It goes without saying that many celebrities have at least one nanny to help them juggle their career and kids, but it turns out Cardi B was too nervous to hire one when she had her first baby.
The 29-year-old rapper made the revelation during an interview in the latest issue of Vogue Singapore. “When the baby got here, I couldn’t even think about getting a nanny because I was afraid of anybody being around her besides my family,” Cardi, whose real name is Belcalis Almánzar, said of her firstborn daughter Kulture.
The “WAP” composer said, “There weren’t a lot of artists out there who had babies at the beginning of their career. I didn’t have an album out when I found out I was pregnant. Everybody was so nervous for my career and future, but I kept telling them, ‘It’s easy. Trust me, I’m going to have a nanny and she’s going to travel up and down with me. It’s not even going to be a hassle.’”
Instead of hiring help for the baby, she shares with her husband, American rapper Offset, Cardi relied on her parents for assistance. However, she felt guilty about how much work they were putting in.
“Your parents have already lived their life and raised their kids,” she told Vogue. “They are older and don’t have the same energy as someone in their 20s. I’m never far from my kids because that’s my responsibility as a mother.”
The rapper said she had been up with her toddler son, Wave, “all night and all day” before the interview, which left her just as tired as any regular parent of two little kids.
“I’m exhausted. I’ve been overwhelmed and scared,” she explained. “I started to think about how my mom had to go through this a lot because my sister and I used to always fall sick at the same time. I’ve never appreciated my [mom] more — having kids helps you see things a little bit different.”
Cardi also had a refreshing take on indulging her kids. Though she’s known for buying her children extravagant gifts, she insists that Kulture and Wave won’t be too spoiled.
“They need to know to never feel comfortable. Don’t ever feel like, ‘I’m going to get it because I’m Cardi and Offset’s kid, ” Cardi said. “They are never going to know what struggle feels like, so they might not have that hunger I had to leave the streets.”
“Even though my kids are well-off, I want them to know that when you work for things and achieve it, it’s more respected — especially when people see that you bust your ass for it,” the rapper continued.