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Subscribe to RSSGreg Carroll left his job as an executive chef in 2009, when his boss asked him to slash his 500-person staff by half. Since then, Carroll has done some catering, some consulting and some cooking in private homes. But full-time work has proven elusive.
So a few months ago, the 51-year-old Carroll posted an ad on Care.com, a site that pairs caregivers with potential employers. As a divorced father of four, he’s changed diapers, coached soccer and cooked healthy meals for his family. “I’m a great dad … so I thought (child care) might be something to look at.”
Heather Snyder
'Manny' Travis McGowin (center) with his two charges, Carson (left) and Lucas (right).
Carroll is part of a growing trend of men turning to child care work as a way to earn money in a difficult economy. Candi Wingate, president of the Norfolk, Neb.-based Nannies4Hire.com, estimates she’s seen a 10 percent jump in men looking for childcare work since the economy turned south. Johanna Flattery, with Care.com, said men advertising for child care jobs on the site has risen more than 30 percent since October 2008.
Some of these men are unemployed teachers, or daycare workers looking to go the “manny route.” Some are dads, like Carroll, with plenty of real-world experience but no formal background in caring for other people’s kids. And some have virtually no child care experience, but hope someone might give them a shot, anyway.
The overwhelming majority of nannies and babysitters in the U.S. are women, and plenty of potential employers reflexively shy away from hiring men to care for their kids. Child care is still considered by many to be a “woman’s job,” and parents may wonder why a guy would want to warm bottles, wipe up snot and play with Webkinz.
There are plenty of reasons why families would want to hire a man to watch their kids, said Flattery. “Anecdotally, we’ve seen a lot of mothers with pre-teen boys and teenagers who tend to pursue a male care provider. The reasons have been because these men can ‘keep up with’ the boys and participate in activities.” And single moms with male children often seek out men as care givers because they want a male role model for their sons.
Travis McGowin, a firefighter and part-time “manny” from Prattville, Ala., started working with children at a local YMCA and kept on doing child care throughout fire school.
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Would you hire a male nanny?
“I do continue to do this for the extra income, especially because of the way the economy has gone in the past few years,” said McGowin. But he also just loves working with kids.
“Kids accept people for who they are, instead of superficial things. If you have a genuine interest in what they’re doing, they’re going to be interested in you. If you show them love and interest, they’ll love you,” explained McGowin. “Kids have this whole unconditional love thing, and that’s what kept me in it the longest, more so than the money, actually.”
Have you noticed more men getting into child care? And would you hire a man to care for your children?
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I see no reason not to give a guy a chance! As with any stranger coming into your home, do a background check and make sure you have an initial visit to make sure he doesnt give you the creeps, but Id advise that with any woman as well. There are plenty of good dads out there or just good, honest boys that need a little cash and happen to like kids, and I believe they should be given as good a chance as any female. At a daycare where I worked some years back, I know there were plenty of those ladies I wouldnt trust with a puppy, and had a visible lack of maternal instinct. However, I know some guys who are so good with my 5 kids, who dont have any of their own, that I would give the job to in a heartbeat if I ever needed a babysitter and my regular wasnt available. Just because its a 'womans work' to care for the kids, doesnt mean she always has too, or even should!
Regardless of male or female, all potential child care employees should have their backgrounds checked, references, AND some experience with children.
I would also highly recommend having a cautious chat with your child(ren) about what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior from a caregiver and put in writing your specific boundaries (e.g. no hitting, no name calling, no dangerous situations) for the employee.
Then install nanny-cams in key places around and in your house to monitor what is REALLY going on while you're away. Drop in unexpectedly once in awhile, and ask your child(red) questions about your nanny regularly.
What is "manny"? Because this article is about men seeking child care jobs, they're now called "manny" instead of "nanny"? That's dumb and annoying. I thought this article was going to be about people hiring out their handyman skills. Whatever. Either way, good luck to anyone seeking employment that is out of the ordinary.
@For Posts only
"Manny" is a term that's been used for years now. Its not a new thing. How is calling a Handyman a "Manny" less annoying?
Really? I've never heard the term before. Calling a handyman 'manny' is equally annoying. I was just saying what I thought the article was going to be about based on this term.
That was my annoyance. Nanny isn't a feminized term, it's a job title. It's degrading to call them "manny" in my opinion. Good lord, what is with this world and creating all these unneeded words?
I became a Manny recently, and I think I do a very good job because I have experience being a Maretaker, a Maybesitter, and a clinical Murse.
I assume that the word "nanny" is related to nanna, or grandma. Then again, who cares. If men want to be nannies and be called mannies, it's fine with me. I know men who are great fathers or would make great fathers and women who should stay miles away from any child. Having said that, I would check out ANYONE whom I'd consider to take of my child(ren) very carefully. There are too many creeps out there, male and female.
