Mannying –
it’s a guy thing
While it’s not really the type of work you’d
traditionally expect to find men doing, overseas in Britain and
in the United States especially ‘mannies’ (male nannies) are
becoming rather sought after.
With some high profile people like Madonna,
Gwyneth Paltrow and Rosie O’Donnell employing a manny for their
children, it has brought the small band of men who have made
caring for children their career much more into the spotlight.
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KiwiOz Nannies, which has offices in both
Auckland and London, puts the percentage of male nannies in its
UK office at 2.5% of the nannies registered (42 out of 1637),
but here in New Zealand much lower at 0.09% (7 out of 713).
Lisa Rutledge, owner of KiwiOz Nannies, says
that of the seven male nannies they have on their database in
Auckland three are actively looking for work at the moment.
All of these male nannies have similar educational backgrounds.
One is a New Zealander currently studying towards his teaching
degree at the University of Auckland, one is British and has a
Diploma in Education, and the last one is 24-year-old Mark
Chludzinski, an American with a BA in Education & Psychology.
A Foreign Perspective
When Mark arrived in New
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Zealand from the States, two months ago, he was looking forward
to a complete change of scenery. He had been keen to spend some time here, so
much so that he had turned down a couple of very good job
opportunities back home, as he had been told he wouldn’t have
any trouble picking up work here. Sadly, that
optimism has proved to be unfounded.
While he’s certainly enjoying his time in
this country, Mark has been somewhat disappointed by the more
conservative attitude that surrounds childcare here, compared
with the States where mannies are becoming more common – at
about 6%. While Mark has done some work since arriving here, he
has been disappointed to find that there simply haven’t been the
same opportunities that he found while working in the US.
When Mark graduated from college (university)
in Boston, he worked as a Life Skills Educator/manny for a
family whose son was autistic and needed specialist care. Having
specialised in the special needs area, Mark was able to put his
training to good use in this job. Being a live-in position, it
enabled him to save money more easily for his trip to New
Zealand.
Many of the mannying jobs are live-in
positions, and, while this has some advantages financially,
there can be a loss of privacy, and the feeling that you never
actually leave your job at the end of the day.
Having worked with five to ten-year-olds, as
well as with teenagers at summer camps in the States, Mark is
presently working in an after school care centre in Auckland.
And although he enjoys the less stressful pace of life here, he
will probably be returning to the States at the end of the year
unless more serious work turns up. There he will continue with
the mannying work for another year or so and then return to
university to do his masters.
One of the things that Mark likes about
mannying is often brought up as a plus by people who have
employed mannies in the past. The kids get to do more ‘guy
stuff’ which they often enjoy more than the quieter, more sedate
activities that female nannies frequently propose – especially
the boys who do not have a father figure in their home, whose
father is often away, or perhaps not young enough to enjoy a bit
of rough and tumble, or a game of footie.
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Jealousy
Rears Its Head
Another reason mannies are becoming more
popular could also be put down to that good old human emotion –
jealousy. It appears women are sometimes concerned a female
nanny may catch their partner’s attention, for all the wrong
reasons. Men, on the other hand, generally don’t seem to have
quite the same concerns with their partners spending a lot of
their time around younger men.
Mannies tend to be in their twenties, using
this type of work for a change while continuing their training
in child education, and often use the job to travel abroad –
just like their female counterparts.
Writer Holly Peterson originally coined the
term ‘manny’ in an article she wrote for ‘The New York Times’
five years ago. This article was also the basis for her book
called ‘The Manny’ – about a working mother in New York falling
in love with her male nanny. And while this idea is certainly
not new – think Tony Danza and Judith Light in ‘Who’s the Boss’
– the reality is that most mannies are trained professionals,
that this a serious job, and they treat it as such.
Positive Male
Role Models
In fact, a high proportion of employers,
although certainly not all, are single working mothers,
concerned that their children are missing out on having a
positive male role model in their lives. Given the high number
of single (female) parent households and falling numbers of male
teachers in the school system at present, this could be seen as
a valid concern.
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Lisa Rutledge of KiwiOz Nannies says
they have been seeing a growing trend of female teachers leaving
the teaching industry to pursue nannying, and they are starting
to be followed by their male counterparts. With less than 10% of
teachers in the schools being male, this downward trend has the
hierarchy in state education worried, and they are now actively
seeking ways to reverse this trend.
Another concern
is that the decline in male teachers may also be connected to
the falling academic achievement levels of boys throughout the
country; that the school system may be becoming ‘feminised’;
that it is now geared to a specific way of learning that may not
be stimulating enough, in certain areas, for many male students.
This is not just a New Zealand issue either, as boys generally
seem to be falling behind girls, academically, throughout the
western world. While feminists will probably see some irony in
that, generally people are concerned that the school system
seems to be failing so many of its students.
Playing it safe
When the
subject of men working in the area of childcare comes up there
is often the bogeyman ‘paedophilia’
lurking, unspoken but speculated on, in the background. With
several high profile cases in the media, especially in relation
to the church, parents now have a heightened anxiety in this
area.
Just like
female nanny applicants, male nannies have to supply a full
employment history, with the last three references being checked
thoroughly, and a police check done. Ask what checks have been
done if going through an agency to hire a nanny – male or female
– and if you’re not happy with what they’ve done or if you’re
not going through an agency then do them yourself.
Here to Stay
While mannies may still be seen as a bit of a
novelty here in New Zealand, as the number of mannying
positions available continues to rise overseas it is likely this
trend will also become stronger in this country.
So if you’re in
the market for a new nanny this summer, perhaps an outdoorsy
bloke could be the answer.
KiwiOz Nannies -
www.kiwioznannies.co.nz ph.09 309 3977
KiwiOz Nannies -
www.kiwioznannies.co.uk
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