Would you hire a male babysitter?

[georgarina]

Why/why not?

Men are approximately twenty-five times more likely to be sex offenders. That isn't a "slightly increased risk", it's 25 times the risk.

I personally wouldn't hire a male nanny or babysitter, no.

No I wouldn't. My choice.

Absolutely not. It's a much more increased risk for no gain. I wouldn't even be 100% leaving my girls with a male family member on his own (other than DH of course).

But there are loads of statistics we don't allow discrimination based upon. Like religion and terrorism convictions and race and knife crime. Should we be able to discriminate against other protected characteristics because of statistics?

As others have said, yes my nephew or brother, no to anyone else.

For the avoidance of doubt above I don't think we should.

There is a benefit to using a car- I don’t see a benefit to using a male over a female except maybe to appease you.

I would not, someone I knew well, and would have trusted to look after my child if the need had ever arose, turned out to be a child molester. You can't tell the genuine people from the paedophiles, so I just don't take the risk

Why are you fighting this?
Better kids to be safe than pandering to men’s feelings!
Get your priorities checked!

No. My girls would not be comfortable and I wouldn't either.
My friend wanted a male nanny for her school aged girls but both the girls said they would prefer a woman and I could see why. They had a lot of activities such as swimming and obviously with things like changing, that's going to be an issue with something like this.

Omg you’re just both so cool letting anyone take care of your kids- and yes children are precious!!!!!

When you look at statistics for crimes committed there are very few women in prison for violence or sexual abuse. They do however get huge amounts of publicity if caught and prosecuted which is why people may not automatically make the link. As quoted above 98% of sex offenders that are caught are men.

I would not use a male babysitter, I know DH did babysit as a teen.

Yes, the corner shop son used to babysit me and he was fun. Also my mum leaves the dog with the cleaners son over night etc if she goes away and he’s fantastic so trust worthy I wouldn’t hesitate to leave him with my kids.

I would only refuse a babysitter (male or female) if I didn't know them.

I think this thread is an example of one of the many reasons why childcare still primarily falls on women though. Hard to push for equality of childcare if the prevailing opinion in society is that men are too incompetent and / or dangerous to look after children. It feeds into the narrative that childcare by default falls to women, it's a woman's job, and that men are being so good to help out when they do the most basic of tasks once in a blue moon.

This isn't like, for example, only employing white bus drivers and saying no to any black applicants. That would be completely wrong and arbitrary discrimination. In this case, the discrimination is proportionate and justified - the significantly increased risk of a male person causing harm to children than a female person, and the consequences being extremely severe (ie harm to children). Nobody is saying all men are a risk, but we don't know which ones are. So a blanket exclusion is justified. I personally wouldn't hire a babysitter I didn't know anyway.

I agree with @MissSmiley.. this is so depressing!

My teenage boys have babysat in the past, they were recommended to the family by mutual friends as my boys have younger siblings and are well used to younger kids and get on great with them.

Instinctively I'd say no. But then when I think about it I realise that I would never have anyone I didn't know and trust, regardless of sex, and that actually I would allow men I trust - brother, FIL, Dad - to babysit in the same way I trust the women in my life.

So for me it's not a sex thing it's a trust thing.

FWIW I wouldn't let a terrorist babysit my children either. I don't care if that makes me a bigot. 😂

This isn't about employment. This is about who you let into your house.

Exactly. Protecting men’s feelings will never be as important as the safety of children. And as I said before, good men would also want risks to children minimised and wouldn’t take offence. They’d understand it’s not a personal attack.

I wouldn't let anyone I didn't know and trust to look after my child.

Sex isnt important, trust is.

What about males in other settings with access to children 1:1? Male teachers, doctors, nursery staff?

Is the 1-1 aspect that worries people?

You beat me to it @Whatapalava67 ,
While I understand many parents not wanting a babysitter they dont know , be it male or female just because you know the male ( or female) doesn't mean they will not abuse the child in their care .

I feel exactly the same.

Someone I know and trust, no problem. A stranger through an agency or recommended by a friend, nope. Not so much because of the increased risk to my child, but because as a single parent I wouldn't feel comfortable with a strange man in my house, especially if I'm going to be getting home late at night.

If some people want to pretend that men aren’t the majority of sec offenders then go ahead.

I am not pretending so that men and dick panderers feel better about us being ok with men looking after our children.

I don’t leave my baby with anyone. But if I did need to it would be a woman. The only man I would even consider leaving my baby with is my father. Any other man no matter how nice and friendly I am not willing to do this.

Also, no I wouldn’t allow my child to do a sleepover in anyones home period. Let alone a single dad or man babysitting.

Also, I’m wondering why some of you are so adamant that we must let men babysit. Why exactly do you get out of people allowing access to their children to men?

It is normal for men to look after their own chidlren, but I’m suspicious of any man (or any woman pushing for a man ) to have access to children. In the spirit of “inclusiveness “ only makes it even more pathetic and dick pandering.

I don’t care if men feel discriminated against. If there is any area where they should be it’s around getting access to children considering 98% of sexual crimes are committed by men (people with a penis for the handmaidens) and people born male for the extremely brainwashed handmaidens.

My sons babysit all the time