"Manny" is just another word created because society is sexist. Men are scared of being seen as feminine for having jobs that are done pre-dominantly by females so these terms like "manny" and "male-nurse" are created to let people know that they are still men. **HUGE eye roll**
Yes it IS very annoying.
Good point, and we don't usually see it the other way around. I'm a carpenter and an electrician, gee I think I would like to be referred to as a "Fe-lectrician" and a "womanarpenter"
Just so that people still know I'm female.
"And single moms with male children often seek out men as care givers because they want a male role model for their sons."
Mannies should take care of momies too for additional pay.
I agree with you Hannah, just because someone is female , it doesn't mean they are good with kids. I have seen plenty of cases where the man had more patience with small, sticky people then the woman.
must have been queer
you're an asshol
I don't really think that is what murphy meant by "small sticky people," ar559995.
You do realize that it's been pretty well demonstrated that individuals who cannot keep from immediately thinking about homosexuality even in situations, like this, where it had no relevance were, you know, homosexual.
That is, if you can't stop thinking about it, it might be because it's what you see in the mirror every day. Just saying.
After you take out the garbage out bring the car around James as I am off to have my nails done. Also do not forget to polish the silver and wipe down my bath.
I am 64 years old, now retired and raising my grandchild. Your comment is pure ill-informed trash talk. Run, don't walk, away from this forum.
DrewMeister -- My hat off to you. No doubt your grandchild will grow up to be a great person.
You are so right. This guy should MAN UP!
Times are tough...jobs are not out there anymore. I'm grateful to have a job that pays well with benefits. These men have become very creative I say...Kids do need a father figure for sure these days. Just like any other nanny, interview well and do a background check for sure, but kuddos for them. Sounds like an oppotunity here...."Rent a Dad"
ok
We strive to live in an equal opportunity world and this is another positive example of progress. My wife and I have hired the services of professional caregivers over the years for a variety of occasions; general purpose sitting, event care giving and date night for example. This article is particularly interesting to me because Travis had been our "Manny" for several years. While we have relocated to another state, we keep in touch still.
My absolute favorite babysitter when I was little was a guy named Jesse. My parents loved having him watch me.
I had a few girl babysitters, but none of them were as fun.
Hats off to you and your wife.
I would be afraid of pediphiles with young boys, thanks to the catholic priests. Dont be offended men but i prob watch too much tv. if i had teens and they were assertive i wouldnt care if it was a guy.
You definitely watch too much sensationalist news. In my opinion, a good percentage of men who become priests have a problem to begin with, and I would not be surprised if the percentage of gays and pedophiles amongst priests were much higher than normal. A normal man or woman would not think of molesting a child. Child molesters are sick people. Even so, anyone working with children should be checked out thoroughly.
For the same reason that some women like to do those things. Duh.
I don't understand why people always want to separate the sexes.
@Mandy...totally with you...a parent is parent, not marent or farent and 'm wid u on sexes.
Otherwise a very interesting article...
1) good 2 kw more men r gettin involved with kids, I presume more than their own kids
2) kids now can get more diversified set of skills to grow as responsible citizens, a great VALUE for any nation
3) this trend may free up WOMAN as they desire EQUAL rights and be more front runners in ALL
4) along the lines there is a hope, may be one day we as in ALL can in fact truly hope for WORLD PEACE (however short it is in time) and not just preach on stages ;-)
Good and happy smiles ...helping me improve more on my own health.
Keep it up, ALL
Respectfully yours and LOVE YOU ALL.
Current employment numbers show that gainfully-employed women far outnumber employed men right now. Considering that a % of these women have young children and/or are single mothers, having a "manny" wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing....for the manny or the mom. He might even get a date ;)
Either way, male or female, I would be afraid to keep someone else's kids because we live in a lawsuit friendly environment. A straight honest and morale person could end up in jail if little Johnny or Sally made up something.
My husband is a manny. He took over my job when I injured my shoulder. We are senior citizens on a fixed income and the extra money comes in handy. He does a great job and truly cares about the child he takes care of. He works for a single mom and is a big help to her. On occasion he has done plumbing and carpentry repairs for her as well. Who wouldn't want a manny who can change a diaper, pack a lunch, fix the toilet, do the laundry and yard work? He's in great shape and is able to keep up with a very active toddler.
HOPEFULLY, He will fix the lunch before he changes the diaper and fixes the toilet.... lol....
really strange how, men are treated like perverts, when they enjoy working with children. I have "baby sat" since I was about 12. In Jr Hi, the girls did not like me much, cause I "stole" their jobs. WHY? cause I would play with the kids, I would not just sit and watch TV or talk on the phone. I would play blocks, cars, dolls, house, teaparty, cowboys and indians, army or what ever the kid(s) wanted to play. we would get dirty and have a blast. and if it is a MAN, well, there must be something wrong, or they are a pedophile or we need to do extensive back ground investigations on them.... GO AHEAD, DO THE BACK GROUND CHECKS, but then do them for each and every person there, YES THE WOMEN TOO!!!!!!!!
