men in child care
by: mandylyn - 10-02-04 20:51
Is there anyone running a nursery who can tell me why men are not accepted in childcare?
My husband has just completed NVQ3 and currently just taken over my job as preschool leader at our local preschool where he has worked for three years.
As I am now on maternity leave from my afternoon job at a day nursery my husband is now looking for a job in nursery but despite many interviews and commendations on his vast experience with children he is still turned down.
The government is always saying more men should be involved in child care but we can see why there aren't any!
men in child care - 23-02-04 14:20
by: mazzamom
I think this comes down to the gender roles which our society is so fond of. We have little boxes for men and women which make it difficult for either gender to progress or be accepted in professions traditionally thought of as specifically male or female. We see women as nurturing, sympathetic to a childs needs, understanding etc. When the reality is men are just as capable of these qualities, just as women are capable of hard nosed, professionalism. The sad thing is that most people are still raising their children in these gender stereo typed ways and so these boxes for gender will continue to exist.
men in child care - 24-02-04 09:43
by: nightnanny34
I know what it's like. I've been working with children & parents for over 14 years. It's a struggle to find work, though some nursery's are very keen once they've got to know you. I therefore find that doing Nursery Temp work can be a good way of getting to know nursery managers in my area, increasing the chances of getting a job with them.
Saying that though, I'm still working mostly as a nanny and maternity nurse - why? Well, because it pays better! I get the vast majority of the work myself through qwell targeted advertising, and once parents have got over the shock of finding out that I am male, all goes really well. There are of course some parents who won't employ a man but that has reduced a lot over the past few years.
There is a positive article in the March 2004 (page 115) issue of BBC Parenting about male nannies - according to a MORI survery, 8 out of 10 british adults are in favour of male childcare. Pity they didn't just ask parents, as that figure would have been better to know!
Nick - Nighttime-Nanny.com
