Should Men Work with Young Children?

I say yes. They should! Children should have the opportunity to interact with men as well as women in the early childhood classroom. Men have a different approach and insight that women do not have and we are doing children a disservice when men are not recruited or encouraged to work within the early childhood field within the classroom. Men can model for children how to be a man and how to conduct themselves with others, both by modeling this behavior and by teaching the behavior. This is especially true for under privileged children because men can teach young children that are residing in single parent households headed by women how to be young men and how to respect themselves and others. Men working within the classroom maybe the only male figure that young children will have the opportunity to interact with on a regular basis.

How can we attract qualified men to the field?

Remove the stereotype that men working it the classroom will harm or molest the children. Women harm and molest children also. Hire and train qualified staff both male and female.

Remove the stereotype that women are better equipped to care for children; men are just as capable. With the proper training (which men and women need to be successful) men can provide appropriate care and supervision.