GO DADDY DAYCARE !
maybe we need to see more DADDY DAYCARES...... or maybe, GRANDPA'S FOR HIRE!.
That might be a good thing, GRANDPA'S FOR HIRE.... HERE IS ONE....
Read stories, play games, teach how to stack domino's and put together Tinkertoy windmills, There are a lot of things GrandPa's can do that would be good for kids.
got lots of things running through my mind now, not a bad idea at all....
I don't WORK as a "manny" but that IS what I do. Let's get the preconcieved notions out of the way....
I spent 15 years as a cop, and 5 years as a private detective, until the body just couldn't take it anymore.
I have 2 kids. I was off saving the world from the bad guys during my first child's formative years, and I vowed not to miss my second's childhood. I have a nice pention to sit back and enjoy, I also make money on a few side gigs... the wife is a lab tech, so we're comfortable enough I would say, so I am afforded the luxury of being a Mr Mom. It's not easy to be sure... mine is just an infant, so it's very complex... one thing works one day, and doesn't the next. Plus being exclusively breastfed, I have to learn to stretch what the wife can leave me throughout the day, all the while entertaining her, getting my own stuff done and trying to get her to nap. That doesn't even include changing diapers and crying time.
Obviously for the most part, the folks talked about here are working with older kids, so I can imagine it has to be a bit easier time, but any man willing to work with an infant, so long as h e's a decent enough fellow, then god bless him.
I love to do it, and it's a heavy burden for a man, but over the last 20 years or so, I have learned a great deal of patience. However I am not sure I could do it professionally.
Please PLEASE do your own investigation of ANYONE who comes in contact with your children.
Check the facts of employment, driving records, care giving skills, etc.
Apparently the reporter did not do any of these in reporting of this story.
Kristin Kalning should be reprimanded for not checking her facts before publishing this article online.
yes, how dare she publish an article and hope that people have common sense.
Hey Mandy, do a background check on one of the gentlemen listed in this article and them tell me how much common sense the reporter has. ...oh wait....I'll save you the trouble, one of them is in court today on child neglect charges....
Do a background check on this guy? Ok do you want to provide proof that THIS SPECIFIC man is the one in court today? If you have issues with him, don't hire him. And besides, just because someone is in court for something, doesn't mean they are guilty. It means someone complained. Innocent until proven guilty is I believe how our system works.
Also, This isn't an article saying "HIRE THIS MAN" this is an article about men taking care of children. This dude is just an example. Its called an interview.
You should always check in to the person you are hiring your for your children, its not a reporters job to do that for you. A reporter should not be reprimanded because YOU failed to do so.
That's just stupid! Why would Kristin Kalning be "reprimanded"? Had you actually READ the article you would have seen that the article is not a "How To" article about screening people during your search for a childcare provider. This article isn't even about trying to convince people that one gender is better for child care than the other. The article is about the trend of men looking for childcare work in this crappy economy. There was no need to do a background check. The article never said that the men mentioned in it were reputable, but then again, that isn't even the point of the article now is it? The author did "check her facts". She interviewed men who were either looking for childcare work or men who already have childcare work.
Do not come on this site and make comments that bash the author of the post when she clearly did the needed research for the topic. Every other comment on this article has said what you wanted to say....DO A BACKGROUND CHECK ON ANYONE THAT IS WORKING WITH YOUR CHILDREN....whether male or female! That is common sense. Anyone would be stupid to not check the background of the person working with their children. So you have trust issues with men watching your children??...THEN DON'T HIRE A MALE TO WATCH THEM! That is a personal decision based on the needs of each individual family seeking childcare.
Obviously you have personal issues with someone mentioned in the article. Take your personal issues elsewhere and, next time, actually read the article before you comment.
James, you her editor? ALL I am saying is she should have done the check herself on those she interviewed. She didn't, or she would have interviewed someone else.
Personal issues? Why, yes....you see, I did the background of one of the subjects, and I wouldn't let him watch my goldfish. Scares me as some people aren't as careful with their children as they should be.
So where did you see this background?
Mandy, you don't know how to do a background check on someone? There are plenty of sites, plus you can always check police reports of the states the person has resided in. I'm not posting the information on here, that's not my responsibilty.
I'm just sayin, you seem to be making claims, saying for sure that you know that this is the same guy, and that he did such and such a thing. But yet you provide no proof. A little sketchy if you ask me. I mean, there are people in my home town with the same name as me. You need much more information than a name to do a background check.
Posting information IS your responsibility if you are making a claim.
Where would you proof sent to? Have it all! Police report, court doc., work history..
forwarded by Greg Carroll
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Kristin Kalning <kristin.kalning@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Oct 28, 2011 at 12:08 PM
Subject: Story is up
To: gregtcarroll@gmail.com
Hi Greg,
Just wanted to let you know that the story on male child-care providers is up on Today.com:
Thank you so much for your help with it. And best of luck to you!
Kristin Kalning