Report Men in Nursery

Original Post

by: noahelkanahpops

i have been working in child care for 20 years. i am a male. the work has taken me to royal palaces and the slums of europe. i have worked with some of the wealthiest and poorest families. i have also worked with children with a range of difficulties. i studied the montessori method of education and specialised in dyslexia - special needs. i am now trying to get a job lecturing within a further educational setting. i am so pleased that men in childcare is being given a platform for discussion. all my career has been a positive experience. i am glad to say that i have usually been the only male in an all female domain. there has never been a problem. the children always responded differently to me though. smaller children liked rough and tumble play. i am not sexist and believe that a female can also participate in this. i think that we do not see enough positive images of men in childcare. i do think that we need to make distinctions in the jobs in some way to attract men. most young men like to interact positively with children. it is usually through play, sport, lively activity. activity based stuff is what guys like. there is no doubt that they care and that they are sensitive. it came naturally to me. i was brought up in a matriarchal household with three brothers. we all looked after each other and helped my mum. women were always around. in my work, guys would ask me what i did. i would say, i work with children. some guys felt that this was womens work and therfore that i was either gay or a softy. this was a sterotypical view fuelled by years of brainwashing by the media and essentially the sytem. i never felt that way, i always believed that what i was doing was great and worthwhile. i would recommend working in childcare to any male. it is what you make of it. i do believe that it should be a level playing field and that career prospects should be open to all. a major pr job need doing on childcare in general. the term nursery nurse is somewhat dated. we need to funk up the job titles. my next move is to try and get a position in a college lecturing on early years and education. i happen to be competing with a majority of very talented and highly competent women. now there's a surprise. i guess it is in my own interests to say that more guys lecturing on these courses could attract more guys onto them. maybe i am wrong.

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