I Wish I’d Had a Male Au Pair During My Childhood

Another alternate universe fantasy of mine

Photo by Carafife on Unsplash

For most kids born within the Twentieth Century, the myth of “Babysitters can only be female” was strong. Over the course of centuries, women (and girls “in-training” for womanhood) have been burdened with the labor — both paid and unpaid — of serving as caretakers, event planners, and glorified maids.

It’s crucial to break those expectations.

Tony Danza’s character of Tony Micelli on the 1984–92 sitcom Who’s The Boss? became a cultural icon in beginning to chip away at such conventional wisdom. In the years since, there’s been a noticeable rise in the numbers of male nannies (affectionately referred to as “mannies”) working for upper middle-class or wealthier families.

When my sister and I were kids, all of our babysitters were teenaged girls. My parents, actually, didn’t have any qualms about the concept of hiring a male babysitter for us. There just were barely any older teenaged boys in my hometown offering their services in that capacity.

Many parents also have reservations about hiring male babysitters or male nannies due to fears of pedophilia or male violence.

While there is a limited level of justification for this sentiment, it’s also inherently…