Male babysitter

harr

Quick question on behalf of a friend, he is currently a stay at home dad but needs to find part time work that is flexible, like he needs to be around during the day for school runs and stuff and like that
So he was thinking of trying to get babysitting jobs during weekends.
Do you fellow parents feel he is wasting his time going down this road . Being a man and all.

s4uv3

Being a man and all? What?

Anyway, no - a good few stay at home parents that I know have taken on an extra kid or two to mind in their home part-time, or do afterschool care etc. It can work brilliantly if your own kids are a similar age.
One guy I know is at home with his kids but they're in school, so he minds a baby for three mornings a week.

Springfields

Yeah he might be able to get some child minding work for mornings / after school which would have to fit in with his own kids schedule but there are always people looking for.reliable childcare.
But if you are talking about a night time babysitting gig I'd be surprised if he got anything...

harr

s4uv3 wrote: »

Being a man and all? What?

Anyway, no - a good few stay at home parents that I know have taken on an extra kid or two to mind in their home part-time, or do afterschool care etc. It can work brilliantly if your own kids are a similar age.
One guy I know is at home with his kids but they're in school, so he minds a baby for three mornings a week.

Thanks , the reason I said him being a “ man and all “ is that a lot of people still don’t like men in traditional child minding roles. I am a stay at home dad myself and I often get comments about how it must be my turn “ to babysit” or if I am giving my wife a “ deserved day off “.
So he is a little apprehensive about offering babysitting services as a 40 something year old male.

popa smurf

Stay at home dad here too and get slaged off all the time and you do get sick of it plenty of construction work out there again but I feel I would be working for nothing as I would have to sort out child care for 4 kids. I think its Very hard for a man to get a part-time gig I Don't know too many lads job sharing which is the way to go i think.

drunkmonkey

I'd feel safer if it was a guy but it's all girls round here. I don't think women notice danger as much and are prone to panic rather than act.

Gatling

Unfortunately being a man makes it less likely a parent would trust him ,
Coming from a man who is actually in childcare , taking on other peoples babies or children is seriously stressful unless you know what you are doing and are committed it's not something you can or should attempt to wing ,
And just to show how some parents think I'm regularly asked if I'm Garda vetted in my work the 8 other staff all women have never been asked if they are vetted by parents using the service ,Or you hear it's great to see a dad giving up his time to volunteer to help do games .

harr

Gatling wrote: »

Unfortunately being a man makes it less likely a parent would trust him ,
Coming from a man who is actually in childcare , taking on other peoples babies or children is seriously stressful unless you know what you are doing and are committed it's not something you can or should attempt to wing ,
And just to show how some parents think I'm regularly asked if I'm Garda vetted in my work the 8 other staff all women have never been asked if they are vetted by parents using the service ,Or you hear it's great to see a dad giving up his time to volunteer to help do games .

The thing is he great with kids, has looked after a lot nieces and nephews as well as being a stay at home dad since his kids were babies. He does underage training for local Gaa and has done the child protection course and is Gardaetted for the club.
He would be in my opinion a fantastic babysitter/child minder but it’s peoples opinions on males working in childcare that is putting him off.
Even looking for normal part time work it seems all shops and the like want is teenage girls or college age workers.
I suppose the big gap in employment is another disadvantage..

Big Bag of Chips

To be honest the only adult babysitters I have ever used were family. I had a teenage girl babysit for a while who was a neighbour. But it would never occur to me to hire an adult babysitter! That's just me. Occasionally friends might step in and mind mine but it's more on a favour swap basis, and I would then take theirs occasionally.

He might get more 'business' as a childminder for during the day, but without formal qualifications it's more likely to be for friends who already know him. But it is an option he should look in to and let people know he's available.

Gatling

drunkmonkey wrote: »

I don't think women notice danger as much and are prone to panic rather than act.

So many different levels of wrong with this

December2012

I wouldn't hire anybody I didn't know personally for years as a babysitter.

But maybe as a child minder?

Because there is a perception that women are better at childminding than men, he may want to get as many qualifications as possible. Just to give himself more sellability

Becks610

My personal opinion is I wouldn’t hire a male to babysit my child that I didn’t know for years. It may be harder for him- a lot of people may not hire adults may just hire younger people.

Flyingsnowball

Not a hope. For no other reason than I don’t trust men who want to mind their own kids never mind men who want to mind other people’s kids.

