid burnout.
“Our nanny spends 40 hours a week with our daughter, but so do I. It’s a full-time job and having help lets me show up as the best mom I can be, with more patience, energy, and excitement for the time we spend together.”
After sharing her nightly routine with her daughter, the video concluded with footage of Miller preparing herself a piece of pizza before going to sit on her couch to watch TV.
In the caption of the video, Miller acknowledged that “every family is different” but that this is how her family makes it “work.”
The video — which has over 1.2 million views — caught the attention of many who applauded Miller on her situation and thanking her for sharing such a personal piece of her life.
“Literally, I would have one if I could financially. No hate here,” one person commented.
Another said, “Since the beginning of time women have never raised their children alone. The shaming behind a nanny is absurd, especially with no family around. Wise choice!”
Others wanted to help Miller change her title to “work-from-home mom” as opposed to “stay-at-home” considering she is working multiple jobs during the day that do help bring in money for her family (as well as those that do not).
“Nanny/house manager input here: you are a WORK from home mom, which (as a nanny) I love! Your baby can see you and see your hard work while also getting the proper care/attention she needs. You’re doing AMAZING!!” one comment reads.
“I’d argue managing an Airbnb is working as a business owner even if you’re doing it from home,” someone else said.
Another person noted that they’d understand the need for a nanny as a stay-at-home parent, writing that moms need breaks too.
“Even if you didn’t have a business, I’d understand needing a nanny as a SAHM. Mama needs a break/support too,” they wrote.
