Male childminders? Is it weird?

[indiechick]

Thinking about using male childminder but hubby being weird about our dd being looked after by a bloke. Is he just being old-fashioned or does he have a point? Guy in question seems great, is dad to ds and dd already, have met him, wife and kids, lives locally, fits all criteria really. What do others think?

Not weird at all. I know a really great male childminder who picks up children from ds school. There's also a male childminder who posts on mn. Your dh is being old fashioned.

there is a male child minder that minds lots of kiddies at our school - and the kids love him.

he goes to all the groups - toddlers, music etc

and he just loves little ones. he took early retirement, and has 3 grown up children of his own

If I had to use a cm,I would use him

meant to say in preference to many of the female cm's

Not weird at all, and we have our own Nannynick who is a male nanny posts very often. With the right fit, definitely!

Thank you, I think it's great that a guy wants to be a childminder and they seem a really nice family. Think hubby and I will be having a talk!

I don't think it's weird at all. In fact credit to him for becoming a cm!! They go through all the same training and everything and men have paternal instinct just as women have maternal instinct. If he feels right to you then go for it!!

i kow a few man and wife who both mind together near me..very succesfully!

I really can't imagine why this would be weird

does your Dh read the daily mail by any chance?

this sort of attitude is what makes it so difficult for young boys to identify with good male role models.
they can't find any because no man wants to be branded a "wierdo" or "peed" simply because he is good with children.

My DD is with a husband and wife who are both CM together. I think it is lovely like being with grandparents really. Lovely for DD to have two people with slightly different styles.

no i don't think the idea of a male childminder is weird at all - i know a few male minders in my area to be honest though they all work alongside their childminder wives - what it comes down to really is finding someone you feel happy to leave your kids with and that you believe will look after them as you want - all childminders have to be crb checked and complete the same training.

i think we need more men in early years childcare and education as lots of children don't see much if anything of their fathers and i feel they need strong male role models in their lives

I have a childminding husband & I just interviewed a lovely 17yo lad as a childcare assistant - I think men in childcare are a very scarce & valuable resource

As a male nanny, I can confirm that over recent years, it is fathers who have had the concerns over employing me. Mothers in general I find are fine about having a male carer - as mums want someone who fit's their criteria, ticks all the boxes. Fathers - I just don't know what it is. Perhaps they feel threatened.
Having a male carer to the child could be like having a replacement father - though in my experience, children easily adapt - daddy is and will always be daddy. NannyNick is NannyNick. It could be the same worry mums have, when they decide to use a female childcarer - that the childcarer will replace them.
As a mum... if the carer was female, would you be thinking about being replaced? Is that the issue?

I think its great that men want to be cms, why not anyway? They are just as capable as us (some even more than others) at looking after children.

People only think its weird as they probably associate men who want to be with kids as being peodophiles.

To all you men cms, you are an example to my dh who is hopeless with his own son!

Nannynick, wasn't thinking about that at all. I had a wonderful childminder (female) with dd1 and great though she was, dd was never confused as to who mummy was, so no, didn't really think that was a problem.
Had a big talk with dh, who admitted he didn't like the idea of dd2 loving another bloke, but acknowledges this (male) childminder seems great and ticks all the boxes so we're going to meet up with him and family next week to see how we get on. DH doesn't read the dailymail but he is quite old fashioned in his views.

Nannynick, wasn't thinking about that at all. I had a wonderful childminder (female) with dd1 and great though she was, dd was never confused as to who mummy was, so no, didn't really think that was a problem.
Had a big talk with dh, who admitted he didn't like the idea of dd2 loving another bloke, but acknowledges this (male) childminder seems great and ticks all the boxes so we're going to meet up with him and family next week to see how we get on. DH doesn't read the dailymail but he is quite old fashioned in his views.