It’s absolutely wrong but that’s how I feel. I wouldn’t be able to do my job to my best ability if some dude was at home in charge of my kids. Why would he go out of his way to get a minimum wage job where people are always second guessing him like this?

drunkmonkey

Flyingsnowball wrote: »

Not a hope. For no other reason than I don’t trust men who want to mind their own kids never mind men who want to mind other people’s kids.

It’s absolutely wrong but that’s how I feel. I wouldn’t be able to do my job to my best ability if some dude was at home in charge of my kid

You've hit the nail on the head there with why men are better babysitters than women. You'd be sitting in the office wondering if the man was doing bad stuff with the kids.
A man wouldn't sit around wondering if someone was interfering with his kids he'd be straight over to knock 7 different kinds of **** out of them.

harr

Op here...I don’t think it will be complete strangers as he lives in a fairly small rural area and babysitters are hard to come by. He is basically looking for a little extra income and something he could do at night or evenings. He has a niece who can get €60 for a few hours babysitting on Friday and Saturday nights and she was saying people are finding it very hard to get reliable sitters.
As for going and getting qualified he hasn’t the time for college or probably the cash... and going by some replies here I can see why he is apprehensive about it.

helimachoptor

Flyingsnowball wrote: »

Not a hope. For no other reason than I don’t trust men who want to mind their own kids never mind men who want to mind other people’s kids.

It’s absolutely wrong but that’s how I feel. I wouldn’t be able to do my job to my best ability if some dude was at home in charge of my kids. Why would he go out of his way to get a minimum wage job where people are always second guessing him like this?

da fuq?

I've 3 kids, "minding them" or parenting as i like to call it is awesome.
I wouldnt be keen on other peoples kids, my 3 are enough but have done it to help out if a babysitter fell through.

Robert McGrath

Flyingsnowball wrote: »

I don’t trust men who want to mind their own kids

Has to be a troll. There is no way anyone can have this as a sincerely held belief

pwurple

helimachoptor wrote: »

da fuq?

Ditto.
I was just about to say flyingsnowball is singlehandedly throwing women’s lib back 100 years. Chain the ladies to the kitchen sink there why don’t you.

Men are well able to look after their own offspring, unless they’ve got some sort of learned helplessness forced on them.

Christ, she wouldn’t want to come to my house... it’s the bloke minding all the kids here, and minding other neighbours smallies too in a kind of swaperoo where the kids go play at each others houses various days of the week.

For OP, you’re talking about being a childminder in your own house maybe? I don’t think I’d hire a grownup for babysitting either, just cos I think it’s one of the very few jobs teenagers can get, and I prefer them to have that opportunity.

listermint

Flyingsnowball wrote: »

Not a hope. For no other reason than I don’t trust men who want to mind their own kids never mind men who want to mind other people’s kids.

It’s absolutely wrong but that’s how I feel. I wouldn’t be able to do my job to my best ability if some dude was at home in charge of my kids. Why would he go out of his way to get a minimum wage job where people are always second guessing him like this?

You absolute dirt and I don't care if it gets me a ban from this forum.

I just spent the last two days minding my son. And I won't have dirtbirds like you casting aspersions on me or men like me.

Go and take a jump

drunkmonkey

Nonsense your kid starts choking and you want a young girl there instead of man. Seriously?

Flyingsnowball

Holy **** lads. I don’t belong in this forum. I hope you arnt teaching the kid them manners.

listermint

Flyingsnowball wrote: »

Holy **** lads. I don’t belong in this forum. I hope you arnt teaching the kid them manners.

Did you get the plumbing gig yet or did you get sacked for being such an absolute troll.

Flyingsnowball

listermint wrote: »

Did you get the plumbing gig yet or did you get sacked for being such an absolute troll.

Sorry for expressing my views.

listermint

Flyingsnowball wrote: »

Sorry for expressing my views.

They aren't views . You just said men that mind their own kids have problems.

Your a tool. That's not a view . Probably the drink speaking I presume . Grow up you man child

Flyingsnowball

listermint wrote: »

They aren't views . You just said men that mind their own kids have problems.

Your a tool. That's not a view . Probably the drink speaking I presume . Grow up you man child

Nope I said men that want to mind their own kids do. I have kids. I don’t want to be sat at home mindinv them all the time.
Testosterone or Mother Nature or something makes me happier out chasing food or money or whatever. You seem angry. Is there a guide to posting on this site to stop you running foul of some militants.

There seems to be people looking for an arguement everywhere.

