Gender stereotypes have long told us that women are caregivers and men are breadwinners. Male nannies are changing that.
Despite it being 2018 and there being a massive movement for gender equality underway, many are convinced childcare is a role reserved for women. First, I’d just like to say: Come on, people! Secondly, hiring a male caregiver isn’t as uncommon as you may think. In fact, Parenting.com reports that several childcare recruiting agencies are seeing a 10% increase in male nanny placements. This isn’t happening by accident!
More women are going back to work after having children. According to 2014 data collected by the United States Department of Labor, 64.7% of women with children under the age of 6 were either working or actively seeking work, and approximately 73% of those were working full-time.Now, four years later, we can only expect those numbers to have grown, especially with technology providing more opportunities for remote working. Bam!
The economy also plays a huge part in the “manny” spike. Ingrid Kelleghen, founder and CEO of Cambridge Nanny Group right here in Chicago, told Parenting.com: “We’re meeting men with experience in education, social work and coaching sports, or who have college degrees. They are unable to find jobs in their respective fields, so they come to us.” A lack of job availability is, in some cases, forcing men to consider childcare opportunities they have long been told to ignore.
Some families are specifically seeking out male nannies to care for their children. For single moms, female couples, parents of boys, or families in which the father is unable to have an active role in raising the children, a male nanny can act as a positive role model and provide a valuable point of view for their children.
The point? Men are just as capable as women in caring for children, and today they’re being given the opportunity they deserve. If you’re open to the possibility of a male nanny looking after your children, interview them. Your top priority is to find someone who will uphold your family’s values, and who is going to love and care for your children as you would.
