Stay-at-home mother explains why she relies on full-time nanny

A stay-at-home mother who employs a full-time nanny has shared insight into her “typical” day, and how having help caring for her daughter means she has the “energy and patience to be the best mom”.

Jen Miller, who goes by the username @jenmillerco on TikTok, uploaded a “day in my life” video in January, in which she showed what a “typical day in [her] life looks like”.

According to Miller, she starts her day at 5am each morning, with the video beginning with a look at her morning routine, which included skincare application and exercise.

In the video, Miller explained that she has run her own business for the past seven years, but recently decided to take time off from clients to “focus on a few other projects”. The TikToker then informed viewers that her husband runs his own startup, which “means he works long hours and puts in work seven days a week”.

Miller also noted that she and her husband, who live in Austin, Texas, don’t have any family nearby, which means that their full-time nanny “offers the support [Miller] needs”.

As she showed what her days usually look like, Miller explained that she wanted to share the insight with her followers because they may be “wondering why we need full-time help if I’m home everyday”.

“Here’s the rationale why,” Miller said, before telling viewers: “When we had our daughter, my husband and I decided that, at least for now, his responsibility would be taking care of our finances and mine would be taking care of everything else for our family.”

After completing her workout, Miller filmed herself waking her toddler at 6.30am, at which point she and her daughter prepared food together and then read and played. At 8am, when their nanny arrives, Miller takes the family’s dog for a walk, before applying makeup and getting dressed at 8.30am.

The TikToker then filmed herself doing laundry, making the bed and running her household from her home office, which she said includes planning travel, managing their Airbnb property, working on their “shared side hustles,” and “carving out hours for admin, errands, and creative work”. “I run our house like I ran my business,” she explained.

According to Miller, who also filmed herself cleaning the house, restocking shelves, and eating lunch, when the family’s nanny leaves at 4pm, she is “back on mom duty,” which includes making dinner, giving her daughter a bath, and putting the child to sleep.

“Evenings are for winding down and resetting,” she explained, adding: “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”.

Miller also noted that she loves getting to wake her daughter up and put her to bed, and having “lots of playtime in between,” before reiterating that a full-time nanny gives her the “energy and patience to be the best mom [she] can be while still taking care of all of [her] family’s needs”.

The video, which has since been viewed more than two million times, has been met with an outpouring of supportive comments from viewers, with many applauding Miller for sharing the candid insight into her daily schedule.

“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 said having a nanny makes “total sense” for Miller because she is a work-from-home mother.

“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, while another person wrote: “Girl, you work. You obviously WORK. So having this makes total sense!”

“I’d argue managing an Airbnb is working as a business owner even if you’re doing it from home,” someone else said.

According to another person, even if Miller didn’t have a business, they’d understand the need for a nanny as a stay-at-home parent, as they noted that mothers need “support 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.

Chrissy Teigen recently shared her own praise for nannies on Mother’s Day, when she shared a tribute to her team of four nannies. “Grateful for all the people who make it possible for me to be the best mother I can possibly be. I am endlessly thankful for your presence in this home and all our lives,” the 37-year-old cookbook author captioned the Instagram post, which included a slideshow of her four nannies posing with her children. “We love you.”

The Independent has contacted Miller for comment.