Did you guys see Guardians of The Galaxy 2 yet? It was so much better than I was expecting and my 12 year-old son and I were thoroughly entertained. Plus he came away with an appreciation for the music from the 70s which made up the awesome soundtrack. Zoe Saldana of course reprised her role as Gamora, and she was decent as usual but I thought the new character, Mantis, was the standout. Although it’s not like Zoe has to promote this movie at all, it’s made 1/2 a billion worldwide so far and will continue to dominate the box office I’m sure, she has a new interview with Yahoo! Zoe and her husband, Marco Perego, have three children together: twin sons Bowie and Cy, two and a half, and a new son Zen, at least three months although we’re not sure of his age, maybe he’s more like five months. Zoe told Yahoo! she couldn’t do it all without help, and she was very effusive about the people who help her.
On how she does it with three kids under three
Our assistant, our nanny, and our housekeeper. They are literally raising our children with us. It’s because of them I am able to rip myself away as long as I can, and my husband as well, to do what we do. They’re teaching us how to manage our pain as they’re raising our kids with us.When you’re away a little too much, it compromises a lot more things. It’s a sacrifice and a pain that will never go away. You take every day at a time. If something changes in their behavior, you know how to adjust to it.
On teaching her kids to put themselves first
I don’t want to raise kids who put other people’s priorities first. They need to know how to put their priorities where they need to be. You show them how you fight for your dreamsOn her boys loving female superheross
I’m raising three boys as someone who has done three movies that have become franchises. My boys are obsessed with female superheroes. And we have to search high and low to find those toysIt was love at first sight with her husband, Marco Perego
I met this man, I shook his hand, and I’m like, ‘I’m going to have babies with you. I’m going to marry you. And my life is going to be done.’ After shaking hands at 6 a.m. on a plane, six months later we were married. Eight months later, we were pregnant. It wasn’t a joke. It really happened.
I had a live in nanny for about a year, when my child was three. I didn’t look for a nanny at all, my friend’s daycare closed and one of her employees needed a position before she was set to move back to Poland to get married. Honestly I had a lot of guilt over the fact that I had a nanny, even though I was running this site at the time. She was wonderful with my son and although we got along well it was challenging to have someone in my house caring for our child. We recently connected on Facebook and she has two kids of her own now! Anyway good for Zoe for thanking the people who help raise her children and for acknowledging the work that they do.
Also, compare Zoe Saldana thanking all her helpers and her nanny with the recent story about how Amal Clooney, a busy barrister, is only going to take six months off work and isn’t going to hire a live in nanny, just a nurse. Zoe’s husband is even around more, I would assume, than George is or will be. There’s no shame in having help and admitting you can’t do it all. I guess I get it though, I didn’t want to tell my friends I had a nanny because I felt like a privileged a-hole.
photos credit: WENN, Getty and Instagram
I hate how celebs feel the need to lie about having a nanny. Especially the ones that are working.
So, not that I’m a huge believer in “married names”, but if it’s site policy to call Amal, Amal Clooney you can call him Marco Saldana because he also changed his name after marriage.
…this made me think of Allison’s husband, Donnie, from Orphan Black! Love that show and needed that smile, thanks!
Great she is thanking and recognising the help she employs to raise her sons. No shame in admitting a busy working woman needs support.
Raising them to put their priorities before others though? They’ll already be privileged people, do you really need to teach them that their needs and “dreams” come before anyone elses?.
Are you reading your own words? Why should I put someone else’s dreams before mine?
I think there is a delicate balance between putting your dreams first and helping others achieve their dreams. You should follow your dreams but not to the exclusion of other peoples dreams. But that’s who I am.
Hard on the children if the nanny leaves though. They see the nanny as a mother and there is a chance they could have separation anxiety or attachment disorder if the nanny up and leaves. I don’t have a problem with night nurses or a daycare during the day. But to put someone you hire into the position of mother is just a little much for me. I wonder why have children if you can’t be with them or spend time with them in the evening. Why not be childless. As for the idea to put their priorities first I wonder if that translates to the playing field, playing with toys etc. Those kind of children are called bullies. Just saying
Why do you think the children see the nanny as a mother, or that Zoe hired her to be the replacement mother? They might get attached to the nanny, but they might also get attached to a lot of people in their lives who come and go. Grandparents, extended family, even teachers and coaches. I wouldn’t be so quick to pass judgement on her parenting, or whether or not she should have had children at all just because she admitted to having live-in help. It takes a village to raise a child, as they say.
