
In this episode of The Parent Chat, Dylan Dreyer sits down with Nanny Connie — baby nurse to over 257 families including Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, and Jessica Biel — for a refreshingly honest conversation about how raising a child takes a village and why trying to do it all alone is the biggest mistake new parents make. Plus Nanny Connie's mantra that cuts through every parenting trend: the baby is the book. And her reminder that stars — they really are just like us.
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Dylan Dreyer
Hi everyone, welcome back to the Parent Chat. Today's episode is about building your village and how it's okay if you need to call in a nanny. And our guest today is the nanny of them all, Nanny Connie. She is almost known as like the nanny to the stars. And during our conversation she's going to just say the first name of a lot of different people. So to put it into context, Emily is Emily Blunt. Matt and Lucy is Matt Damon. She's once said that she has taken care of 257 babies and counting. She's been doing this for three decades. She's also a mom herself. So this is really an eye opening conversation that, you know, stars, they are just like us. So here's my conversation with nanny Connie. We'll just dive right in. Is that good with you?
Nanny Connie
That's the only way I know, Dylan. Being a parent and being a, I would say baby nurse, nanny, I just
Dylan Dreyer
dive in and I can totally relate to that. So let's do it. I'm a working mom, you know, I went right back to work after My oldest was 3 months old and I, I had a nanny, you know, and I had my mom and I had my mother in law and I, I built my village, right? But I was always so hesitant to talk about my village and my nanny. It's like I felt guilty that I couldn't do it all myself and I needed to require other people. But I mean that relationship is so important because it helps you build your village and gives you the time to give to yourself too, Right?
Nanny Connie
That's right. That's exactly right. That teaches your children that you are not here on this universe alone. You cannot survive life on your own, you know, so that's really important. The village is a phenomenal. That's why I'm here. I will go 10 toes in for the village. Because you can't do this by yourself. You cannot do it by yourself.
Dylan Dreyer
No, I'm sorry.
Nanny Connie
I really get on the soapbox.
Dylan Dreyer
Oh, no. I love hearing that. Cause it's very reassuring because I literally couldn't do it without my village.
Nanny Connie
Yes.
Dylan Dreyer
You're working with mega celebrities who then, through word of mouth, tell their mega celebrity friends. I mean, does the celebrity factor ever hit you, or is that just, you know, you kind of got your foot in this world by doing what you do best and it just sort of spread.
Nanny Connie
Girl, Girlfriend, girl. Oh, hell no, dog. It don't work like that. No, no, no. I've never had a resume. I never sent my resume out. I'm not here for all the other nonsense. It's just they are people. They need to be able to let their guard down and hone in on their skills of parenting. And then when they show up out in the world, then they feel good and they feel solid about being a parent. Because one wrong slip, as you know, it can be the end of their whole life. One of my moms, I taught her over and over. Emily. I was teaching Emily how to. I said, okay, you're going out. Let's do the baby in the car. Let's do the baby in the car. And it was the first baby, Hazel, she has two. And so we were putting in and out, and then she goes, he calls me Conniekins. Conniekins. I did it. And I go, what did you do? You know? She goes, I went out and I was able to put the baby in the backseat of the car. And I go, baby girl, you're the winner. You're the winner. You know,
Dylan Dreyer
and it's so relatable because I remember trying to get the kids in and out of the seat. I finally just got myself a minivan just because it has made my life so much easier. But, I mean, so celebrity parents are just like us. We're all trying to figure this out as we go along, and none of us really know what we're doing.
Nanny Connie
None of us. The baby is the book. The parents are the book. You know, and every chapter gets rewritten. And it really bothers me that there are so many people who try to home in on a certain process and say, this is the process that's going to fit my life. Hell, no, dog. It's not going to fit your life because your child is a genetic makeup of you and your husband and the things in that environment. So you have to be, you know, malleable to the whole situation. And go, okay, this didn't work today. Let's try it again tomorrow. Let's do it. You know, just. It's a continuous process.
Dylan Dreyer
So what is your role when you're there? The first. Especially the first couple of months, what is a typical day like for you?
