Does The World Need More Male Child Carers?

The thought of a male working in child care does divide opinion. And unfortunately, we do live in a society where the majority negatively stereotype male child carers. Either their sexual orientation is questioned or they are considered a potential risk. That is rather unfair. In a profession that is mainly female dominated, only 2 per cent of the work force is male according to a report written in 2012. But there are many benefits of having male child carers. And in recent years, there has been a push for more men to become child carers. So what are the main benefits of having male child carers? Well, in this blog post, I have identified four benefits. And here they are:

1. Children Have a Male Role Model

In a profession that is very female dominated, children who don't have a fatherly figure at home due to unforeseen circumstances rarely get a chance to interact with a male role model. Having a male child carer working in a nursery gives children a chance to experience having a male role model. And this is extremely beneficial for young boys in their early stages of development. Young boys won't get much of a chance to talk about things that interest them with a female child carer (football teams and WWE come to mind). So to give young boys someone to talk to about these things actually makes them feel comfortable and at ease. And more importantly, it allows them to open up too.

2. Promotes Equality and Diversity Amongst Children

By having more male child carers in the industry, children will be given a healthy exposure to a mix of both genders in a nursery setting. They will see how both genders are biological different and this gives them the skills to interact with both women and men. Even though both male and females should be treated equally, we can't deny that we are different. Also, having more male child carers will introduce different perspectives and viewpoints when it comes to child care.

3. Father Can (and Should) Get Involved in Child Care

With male child carers, it would give fathers a chance to get more involved with taking care of their children. Since child care is a female dominated industry, an article in The QA Nursery magazine stated the some fathers are less likely to feel comfortable and relaxed talking and interacting with their children's carers. And this results in the father feeling left out. It is not clearly known why this is the case. But with more male child carers in the industry it will help to break down barriers and introduce a more open form of communication between father and child carer.

4. Male Child Carers Are Adventurous

This is coming from my own personal experience, as well as my own research. But male child carers are more inclined to be more playful with children. Referring to the accounts of two male child carers written in an article on the Early Years Careers website. Both male child carers have shared their own experiences of how some children are drawn to them because of the activities they do. It could be playing football, playing a guitar or taking part in an outdoor activity. And this is great for young children. Because it makes children become more active and they would spend less time in front of the TV.

Are You Interested In A Career in Child Care?

If you're a male reading this, then chances are you're interested in becoming a child carer. There are a number of ways you can become a child carer. You can apply for either full-time or part-time positions or you can volunteer. But in order for you to progress in the child care sector, you would need the necessary skills and qualifications. Here at The Learning Station, we've been teaching accredited child care courses for a number of years. And we've helped individuals (including a number of males) go on to pursue a rewarding (and fun) career in child care. All of our child care courses are distance learning. That means you can study in your own time and at your own pace too. Thanks for reading. What are your thoughts on this topic? Please let us know in the comments section below. Featured image: Pexels