Nursery World - What scares men off

My partner is head of a baby unit and I often hear about the paucity of male childcarers. I would like to thank Mr Partyka (Letters, 16 September), for addressing this issue, in particular his comments about a child's developmental needs. As a psychology student I am aware of the benefits for children of having carers of both sex. But TV's recent 'de-cloaking' of the nursery business has marred the public image of this thankless and underpaid job and revealed one of the reasons why so many men are turned off considering it as a vocation. The result of a female- dominated environment, apart from perpetuating stereotypes of men as inadequate carers, is that a child's early development in perceiving gender roles is distorted, and so the cycle continues. It seems the profession is happy to let the imbalance continue, and for current carers to remain on pay and benefits that are turning both sexes away in droves.

As a psychology student I am aware of the benefits for children of having carers of both sex. But TV's recent 'de-cloaking' of the nursery business has marred the public image of this thankless and underpaid job and revealed one of the reasons why so many men are turned off considering it as a vocation. The result of a female- dominated environment, apart from perpetuating stereotypes of men as inadequate carers, is that a child's early development in perceiving gender roles is distorted, and so the cycle continues. It seems the profession is happy to let the imbalance continue, and for current carers to remain on pay and benefits that are turning both sexes away in droves.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included