Male childminders will not get work on average. You can bull**** the man all you want.

listermint

Flyingsnowball wrote: »

Nope I said men that want to mind their own kids do. I have kids. I don’t want to be sat at home mindinv them all the time.
Testosterone or Mother Nature or something makes me happier out chasing food or money or whatever. You seem angry. Is there a guide to posting on this site to stop you running foul of some militants.

There seems to be people looking for an arguement everywhere.

Male childminders will not get work on average. You can bull**** the man all you want.

No wonder you can't get the work your looking for.

Doing engineering requires a brain.

drunkmonkey

Flyingsnowball wrote: »

Sorry for expressing my views.

That you don't trust men with children. You don't need to be sorry just plenty of therapy.

Flyingsnowball

listermint wrote: »

No wonder you can't get the work your looking for.

Doing engineering requires a brain.

Have a job thanks.

listermint

Flyingsnowball wrote: »

Have a job thanks.

I frankly couldn't care less.

Flyingsnowball

listermint wrote: »

I frankly couldn't care less.

I’m not sure you have all the parenting tools needed in the little parenting toolbox that great parents have.

listermint

Flyingsnowball wrote: »

I’m not sure you have all the parenting tools needed in the little parenting toolbox that great parents have.

Who's a great parent ? I'm just a parent.

I've a keen eye for idiot's though. Great at that.

Flyingsnowball

listermint wrote: »

Who's a great parent ? I'm just a parent.

I've a keen eye for idiot's though. Great at that.

I didn’t know listermint came in surly flavour.

Orion

Flyingsnowball wrote: »

I don’t belong in this forum.

Correct you don't. Do not post in this thread again. And any more comments like the ones you've made and you won't be posting in this forum again.

mvl

I am mother and my SO has been very involved in spending time with our daughter when she was a baby (he minded her more than a year after I returned to work); probably I would have not trusted an external male baby sitter for her at all.

But if I were to look into making a business out of something that allows me spending time with my child in an after school regime, I would look into art/music/cooking/languages classes instead of baby sitting.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Sitting here on holidays and it's naught but fathers minding their children here in the water park. Great craic altogether. People are always going to have different parenting views to your own, if it's outlandish you should just ignore it.

In Germany people are very forward and strangers will regularly give you crap for your parenting style. Twits they be.

Anyway, it's fantastic that your mate wants to mind children, we really should have more males represented in the child minding/babysitting industry. However, there are far too many ignorant people that believe male babysitters are sinister.

Teyla Emmagan

I don't have kids, but I would find a lot to like about having an adult male babysitter. If it is a small local area as you say and people trust him then why not? He could put up a sign somewhere and as long as he is open about his identity then I can't see the problem. As you say he seems to really like kids and I am sure there are a load of kids out there who would love a few hours with a man minding them as opposed to another 17 year old girl on her phone all night. I think he has nothing to lose.

goldlocks10

For a part time job that might fit in with school has he thought about be coming a home help. All ways looking for male home helps. Just a opinion no problem with male baby sitter

volchitsa

drunkmonkey wrote: »

You've hit the nail on the head there with why men are better babysitters than women. You'd be sitting in the office wondering if the man was doing bad stuff with the kids.
A man wouldn't sit around wondering if someone was interfering with his kids he'd be straight over to knock 7 different kinds of **** out of them.

Pretty sure that poster is a male, so how does that prove your point?
It does the exact opposite, seeing as he says he would be sitting around wondering. :rolleyes:

On the Op's question, I think the best way is to start with families who already know him as a stay at home dad, and once he builds up a reputation from there, other people will be interested too. IMO it can be as much an advantage as a disadvantage. Some people will want an active, outdoors-type childminder for active kids, and they may tend to think a man will be better at that.)

drunkmonkey

Ahh right I saw the rainbow sig and assumed teenage mom now lgbtq+ feminist.
He's a bit of an oddball them don't know any men who would be sitting wondering if anyone was abusing their children.

volchitsa

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Ahh right I saw the rainbow sig and assumed teenage mom now lgbtq+ feminist.
He's a bit of an oddball them don't know any men who would be sitting wondering if anyone was abusing their children.

So the fact that your assumptions were entirely wrong means that he's necessarily an oddball, not that your own prejudices might need to be reviewed.

Ok got that. :rolleyes:

drunkmonkey

My assumption on age/gender/sexual orientation/relationship status may have been wrong but it's doesn't take away from the fact he suggested men are a threat to children.
A lot of the queer women on Frist dates seem to have been young mothers and no have no interest in men. You can blame RTÉ, the #metoo movement and the toxic Ruth Coppinger for my assumptions.