Nanny Connie
Oh, I'm 24, 7. I don't leave the house. And that's just my choice. I want to learn all the ins and outs and everything that's happening. The baby and I, we become roomies together. And I learned the noises and the nuances of everything that's happening so that I can tell a parent, don't move on this squeak, but jump on this one, you know? And they've learned how to do this and how you need to burp. And I sit there and I show them. Even if they're breastfeeding, I'm up with them at night. I walk to the room with her, and I sit there and I show them, like, okay, this position, when you hear this noise, that. That means she's getting air, you know? So on this diaper change, we need to do this. So I'm. I'm. Every step of this, I am helping. I am not. No judgment, but I'm helping make this easy or helping you to understand.
Dylan Dreyer
How long do you stay with a particular family? What is your age? Are you more with the baby set?
Nanny Connie
I've started off with the babies, and again I go back to Matt and Lucy, and they didn't let me go for six years because they did not want to lose that. I was there for all of the girls, all three of the girls. I think you cannot leave a family before at least a month because the postpartum, that postpartum run that starts in the first month, if you can have someone there to. To hold you, you know, and answer those questions, you're not okay. And it's okay not to be okay. You know, it's okay to go cry. It's okay to know that those clothes aren't gonna fit. It's okay to say, why does my belly still look the way that it does? That's okay. You know, it's okay that you're gonna have someone if you're breastfeeding on your body, you know, a lot more than what they were in your body, you know, and you're trying to get away from that because you're thinking you've been told that the snapback is real. Nothing's gonna snap back but these fingers. That's the only snap you gonna get.
Dylan Dreyer
But it's so interesting to hear you say that because for me, I actually didn't have anyone for that one to three months because I was like, I'm home, I'm off of work. I could do it myself. And I remember like the first night or two, I was waking up and I was breastfeeding and then I was pumping and I had this. And by the end I was cracking. Like I was. I was tired, I was miserable. By the end of those three months,
Nanny Connie
you will never be the person that you were prior to not having kids. You'll never be the person that you. When you're a teenager, you're itching to become a young adult because you don't want to be a teen anymore. So you're never going back. It's the same way being a parent, you become a parent, you're never going back to that pre life of not having kids. And your body is going to morph into that. Because what else is real about this is you can prepare for a vaginal delivery all day long, and then in the ninth inning, you can hit that pot ball to the left corner and what you got a C section that's out of this world. And that's major surgery. And no one tells you about that one.
Dylan Dreyer
That's exactly what happened to me.
Nanny Connie
There you go. You see what I mean? And then when you're in that, when you're in that one, then that's the real deal. You're on heavy meds, you know, you're trying to heal from the inside out. And people are saying, well, you had the baby. You should get back in this. No, no, no, no, no, no. I had major surgery and I had a baby. How about that one?
Dylan Dreyer
I was just gonna say, what about when it comes to sleep? I feel like, you know, I know there are times when I just was on so much sleep deprivation and I was angry and I wasn't happy. I wasn't enjoying the moment because I was miserable, frankly.
Nanny Connie
I mean, it took two to make this baby. So we gotta start dividing the duties of bringing this baby into our world. It's not a drop off package by Amazon at the front door or anything else. And you open it up and keep it moving. That's not it. No, no, no, no, no. You need a nighttime situation. If dad is good at night, then he gets to be at night and let you get that rest. And if that's not the case, then that should be a part of your. Once a week you have someone who comes in to give you that chance to regenerate your battery so that you can show up as a better person. You won't be the best person, but you'll be a better person and you'll be much more cognitive of everything happening around you. And you won't hate the people who are in this like, you did this to me. No one did this to you. You were happy to bring this person into the world. What we did to you was we didn't give you that support. We didn't give you the. We didn't finish the sentence. We've got to learn how to finish the sentence. And that is just because a dad doesn't birth a child. He has major and mega responsibility.
Dylan Dreyer
Stay with us. We'll be right back after the break.
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Nanny Connie
why
Dylan Dreyer
have I asked my H Vac guy I found on angie.com to change my grandpa's trachea tube? I was so amazed at how we
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Dylan Dreyer
I think we should call a doctor,
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Yeah. So do we.
