A man in another country looks after a baby for 50 minutes and its front page BBC news

Argh, you feminist viper-harridans ruin everything! I thought this was a nice story but you’re all quite correct in pointing out that if a woman professor had done this, she would be viewed as unprofessional.

Because women are baby-crazy and will do anything to be around them, even encouraging them into a work place where they have no place being, disrupting everything etc etc...

Oh well, the warm fuzzy feeling was nice while it lasted.

Surely the end goal is a world where children are cared for and nobody is compromised for having them. As it stands there are fewer men relative to women taking on primary caregiver roles. Human beings follow incentives so illustrating that men can do it is surely a positive?

We might all wish it was the norm, and not therefore newsworthy but we haven’t gotten there quite yet! We have never in the history of civilisation seen a 50/50 childcare split worked out across the sexes, so expecting it to suddenly be so is I think a tad naive.

I liked in the report that the lecturer was having none of the fuss stating "I'm not an exception. Teachers do this in their own way every day."

It's just the BBC getting excited over nothing click bait again.

I really really don't think this would be the response a woman would get.

I've been in the audience when a woman has made the exact same joke, and she got exactly the same friendly chuckle response.
As FFSFFSFFS says, when a woman did this, it was reported too.
Nobody can predict when something goes viral. In this case, somebody got a good pic of him which helped.

I now somewhat suspect that if it had been a female lecturer the reaction on average might have been a bit more towards the 'unprofessional' than the 'sweet'.

Yup. DH also an academic. He was presenting at a conference recently, and typically DD had a terrible night before he had to get up early for his flight. He started his talk with a joke along the lines of "... and sorry if this is terrible, my daughter decided I only needed 3 hours sleep last night" and got a friendly chuckle from the audience. I really really don't think this would be the response a woman would get.

I remember one lecture back in my university days when our male lecturer brought his small son with him, who was too ill to go to school but well enough to sit quietly in a lecture hall. We all thought it was sweet.

I now somewhat suspect that if it had been a female lecturer the reaction on average might have been a bit more towards the 'unprofessional' than the 'sweet'.

Insanity -
I raised my 3 kids on my own, after my wife left the family when they were all under age 6.... (she has various issues, another story)

But i took my kids to work occasionally when had no option, 20-25 yrs ago, - office work -

it is NOT news headline worthy in 2019 -

what is wrong with BBC?

They support trans
They fail to show facts (French protests)
They fail to understand democracy (EU referendum)
They promote bias journalism (Panaroma - T Robinson)
They failed with Savile abuse
they failed with PEDO statue outside broadcasting house

Surely we should be asking why we continue to fund a state broadcaster - £6 billion a year! surely sell it off and use £6bn on NHS instead ?

BBC is just a joke now, UK world gone made...

But maybe normalising the idea and the image of a man in his workplace caring for children is a good thing? It might encourage men to think its normal.

It’s very basic maths for College level.

(Have I missed the point?)

Like sarahjconnor I was also taken to lectures by my mum who got pregnant in her first term at uni (whoops!) in the 70s. She carried on her degree (didn't get a first but hey ho) and has had a successful professional career. I'm still proud of her.

How is it misleading?

There's a lot more to the story than "a man looks after a baby".

My daughter attended the odd lesson at Uni, one lecturer walked up and down the platform so I could take notes, whilst giving a lecture I had severe PND and dd wouldn't take a bottle, despite both nursery and health visitors help. I was exhausted I’ll always be grateful to him, this was many years ago now.

It’s not a “nice story” if it perpetuates bias. Or the tutor’s teaching was less good, impacting on the rest of the attendees, some of whom may well have been through childcare difficulties.

So? It's a nice story. Why does everything have to women versus men? The father showed up to take the exam (awesome) and the teacher helped him do that. (also awesome). If it inspires people, great.

Thread title is very misleading.

It's only a story because the picture of the baby-holding lecturer went viral, rather than something to do with the father, I'm guessing if it were a mum who had brought the baby in the photo would have still made the news.

I'm a lecturer, just back after maternity leave. I'm sure if I did this I'd be viewed as soft, baby crazy etc. Plus probably hauled in for a disciplinary as I'm sure babies aren't allowed in our teaching rooms.

There's also no way I'd give as good a lecture as usual, disadvantaging the other 45 students in the room...

There was a way better story doing the rounds a few years ago it’s otofessor holding one of his students babies when her childcare fell through at the last minute.

I'm not a sure a female teacher would do it

For a variety of reasons