One eyed Jack

harr wrote: »

Thanks , the reason I said him being a “ man and all “ is that a lot of people still don’t like men in traditional child minding roles. I am a stay at home dad myself and I often get comments about how it must be my turn “ to babysit” or if I am giving my wife a “ deserved day off “.
So he is a little apprehensive about offering babysitting services as a 40 something year old male.

Tbh it’s the ‘babysitting’ label doesn’t sit right with me for someone who is middle-aged and hoping to make childminding at the weekend legitimate employment. ‘Babysitting’ as other posters have suggested is something I’d be more inclined to associate with a teenager looking for part-time or Summer work.

It’s the taking on of other people’s children though carries many more responsibilities than just earning himself a couple of quid at the weekend because he’s great with children. I wouldn’t discourage him from going for it, I’d suggest maybe doing some more research into whether or not childminding would be viable employment for him and whether the opportunities really are there to make it worth his while.

Sunrise_Sunset

I have trust issues with other people minding my kids in general, male or female, whether I know them or not. This may or may not be considered healthy by others, maybe I've read too many stories on Daily Mail, but I really struggle with this. Friends and acquaintances don't seem to have this issue though and in answer to OP's question, I don't think many would have an issue with hiring a male babysitter.

If he is collecting and dropping his children to school why not become a childminder for children in school, parents would be maybe more comfortable with him doing this as he is picking up his own children and the children would be older.

pwurple

drunkmonkey wrote: »

My assumption on age/gender/sexual orientation/relationship status may have been wrong but it's doesn't take away from the fact he suggested men are a threat to children.
A lot of the queer women on Frist dates seem to have been young mothers and no have no interest in men. You can blame RTÉ, the #metoo movement and the toxic Ruth Coppinger for my assumptions.

No, you can blame fellas who assume that they deserve to sit on their arses while woman slave around them. This notion that all men are threats in some way is very useful altogether, when slobbing about watching sport with a beer in hand, while the world is run around them

Men are well able to look after their own children, in much the same way they are well able to cook their own dinners, do their own laundry etc.

Macho culture would make you think that everything is a woman's job, but there's nothing macho about it. It's the behavior of an extra child who needs to be taken care of.

popa smurf

Well women have made this matcho man either his mother or his partner. They are out there alright I know a few but like the great mamat that they are, they are dieing out.

pwurple

popa smurf wrote: »

Well women have made this matcho man either his mother or his partner. They are out there alright I know a few but like the great mamat that they are, they are dieing out.

What?

Neyite

pwurple wrote: »

What?

I think that Papasmurf means that the women in the layabout man's life enable them to be that way but that those men's attitude is thankfully dying out.



OP, one of the best childminders in our son's creche was male. I think if your friend markets himself as a childminder rather than a babysitter he might have better luck. If he's serious about it being a steady income for him then he might want to look into qualifications in childcare. My criteria for choosing a childminder would be experience, qualifications and premises not gender.

drunkmonkey

pwurple wrote: »

No, you can blame fellas who assume that they deserve to sit on their arses while woman slave around them. This notion that all men are threats in some way is very useful altogether, when slobbing about watching sport with a beer in hand, while the world is run around them

Men are well able to look after their own children, in much the same way they are well able to cook their own dinners, do their own laundry etc.

Macho culture would make you think that everything is a woman's job, but there's nothing macho about it. It's the behavior of an extra child who needs to be taken care of.

What?

popa smurf

Neyite wrote: »

I think that Papasmurf means that the women in the layabout man's life enable them to be that way but that those men's attitude is thankfully dying out.



OP, one of the best childminders in our son's creche was male. I think if your friend markets himself as a childminder rather than a babysitter he might have better luck. If he's serious about it being a steady income for him then he might want to look into qualifications in childcare. My criteria for choosing a childminder would be experience, qualifications and premises not gender.

Thanks for explaining that

walshb

In a perfect world a person's sex would not be an issue when minding children

We don't live in this world, and never will...

Bottom line is that the vast vast majority of pedophilia statistics involves males committing the offences against children...

I would not have any male mind my child unless I was very sure of them.

Of course there are other dangers other than the sexual nature danger.

There are reasons why almost all people involved in official child minding roles are women...

Males advertising a need or want to babysit would definitely arouse "suspicions".....sorry, but that's just life...

I don't know of any male ever advertising babysitting services......

Oh, and I am well aware that men look after their won children; I a one! I am making the point of looking after non related children...