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Dylan Dreyer
So I know you're an expert when it comes to raising kids and listening to their squeaks and squeals and all of that, but how do you manage the personalities of the parents? You know, because every personality is different. How do you make sure that you're in a position where they can trust you?
Nanny Connie
That's chess, not checkers. You don't talk out loud. You become the fly on the wall. And you kind of. Most of my fathers love to go play golf. Okay. So if you Wanna go play golf? You need to help your wife with that. Changing station. Hold the baby on three times a day, da, da, da, da, da. And they go, okay, Nanny Connie. That's how I'm gonna get out the door. I'm going. Yep. And you need to show back up when you say you coming. Okay? And then one, and then once, you know, a month, it's called date night. I want you to take her on a date. You're not gonna talk about the children. You're gonna talk about her and you and how you guys got here and solidify that. Okay? So now I'm teaching you the tools you need to have in your toolbox to make your marriage to be more stable in this next transition of family in the village. And that's truly important because your children need to be able to see that, you know, no matter whether it's a long term relationship or if you are co parenting, to say that, you know, yeah, you're living in two different houses. When you show up at that house, it should be love and attention, you know, so that your kids know that's something that they need to thrive on. And they're little ants. They're gathering all this in the first six years of their life. They've learned three quarters of everything they need to know and how they need to respond. So after that they're just kind of like finessing it.
Dylan Dreyer
It seems like you're going into, you know, these homes with advice and tips for, you know, how to raise the child, but also how to manage.
Nanny Connie
Oh, absolutely.
Dylan Dreyer
Parents relationship.
Nanny Connie
Yep, yep.
Dylan Dreyer
So, I mean, but how do you go into these homes of these big celebrities and they listen to you? What, what is that like?
Nanny Connie
It's called food, conversation and no judgment. I don't judge. I actually. They're children. Three quarters of them are children who want to have someone in there that they can feel relaxed with and support from. And then that helps them to actually show up as a better and a more confident parent. The grandparents are really supportive of me. When I come in and be goes, she'll listen to you. She won't listen to me. I go, it's okay. My daughter's the same way. She'll listen to everybody but me, but it's okay. That's the way our kids are. You know, they find other people that they like to gravitate to, so. But you did good. Those boys are thriving. Thank you.
Dylan Dreyer
They are thriving. Yes. I look back, it feels like I was a different person back then. But what about from a baby perspective? I Think of, you know, where I struggled with my kids, especially my second and third, they were just crying all the time, and no matter what I did, and then I'm like trying to give him more food. And I mean, how. How do you talk parents through that when, you know the kid is trying to tell us something, but we can't quite figure out what it is and we're losing our patience. How do you get parents through those times?
Nanny Connie
It's really funny because I can come in with a very calm demeanor and the child will instantly switch gears because that's what they respond to. The sense of smell and touch is so very. In the beginning, that radar, that is their homing device. That's why kids run to their grandparents, because they know it's not going to be any judgments. It's going to be a very warm heartbeat and they're going to go, what's wrong? The coddling, yes, it's a lot, but still they know. They know exactly where to go and receive that from. And that's the whole deal with parents in the process. They tell a lot of parents to walk away and come back. But it's all about parents learning how recenter their emotions you are constantly. It is chest, not checkers, baby. All day long in parenting, you have to recenter yourself.
Dylan Dreyer
It's interesting you say that because yesterday we were, you know, my 4 year old, he's been kind of just throwing some tempers and we're trying to talk through the feelings and, you know, eventually we sat on the couch and I was just sort of rocking with him and he's like, can I just sit here with you for a bit? And a part of me wanted to say, well, I gotta go cook dinner. But I just, I took a deep breath and I said, sure. And then, you know, 20 minutes pass and I'm like, all right, buddy, I gotta go cook dinner. He's like, not yet. Can you just stay with me? And I was so tempted to just be like, I have to go cook dinner. Like, there are things that have to get done. But in taking those extra moments with him, it made me feel better too. I just felt like we had this connection for an hour just sitting on the couch together.
