Millionaire parent outsources parenting tasks, explains how to do it – Business Insider

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Christine Landis, CEO of Peacock Parent. It has been edited for length and clarity.
By the time I was 30 years old, I had a million dollars in the bank, but throughout the first half of my 30s, I still didn’t feel financially secure. I also knew that if my husband and I had kids at that point, I would feel a constant pull between my obligations at work and my obligations as a mother, even with his support. I didn’t want to constantly feel pulled in two directions, and the truth is that my priority was my career.
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At the time, I was the CEO of National Cred-A-Chek, which provided banking information to casinos and gaming operators. When I was 36, a Canadian company acquired the business for eight figures. The offer was unsolicited — we hadn’t been actively trying to sell the company — and the transaction happened quickly. Suddenly I had enough money that I never needed to work again, and I was retired at 36.
I decided to work on my next big venture: motherhood. I had my first child at 37 and my second at 39. Because I was financially secure, I was able to outsource the more mundane tasks of being a parent. I hired two nannies and didn’t worry about the cost. I outsourced laundry, housekeeping, and cooking, in addition to the childcare help.
I approached motherhood the same way that I ran a business. Most parents have limited time, money, and energy. I was in the unique position of having plenty of money, and I knew I could use it to buy myself more time and energy, in a way.
I didn’t engage with the parenting tasks I dreaded, like doing bath time or reading the same book 500 times. That freed me to show up fully, energetically, and passionately to the parenting activities I do love, like swimming together, eating breakfast, and exploring museums.
Most parents don’t have millions in the bank, but they can still use a similar approach. In 2003, five years after the sale of National Cred-A-Chek, I started another company, Peacock Parent, to help other parents vet concierge services that can free up their mental energy and give them more time to enjoy the aspects of parenting that bring them joy.
Even if you’re not wealthy, you can still use three of my favorite outsourcing tools, including:
Gift-giving services: Even when it’s not the holidays, as a parent, you’re constantly thinking about things like birthdays, showers, and graduations. Finding a gift requires lots of thought and emotional energy, not to mention the time needed to actually go shopping.That’s why I love Poppy Gifting. For $25, Poppy gifting will curate a list of 10 gift ideas based on the event, recipient, and budget. I recently used the service to get a friend a bag to celebrate an award she got at work. She appreciated the gift, and I appreciated how easy it was to get.
I know my financial situation isn’t typical, and I don’t pretend it is. I’m able to splurge on some parenting support that is unobtainable for most people. My favorite is a personal chef. Three days a week, we have a chef that comes in for eight hours a day. He takes care of all shopping, prepping, cooking, meal serving, and cleanup.
That’s a ton of work, and since I’m not someone who enjoys cooking, it’s money well spent to remove it from my plate. But it comes with a high price tag: we pay the chef about $70 an hour. Most people can’t afford that, but maybe you can outsource some of the mental load of meal prep by buying pre-sliced fruits and vegetables or meal kits, or budget for takeout when work is especially busy.
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