Do Boys Baby-sit?

Stereotypes

• Common images of baby sitters in novels, television and movies often show teenage girls or older adult females as nannies. If males ever perform child care in popular culture, it is usually for a comedic punch, as in movies such as ̶0;Mrs. Doubtfire̶1; or Adam Sandler playing an almost criminally careless foster father in ̶0;Big Daddy.̶1; The notion that females will nurture and care for children better than males has not changed significantly even though more fathers are staying home while mothers work, and more women are delaying starting families or not having children at all.

Stigmas

• Children̵7;s safety is the first priority in any hiring decision. Some recent tragic and highly publicized cases of child abuse by well-known male coaches and teachers may cause parents to hesitate if given the opportunity to hire a boy as a baby sitter. Parents are right to be attentive to all suspicious signals from anyone who will come in contact with their children, be they female or male. Careful screening via interviews and references can help allay some anxiety when thinking about hiring a male sitter.

Qualifications to Look For

• Each family has specific needs when it comes to hiring baby sitters. One family may need a driver for after-school activities; another may need someone who is comfortable changing diapers. One skill any baby sitter must have is the ability to communicate effectively with parents and children. Jack, a teen baby sitter writing for kidshealth.org, visits with the family before he sits for the first time to go over rules and make sure he knows where everything is. Jack broke into the baby-sitting business by volunteering at school and working as a mother̵7;s helper while the parents were at home. Teens can also complete a Red Cross baby-sitting certification course given at many local schools and community centers. The course includes lessons on infant care, emergency response, making quick decisions and communication with parents.

The Advantages

• Many boys and young men do baby-sit and do it well. In a struggling economy with few secure jobs, any work that gives teens some financial independence and teaches them the importance of responsibility and communication has to be seen as beneficial to their future employment prospects. Writing in "The Wall Street Journal,̶1; Charlotte Alter raises another benefit of male sitters. For parents who hope their children will break gender barriers, hiring a male baby sitter is a way to demonstrate that boys and girls are equally effective as caretakers. For the boy who gets the job, the experience and training that comes from working with children will only add to his success in the future as a parent.