"Girls just have a thing for babies..." huh???

I'm on deadline mode right now for two separate publications, pieces which are both due today (and will unfortunately and likely be late as I'm pulling a morning, afternoon, and evening shift today at work).

So the blogging will be slow coming for a day or two.

However, there is a comment that has been stuck in my head since yesterday that I have to get off my chest.

At drinks the other night, a guy whom I was acquaintanced with asked if I knew anyone who would be a live-in for doing a few hours of childcare a week. Since I do childcare, my first thought and comment was no (it was out of town) but also that it would have to be a pretty good situation to be a live-in and do childcare since you open yourself up to doing more childcare and having less free time than you would like to.

He commented "I figured it wouldn't be hard to find someone since girls have a thing for babies anyways and like doing that stuff".

A... huh????

Okay. I am doing childcare now but hate to think that the only reason I'm good at is is because I'm a girl. When I started doing childcare once again, I took a heap of comments from a guy friend in particular who seemed to view it only as "babysitting" as opposed to real work. To commenting that I could be doing better, more important work. To ignoring me when I talked about the need for higher paid and higher valued childcare. Childcare has the stereotype of being women's work, therefore being undervalued and underpaid.

But my current employer but it best when she hired me, saying "of course we want to pay good wages - you're taking care of our kids. What is more important than that?"

I know plenty of women who do not want children, plan to never have children, and are at a total loss when around them. I am one of the rare few women out of my female friends who does want children. I don't attribute it at all to my gender or sex.

Rather - think about how we're raised? Give the girls some dolls and the boys some trucks. Nature or nurture? I'd argue its part personality and partially the society we grow up in.

That comment got under my skin and itched. Now that the itch is gone, time for me to head to work.

- Artemis.

Comments

[Tracey]

I hate it when I sense that male attitude that "girls just like that stuff", as if caring for children isn't hard for us, frustrating for us, and exhausting for us. It makes it easy for men to just leave it to women completely, as if it's just easier that way since we're naturally good at it and enjoy it and they aren't. Socialization, much?

[MaleChildLover]

I am a male, but I think I could do a great job taking care of the child if my wife wanted to work (and we chose to have children :rolleyes:). Taking care of a child is hard work, and while to a certain degree it is true that women are designed to initially take care of the child (hence breasts) men can do a great job if they are raised correctly. It is that "Give the girls some dolls and the boys some trucks" that is messing up people, as now boys think they cannot care for children and women are taught they have to.

On a side note, I believe SOMEONE should take care of the children; kids just don't come out the same when they are raised by a nanny; nothing is a strong as parental love.

[deBeauxOs]

If I had young children I'd hire you to care and educate my daughters and sons. You'd be a terrific role model.

BTW, caring for infants and young children is HARD work! I remember that, from being a stay-at-home-mom, briefly.