Hot Topic (1/27): Would you hire a male nanny?

[Cafe GroupAdmin]

Would you let a male nanny look after your children?

With his shaggy hair and designer stubble, 48-year-old Kris Pohl is hardly Mary Poppins material.

But the American-born male nanny, who works for a family in South London, has become the first man to make it to the finals of the Professional Nanny of the Year competition.

He insists there is no reason for men not to make first-class nannies, and certainly mannies are becoming the latest fashionable accessory for middle-class mothers.

Jemima Khan, Gwyneth Paltrow and Britney Spears are among those who have hired men to help care for their broods. But it hasn't always been so acceptable.

When I hired my first manny eight years ago to look after my two young sons, a man at the school gates was a rarity.

When the other mothers were not fretting about whether he was going to abduct their child (even though he came from an agency and had nanny qualifications) they were intimating that I had lost my marbles.

But according to Oliver Black, of the Tinies agency, one of the largest domestic recruitment firms in the country, attitudes towards male nannies are changing fast.

In a survey of 1,500 families carried out by the agency, eight out of ten parents said that it was more acceptable now than ten years ago to hire a male nanny.

Oliver also firmly believes that there is no difference between men and women's ability to look after children. The main one, he says, is that men are more likely to have high energy levels.

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Would you ever hire a male nanny?  Why or why not? 

Do you think women are better caregivers than women?

[LauraKW]

In a heartbeat (after I checked his references and the background check came back clear).  My boys would love to have a manny.

[reyesb]

I think its great if a guy thinks he is up it.  Why not?  Times have changed, there are plenty of things that both men and women are equally great at.

[eviesmom453]

Absolutely! I have 2 male babysitters for my DS and he loves it!

[Joqui]

depends on what he looked like! .. ok also his BG check and all that good stuff and he would never be left unsupervised (at least not at first) ... but yea sure why not? I think they are less likely to beat my kids right?

[stormcris]

I agree and I have had male sitters as well as a male live in nanny for a short time.

Quoting eviesmom453:

Absolutely! I have 2 male babysitters for my DS and he loves it!

[Biancas_mommy]

No, I just couldn't....DH is a wonderfull dad and he is the only man I would ever trust with my kids.  I have a hard enough time trusting the few women we do leave are babies with...

[mamagoose524]

I think I would give it try.  I have 3 sons (all grown up now); but, when they were little, I often used a male babysitter.  I had better luck with the teenage boy sitters than I did with the girls.  My sons said the boys played games with them whereas the girls just watched them.  The teenage boys kept the house in just as decent shape as the girls did too.

[PurdueMom]

I would not hire a male nanny because I have all girls.  If I had boys, I would have no problem with a male nanny.

My cousin, who is male and a teenager at the time, use to babysit for me occasionally and the girls LOVED him.  But a 'nanny' who is going to be around on a routine basis, I personally would definitely prefer a female.

[lbranta]

If they passed everything and were qualified I would maybe even faster then I would a female. 

[sallymoon]

Gender would not be part of my criteria for selecting a nanny.  I care more about experience and trust.  I have never let anyone watch my son whom I haven't known for at least 5 - 10 years.