Forget helicopter parents — the ultra-rich are hiring entire parenting squads to do the dirty work, from bath time to bedtime stories, while they write six-figure checks for the privilege.
A San Diego power couple is shelling out a staggering $250,000 a year on a full household staff to help raise their two children — part of a growing trend among America’s wealthiest families who are outsourcing everything from diaper duty to potty training.
Christine Landis, CEO of Peacock Parent, and her husband don’t just employ a weekend nanny. They have a live-in full-time “family assistant,” a personal chef and a housekeeper, creating what amounts to a private parenting dream team.
“Every hour I’m not bogged down with the doing is an hour I get to show up fully present with my kids,” Landis told the Wall Street Journal.
Landis’ company uses AI to help “families and professionals rethink what balance looks like, showing that asking for help isn’t indulgent; it’s intelligent,” according to its website.
These days, wealthy parents aren’t just hiring nannies to watch the kids. They’re bringing on “family assistants” who handle everything from bath time and bedtime stories to errands, household management and child care — leaving mom and dad free to focus on what they see as quality time.
And that’s just the beginning.
The booming luxury parenting industry now includes baby chefs whipping up gourmet infant purées, high-end potty training consultants and even professionals who will teach your child to ride a bike.
These speciality concierge services aren’t cheap, with potty training consultants charging anywhere from $600 up to nearly $5,000 for multi-day services.
Bike-riding coaches can cost more than $400, while someone willing to pack your kid’s bags for summer camp may charge $125 an hour.
Seth Norman Greenberg, with the household-staffing firm Pavillion Agency, said things have never been busier for the business — which started in 1962 and is based in West Hollywood and New York.
“We are busier than we’ve ever been,” Greenberg said. “The environment, the economy, it’s just producing these millionaires and billionaires.”
Co-founder of the Kardashian brands Skims and Good American, Emma Grede, also relies on a team of people to help raise her four kids, calling herself a “max-three-hour mum.”
“Cutting sandwiches into star shapes? That was never it for me,” Grede previously told the outlet.
“If getting help with the logistics means I can spend my time focused on the moments that really matter with my children, I don’t see that as outsourcing parenting.”
“I see it as being intentional about where I spend my time,” she added.
As far as concerns if children will know who’s mom or the nanny, Landis admits she’s been unsure before. Like when she heard her kid say “I love you” to the nanny and heard it said back, but she said those feelings passed.
“There is no world where my child doesn’t know I’m their mother,” Landis said.
“Our bond, our love, it’s irreplaceable.”
