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I am just curious about whether you would allow a male to babysit your child?
Of course, you can tell I have three boys( 2, 13, and 17).My middle son has a steady babysitting job and gets paid very well!
The mother works with my dh and she has referred some of her friends to my son. All of the his babysitting jobs have sons to watch. Our son is great with kids and very mature.
My dh and I were talking and I said that I wonder if it really matters to parents if they have a female or male babysitting. I said that I really believe that MANY parents would feel very uncomfortable leaving a male to babysit.
( Its that old stereotype even though we know females can do harm too.)
Would it matter to you what gender you had to babysit? Would it matter if you had a daughter and a male was babysitting?
Why would you allow it? If you said you wouldn't why not?
Has society's ( our) thinking changed or is still MALES should not be left alone in this manner?
I can't wait to hear everyone's thoughts especially since I have boys.
My only issue would be the differing maturity levels between teenage boys and girls; however, I am aware that you have to go by the individual. So I would not otherwise discriminate. A responsible, enterprising young man that I knew and trusted (and who came with references) would be fine.
I am just curious about whether you would allow a male to babysit your child?
Would it matter to you what gender you had to babysit? Would it matter if you had a daughter and a male was babysitting?
Has society's ( our) thinking changed or is still MALES should not be left alone in this manner?
I can't wait to hear everyone's thoughts especially since I have boys.
I have used a couple boy babysitters for my two sons and what I've noticed is that they really enjoy the company of a bigger boy. Its much more cool to have a boy watch you, because it doesn't feel like surrogate for mom, I think.
They also really play actively with the kids.
I think you have to decide if you can trust the individual, not the gender.
When my oldest two were young I had two regular babysitters. They were brother and sister. The boy was the better of the two. He was about 15 at the time and he kept my 5 yr old daughter and 8 yr old son. They loved him. He spent a lot more time playing with them than did his sister who spent most of the evening either on the phone or watching tv. As my two reached babysitting age themselves my daughter had more babysitting jobs than she could handle. When she was busy she would always say, "my brother is available". Very few takers. My youngest is 12 years younger than my oldest and I can tell you that my son makes the better babysitter. I guess most people think boys are not as responsible but I have found the opposite to be true.
I am not comfortable with that UNLESS I know the male well. I called about a babysitter just last week and the girl went away to college, but the father mentioned his son was a sitter...I just didn't feel right about it for my kids (boy and girl twins) Now, if I had known him, then I don't think it would have been an issue.
I would like to say it wouldn't matter to me, but to be honest, I would be very leary leaving my 2 girls with a boy sitter. I know a few boy sitters, some family even, and I can think of only 1 who I would leave them with and feel comfortable with it.
I guess, because they are male and I have girls. I'm sorry. With all the stories you hear about molestation, and I am in no way implying that I think your boys would do this, for ME, it would just seem like a risk. The one boy I would leave them with is a cousin of mine who is 17 and I would trust him implicitly with my girls. However, I have a nephew who is 15 and I would never leave my girls alone with him. Maybe it's just my gut reaction to the kids I know, but as the mother of girls (and maybe a neurotic one at that)-it's just not something that I want to have to worry about.
That being said, if it redeems me at all I have a 18 year old sister who I would NEVER trust to watch my girls right now.
I'm 35 and have babysat for a very good friend - 8 year old girl, almost 4 year old boy, almost 2 year old baby. I loved it and I do it anytime they need it, which isn't too often.
I'd say, as a man - no teenagers, no young men. I myself would not accept a male babysitter for my own children in the future, only women.
I may be a rarity - a bachelor who loves children. LOL
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