Nanny Connie
Exactly. If you have a house full of children, which is a beautiful thing, none of those kids are gonna get the same par. Always going to get a different representation of that parent. Because in life, you're going to be a different person. Every stage of life, you're going to be different. With your first, you had more time, you didn't have everything else. And you poured a lot into that relationship. And you two have such a unique relationship. Your baby, you know, you're kind of like, okay, here's cab fare. Come home from the hospital, I'll meet you there. But I got to do stuff before you get there, you know, kind of deal. And so to take that time to make yourself. You do feel better. It goes back to what I was just saying earlier. You know, you want to make those connections. Because one day, like my daughter did with me, and it just floored me. She was in school at the University of Alabama, and I just went to see her and we were coming out of her work, she was working at this retail store, and I just popped up on her, saw her, and we were walking out to her car and she put her arms around my neck and she just went, thank you, Mom. And I was like, do you need some money? You know? That's your first response. What is it? What is it? And she goes, no, I just want to thank you for everything that you've done, you know, and those are the moments. Those are the priceless moments that you give all your all to and for. So, yeah, that time on the floor will come back. Just remember I said, it's gonna come back to you. You're gonna love it even more. Yeah.
Dylan Dreyer
I think back to a moment. I mean, I loved my nanny. She was with us from when Calvin was three months old. But I remember when Calvin was a baby, so maybe like four or five months, and he would only want her. And I was home a lot. I work a schedule where I can be home by 11 o' clock in the morning. I was there to cook dinner, but he preferred her. How do you navigate that with parents when, you know, the baby kind of prefers you over the mom sometimes?
Nanny Connie
Stop. Stop judging that. Be happy that that happens. It would be really devastating if it were the opposite. If every time you walk through that door they just wanted to latch onto you and go, wait a minute, this woman's been here with my kid all day. And they don't, you know, they're petrified of her. What's really happening here? So the beauty of that. She's pouring into his growth and into his little nuclear. That lets you know things are firing. Right? And that's important. That's important to know. And that's what I'm saying. This is a village. A village is a beautiful thing. You are not built to do this all alone. Don't judge yourself because your village is showing beauty somewhere else.
Dylan Dreyer
I love that perspective. That's so true. You want him to be happy with the village you've built around.
Nanny Connie
Yeah. Yeah. You paid good money for that.
Dylan Dreyer
Yeah.
Nanny Connie
You hate to buy Louis Vuitton shoes and they didn't fit.
Dylan Dreyer
Very good point. If you could sit all parents down and just like, just tell them a couple of tips or a couple of things. What comes to the top of your mind that you would like to tell parents?
Nanny Connie
The baby is the book. Parenting is not a one size fit. All right, you know, slow down, enjoy the moments. Just be the parent. I write this all the time on all of my. Just be the parent. Just be that parent. And know that you gotta think three moves away because like I'm always saying, it's like looking at a pool. The backyard's beautiful. There's a pool out there, but I need to put a fence around it. I need to have sun. You know, you thought five moves out before you let your kid go out and be in that area. So. Chestnut Checkers, just don't, you know, and stop judging your past parent life or what happened when you were a kid. That trauma that was a portion of you that doesn't define all of you. You can't bring that baggage into this. You've got to learn how to step up and just go, okay, it's time for me to be this child's parent and to be my partner's, you know, co parent on this one.
Dylan Dreyer
More of the parent chat after the break.
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Dylan Dreyer
Why have we asked our contractor we
Nanny Connie
found on Angie.com to be our kid's
Dylan Dreyer
legal guardian because he took such good
Angie Hicks
care when redoing our basement that we
Dylan Dreyer
knew we could trust him to care
Angie Hicks
for our kids, all eight of them, should something happen to us.
Dylan Dreyer
Are you my dad now?
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Dylan Dreyer
You mentioned your daughter.
Nanny Connie
Yes.
Dylan Dreyer
I've always wondered, you know, how does a nanny make it work when you spend so much time taking care of other kids, how do you make sure you're also taking the time to take care of your kid, too?
