For those of you stateside, a child-minder is the UK version of a daycare-provider. We look after babies and pre-schoolers, or wrap around schooling care, or perhaps both from our own homes; and are sometimes OFSTEDed by governmental type people to make sure we’re good.

Since I started childminding the number of other guys in the job has swollen. I’m not sure how much its had to do with the like of Eddie Murphy and Vin Diesel, or of me moving into the city where men with prams are everywhere. But male minders, or mannies, are on the increase perhaps because of these reasons:

1. You get to see your own kids too.

This, for me, is the number one deep reason to mind. There are many other practical reason, like my wives job or affordable childcare, but these are overshadowed by the fact that I get to see my kids everyday. They in turn get to see daddy looking after tiny babies, I hope they’ve learnt from it and will be uber-dads when they grow up.

2. You’re paid to play.

I spent last week playing conkers, pushing swings, making rockets and butterflies. And then I was paid, enough said. How cool is that?

3. The rise of the beta male.

You know those glossy magazines that fall our of your Sunday paper; keep an eye on them as they know which way the wind blows. Over the last year or so I’ve been seeing the ‘we want a beta male‘ plea being repeated. Apparently guys who can hold a baby the right way round are in big demand… though having spent the beginning of the month smelling of kiddy-vom I’m not entirely sure why. But who are we men to fathom the working of the female mind?

4. You get to call yourself a minder.

Those street bbqs when you’re asked what you do, you can reply ‘minder’. My record so far is 20 whole minutes pretending to be a body-guard/bouncer hybrid at only 5′7″ before I got the giggles and had to fess up. Likewise I’ve introduced myself as a play-professional, a pirate, a conker coach, an astronaut and a story teller - all of which I suppose I am - as well as a childminder.

5. Stubble is allowed.

Kids - unlike conventional bosses - don’t care if you grow a beard, as long as they can still see you twinkle and smile the world is good.

tag... playpeople, gender, philosophising

When I made the move from teaching to childminding (day-care), I was given a piece of advice from a grand-dame of the business. Whilst chatting away to very little ones, I was told, be sure to move your face. In the many years since, it’s been the one piece of advice I’ve returned to time and again. Its advice that reminds me of my favourite book when I was 7, Danny the Champion of the World;

he never gave me a fake smile, because it’s impossible to make your eyes twinkle if you aren’t feeling twinkly yourself

read on »

tag... play, gender, philosophising