Would Being Super-Rich Change My Mommy Ways?

Our guest blogger Mommy Q wonders whether she’d raise her kids like Angelina.

-Cathy Hale, MommyQ

A few weeks ago I was at the nail salon flipping through a tabloid. The story that caught my eye was about Angelina Jolie and her mother-in-law, Jane Pitt. The two weren’t getting along so well because Brad’s mom was annoyed at Angelina’s overly relaxed parenting style. She worries that the nannies are too involved and that Angelina doesn’t provide them with enough discipline. According to Brad’s mom, the kids stay up late all of the time, they eat lots of junk food, go out in public looking unkempt. Brad’s mom believes young children need a more structured upbringing.

I’m a stay-at-home, work-from-home mom, so I’m knee-deep in kiddos every day. As I was about to knock Angelina for her mommy style, I couldn’t help but entertain the scenario in my head. “What kind of mom would I be if I were super-rich like Angelina?”

Read Would You Leave Your Kid in a Park?

If we had ridiculous amounts of disposable income, would I be a different mother? Would I invest in more “we” time or more “me” time? Would I choose to spend more quality time with my children or with myself? Would I throw caution to the wind? Would I let my children stay up late munching Cheetos, knowing that I didn’t have to deal with the orange handprints all over the sofa? My housekeeper would handle that. When the boys start to slap, pinch, shove and wrestle for toys around 5:30 p.m., would I just let the nanny figure out how to intervene? Or would I even be at home? Maybe I’d be at the gym or shopping or – gasp! – getting my weekly massage. Would I be constantly running out of the door, kissing my kids on the cheeks and yelling last-minute directions to my nannies on the way out?