Male Early Years Worker

[NewGrandad]

How would you feel about a 20+ yr old male, over 6 ft, 16 stone or so being appointed as a trainee early years worker in your child's nursery?

We've had three young men working in our nursery and they've all Been really good and positive influence especially on my little boy

Sounds like one of the workers in my son's room, he's great and whispers very very camp. The nursery is a local chain that prides it's self on the high quality of staff it employs and retains, and he fits right in. All the best to your son OP.

You're doubling down on the height and weight thing OP - why do you think that matters?
She doesn’t, he is her son, but she’s worried others might find his physical size intimidating.

My DS had a male nursery worker and I think it is good that there are men as well as women in that role.
We do have a family member (not close family) who is very tall and DS was always very anxious around him when he first arrived. He is a very gentle man, so the only factor we could think of was the height. But DS got used to this.

So the height may be a problem for some children initially, but it will be the way that your DS interacts day to day which is important.

Totally agree with everyone else. My toddler was quite wary around a male relative he met for the first time and I suddenly realised that on days with me we visited female friends and their kids, and his preschool staff were all female. We knew various older retired men but he'd hardly met any younger ones.

I would think it's great. Children need positive role models from both sexes.

Good luck to your son 😊

Hmm I'm not sure, could you publish the heights and weights of all the female staff too, then I have something to compare??

Ps. Ds would have loved this, he had a male reception teacher and he absolutely adored him.

Ps. Ds would have loved this, he had a male reception teacher and he absolutely adored him.

Probably because he was a good teacher. There are crap male teachers out there as well.

Oh ok just seen your update, still puzzled about why his size was relevant to the question though?

I'm afraid your post reads as quite sexist to me, OP. It's in all our interests that caring and early years education roles are far less gendered - and your attitude is the exact opposite of what we need. Imagine a post questioning whether a woman's body type might make her unsuitable for this job.....

He will mainly surrounded by people raving about how marvellous is it that a man is working with children rather than people complaining.

Oh God this !!! Everything he does will more than likely be fawned over, and management will over praise him for even the simplest thing.

Look at the fantastic display Bob put together... ignoring Sophie who has done the other 99 display boards.

I feel you, PurpleDaisies. The glass escalator is real.

He will also suffer from people that think he will be surrounded by people raving about how marvellous it is, and talking about glass elevators, when all he wants is just to be allowed to do his job.
That's life for somebody doing a non stereotypical job I suppose. People treat you differently then other people complain people are treating you differently, and blame you.

Childcare is 2% male. And young people seem to think childcare is a job for women. Wonder why?

OP, I'm older, just as tall, and fatter. It's not really a problem. There's a saying: Those who matter don't mind, and those who mind don't matter. People who have problems about men in Early Years are idiots who's views are not worth worrying about. The staff will either be fine or realise they have to keep their mouth shut. Management will either be fine or not give him the job in the first place, and if they didn't want to give him the job due to sexism he is better off not working there anyway.

I've had very few issues over the years. It's a fun rewarding job and I'd encourage men men to do it.

more men!

Thank you (almost) all again. BTW I'm his dad not his mum and wish that way back 30+ years ago a man in EY education would not have been looked down on.

On his size and weight I was merely trying to say he is a big guy and for small children (pre-school) this might be intimidating, as some have picked up on.

@Purpledaisies, @Icerebel and @CountessVonBoobs please put your bitterness to the side and show some support from a young man trying to do something positive.

Thank you @Mysterian

Did you miss my post wishing him good luck?

We had a male nursery teacher at my school, he now has the same job at a different school. He was great and the parents loved him.

@PurpleDaisies I didn't and thank you. But the whole (sp?) "he'll be praised more because he's male" did annoy me. He has the job and if he swims or sinks it's nothing to do with him being male.

But the whole (sp?) "he'll be praised more because he's male" did annoy me. He has the job and if he swims or sinks it's nothing to do with him being male.

Its my (and if you read these threads many other female teachers’) experience that men are held in higher esteem than their female colleagues even when they’re doing exactly the same job.

I wasn’t saying your son didn’t deserve his job. He’s done very to be accepted on the training course.

"he'll be praised more because he's male" did annoy me.

Apologies if it offended you but this really was the case when I worked in a nursery, every male nursery worker was hero worshipped by the management. I'm sure your son will do well in the profession, but being male definitely made things easier for those who worked in my nursery chain.

Calling out pervasive sexism isn't the same thing as wishing your son ill. If he wants to work in early years education and is hardworking and good at his job, I hope he'll have a successful career.

I work in a nursery. Our manager is male. I've worked with a handful of males in the past. They've all been great! It's a shame there aren't more.

I work in a nursery and we’d love a male member of staff, good for him!

As a nursery .manager I think that's an awful interview question
It's the nursery s responsibility to manage the parents expectations and to deal with any discrimination.
Would they have asked the same question of a black person? Or if they were gay or deaf or 75?