She says they are raising them together and admits to being away for extended periods of time. As well they are very little and developing attachment at this time. Hopefully grandparents won’t come and go, nor will extended family. Unless they pass away. Teachers are expected to change yearly as well as coaches. None of these are the same as attaching to a mother at a young age.
Had a nanny for four years (also ran a nanny agency and placed a lot of nannies so I have both direct and indirect experience with it). The nannies do NOT replace the mom, nor do the kids ever mistake the nanny for their mom. People who have read that Nanny Diary or whatever book about Manhattan socialites got the wrong impression altogether. There may be some disconnected moms out there who have a baby for the wrong reasons and pass off the child to be raised by a nanny, but all the moms I helped hire a nanny were not like that all.
One was a busy attorney with a husband in law enforcement and three children. He was often away and she worked late sometimes, had to meet clients on weekends – this was a woman arguing cases in front of the Supreme Court (Canada). She called me in tears and ready to quit her job because she couldn’t find reliable help. She had gone through hell to adopt twins and then finally got pregnant – so three young ones at home. She adored them. Instead of a day care, she wanted them cared for at home – no dragging kids out of bed at 6:00 am, no rushed microwave dinners. She didn’t have to worry about what to do if they had the sniffles – “oh look your honour, my daughter has the flu, could we move the hearing to next week”? Should she be judged? I don’t think so. She had the financial resources to pay for care at home – which by the way, came out cheaper than 3 daycare spots, and the kids thrived. That’s just one example of one client.
As for kids suffering when a nanny leaves, that’s a bugaboo. They suffer exactly as much as when a teacher leaves, or their best friend who lives next door moves. Meaning yes, they experience sadness – but no, it’s not at all the same as if they lost a parent, which is your implication by equating the nanny with a parent. It’s not the same. If someone can afford it, they should do it. And those who do should really stop feeling guilty or secretly ashamed. Unless you are willing to stay with your kids every second, at some point they will need some other adult to care for them.
As for Cheryl’s soapbox suggestion that a woman should be childless rather than hire a nanny, wow! Judgy much? If a mom has a demanding career should she abandon it to devote herself solely to child rearing? If she has a chronic illness that requires her to rest during the day, or to go and have regular treatments, or limits her mobility, should she not become a mother? If she has a child with health problems that require a lot of time, should she drag the other child along to all appointments or hospital stays? If her spouse travels extensively and she needs help in order to take care of her family’s needs – for all those and many other reasons, you think a woman should be childless, quit work, run herself ragged or ignore some of her family’s needs just to be able to claim that “she does it all”?
I honestly think it’s a puritanical martyr like morality that makes celebrities afraid of public opinion so they often feel the need for a “no help, no nanny” disclaimer. I don’t care for Zoe in the least but I applaud her for this. We need to hear it more often. And as for it being a luxury – I reiterate – in my town a nanny costs less than two spots at a good daycare.
I’m really liking Zoe. I like that she gave credit to the people who help her, I like how shes dealing with posting her bbs, and I like looking at her and her husband – they are both very pretty are are cute together.
I was disappointed with GG2. I like that she admits to lots of help and is appreciative.
At least she’s being honest about it.
If I ever have children I can’t imagine doing it without a nanny, no guilt from this gal… Not sure I’d be able to afford it though
They are one of the most beautiful couples I’ve seen. Damn!
@ Vauvert EXCELLENT post! You covered the bases, bless you. So sick of the crap women get for wanting help. Shame more mums don’t have extended family, or good government day care, or a nanny, to help with their kids, not sure blasting the ones who can helps.
I love how she writes in both English and Spanish. It is true that is is hard to find female action figures. There are always several version of the male figures but females there is only 1 choice.
A lot of celebrities don’t admit to nannies because as some in this post have said they are replacement parents and that the celebrity shouldn’t have kids if they hire help. They don’t want to be judged as unloving and absent. Most people use daycare so it’s odd to me that people go ballistic and judgey over nannies.
I’m glad to see someone famous acknowledging how much help they have instead of pretending their nannies or housekeepers or assistants don’t exist. So few celebrities do this, they just prattle on about “juggling” things and it can make other people, especially working mothers, feel inadequate. There’s no shame in it – I think most people would hire help if they could afford it. I don’t need a nanny but I’d love someone to do my cooking and cleaning! Also, having worked as a nanny, I can tell you that there’s no confusion about who is the actual parent.
I was saying on the Amal post that I don’t get why they lie. You see they all have help!
At least she acknowledges it. This is really nothing new, anyway – the wealthy have always utilized the labor of the lower classes to raise their children.
That’s nice that she acknowledges and appreciate them. It sounds like they’re really part of the family.