are you fine with male teacher at daycare?

[Anonymous]

My 3 year old girl is just recently potty trained, and moves to a new classroom. The daycare just hire a new male teacher for the first time at daycare, and he will be her teacher.

I believe there is always other female assistant/helper at the classroom. And, my girl is potty trained, but she may pull down her pant/underwear once in a while or not pull up her pant/underwear after potty.

I think it should be okay, but I want to ask how do you feel?

[Anonymous]

My kids had a male preschool teacher. I was fine with it.

[Anonymous]

Yep, I'd be fine with it. If the guy gives me the heebie jeebies, then I wouldn't be (but that's true of female teachers too).

Just being male, and in a caregiving profession, doesn't mean anything to me.

[Anonymous]

I would be thrilled.

[Anonymous]

I'd be fine if potty trained and female assistant always in room

[Anonymous]

It's one of those things where implicit bias makes itself clear to me. Like theoretically of course it should be fine, but I'd be a little hesitant because of that implicit bias. Same with having a male massage therapist or gyno, just makes me slightly uncomfortable but I know it shouldn't. However, my daycare center has 24/7 cameras so I'd be ok with it

[Anonymous]

I'd be happy for my kids to see a man in that role. One of my kids had a male teacher for pre-k and he was awesome.

[Anonymous]

I've had my two kids at the same daycare, and so we've been involved there for about 6 years. During that time, they've had two male daycare teachers in the whole center.

My son was assigned to a room with one of the men, and I was like, "Cool cool. He'll get to have another male influence"

Turns out that the guy was fired for locking the kids in the closet when they cried. Then he lied about it, then he was caught on tape. So yeah, now I wonder about men who go into that field. Maybe unfairly, but the worry is still there.

[Anonymous]

Yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's one of those things where implicit bias makes itself clear to me. Like theoretically of course it should be fine, but I'd be a little hesitant because of that implicit bias. Same with having a male massage therapist or gyno, just makes me slightly uncomfortable but I know it shouldn't. However, my daycare center has 24/7 cameras so I'd be ok with it

What?? I've never been uncomfortable with either.

[Anonymous]

I have loved it - real men care for kids. I have had exclusively good experiences with male DCP. I think they have been better for the same reason that women engineers have to be better than their male counterparts to get the same job.

I have three stories of physical abuse from female providers, but no one suggests we should stop women from being with kids.

[Anonymous]

totally fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have loved it - real men care for kids. I have had exclusively good experiences with male DCP. I think they have been better for the same reason that women engineers have to be better than their male counterparts to get the same job.

Agreed! -woman engineer

[Anonymous]

Sorry- nope. I would not be ok with that.

[Anonymous]

I worked for many years in an elementary school. There were never very many male teachers. Some of them were really great teachers. Others, not so much. However, parents generally loved the male teachers no matter what because they just assumed male teachers were good, I guess. Or they liked the idea of a male role model. Not totally sure, but I can tell you some of those guys had no business working with kids. Either they were very weak teachers, they were creepy, or both.

Same is true for women of course, some have no business working with kids, but people do not automatically assume they are great teachers just because they are women.

The unconditional love for males in a teaching role is a bit of a weird dynamic and inappropriate overreaction.