Nanny Connie
Shonda Rhimes just recently had a post about when she gave a commencement speech and she spoke of if you see me shining on whatever show or whatever rewrite she's doing, something at home is lacking, you know, and if I'm at home and I'm at the recital, then something on my show, I miss one of the rewrites because you're human, you know, and you're going to miss those things and you're going to beat yourself to the ground. And I, like I said earlier, I had a phenomenal village. But you will always carry that mom guilt of I wasn't there, I could have been there or I should have been there. So you do the best that you can do, you know, and you those conversations prior to venturing out with that family. And don't go overboard with trying to, I would say, heal the wound with stuff that doesn't matter because it doesn't matter. But you have to heal the wound from within your heart when you have time with them, spend quality time, cook with them, talk about how your life was, talk about how your journey got you here, talk about how life does deal you a hand. You can't always play the cards the way you want to play them. So you have to play what you have.
Dylan Dreyer
Well, Nanny Connie, it has been amazing getting to chat with you. I've just enjoyed this time. Thanks for giving us so much time. I know you're busy, but thank you so much.
Nanny Connie
I'm coming. I'm going to hug your neck. I'm coming to see you. I'm a hug your neck. I owe you a hug.
Dylan Dreyer
What I loved talking to Nanny Connie about was sort of an old school take on raising kids. You know, how important family is, how important it is to have that village. And that village is there to help your child grow. They will make connections with everyone that they have in that village. So, you know, build it wisely. There's so much mom guilt that I feel all the time when I have to travel for work, but that's not fair. I love my job, I love traveling for work. But if my kids are with somebody that I trust, that I know and love, that I think are going to be great influences on my kids. Why can't they watch my kids? Shouldn't my children be exposed to all sorts of different people and opinions? I'm curious to know what you think. I'd love to know your takeaways from today's episode. So be sure to send us a dmodayparents and you can just send me a DM at Dylan Dreyer, NBC. And don't forget to to like, subscribe and share this episode with other parents who might like to hear this conversation too. Thank you so much. We'll see you next time. Bye Bye. This episode was produced by Ann Legamayo with video production by Andy Tavares. Rachel Paula Abramson is our parenting reporter. Our senior producer is Tyree Nobles. It was edited by Ali Strain. Our audio engineer is Joe Plord. Our head of audio production production is Jessica Fenton. Ashley Domagola is our production manager. Sadie Bass is our supervising producer. Ariana Davis is the executive editor of the Today Show. I'm Dylan Dreyer and this has been the Parent Chat, a production of the Today Show. See you next week.
Angie Hicks
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Episode: The Celebrity Nanny on What Every New Parent Actually Needs to Hear
Host: Dylan Dreyer
Guest: Nanny Connie
Release Date: June 11, 2026
Duration (core content): ~00:42–24:43
This episode centers on the concept of "building your village" as a parent and breaking down the guilt and stigma around needing help—especially in the form of nannies. Dylan Dreyer chats with renowned “Nanny to the Stars” Nanny Connie, who has cared for over 250 babies (including those of celebrities like Emily Blunt and Matt Damon). Their candid discussion dives into practical advice for new parents, honest reflections on parental guilt, and what children—and families—truly need to thrive.
| Timestamp | Segment / Key Topic | |-------------|------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:42 | Dylan introduces Nanny Connie and the “village” theme | | 02:17 | Nanny Connie's philosophy on why the village is essential | | 04:04 | Celebrity parenting relatable moments (Emily Blunt anecdote) | | 05:22 | Nanny Connie’s approach: 24/7 support, learning baby’s signals | | 07:13 | Real talk about postpartum, recovery, and the myths of “snapback”| | 09:16 | The importance of dividing child care duties | | 12:05 | Managing parental personalities and household roles | | 15:17 | Calmness and presence as parenting tools | | 16:15–17:30 | Dylan’s story: connecting with her son during a tantrum | | 19:01 | When kids prefer the nanny—why it’s not a bad thing | | 20:15 | Nanny Connie's top advice for new parents | | 23:00 | Balancing work, parent guilt, and quality time with own children| | 24:35 | Episode wrap-up and takeaways |
Nanny Connie and Dylan Dreyer deliver an empowering reminder: Parenting is not a solo act, comparison is futile, and building a trustworthy, loving village is not a cause for guilt—but a gift for both parents and children. As Connie says: "Just be the parent," and allow every chapter to be written as you go.