Tag Archives: preschool

Dude-y Daycare

Little Girl Blue is now attending preschool. This necessitated a move from her daycare facility to a different facility, though both programs are run by the same organization. I’m not so thrilled with the lead teacher, nor is Mrs. Blue, but we were very pleased to see that the assistant teacher was one that Little Girl Blue used to have sometimes at the daycare.

Yay! Continuity is a time of transition.

Problem is, this teacher is a man.

This isn’t a problem for me or Mrs. Blue. You see, one of our daughter’s best teachers at the daycare was a man. In fact, that man sort of mentored the one who’s at her preschool now.

The problem is the mother who was quietly (but not quietly enough, which was probably her intention sadly) telling the lead teacher how her son was afraid of the male teacher.

I don’t normally judge by appearances, but the woman’s body language, facial expressions and demeanor made both me and Mrs. Blue think that the mama was projecting. That is, she ain’t comfortable with a dude as a teacher, and she wants to make waves to probably get him eased out of there.

I know that men in teaching, particularly at the daycare and preschool level, are not the norm, but this kind of prejudice and discrimination bothers me every bit as much as racial crap.

In this day and age when so many kids lack male figures in the household, I applaud any man willing to teach kids. Regardless of the age of those kids. Gender doesn’t dictate how nurturing you are. It may have an influence, but I think that influence is overrated.

And it makes me upset to think how many mothers are bringing their kids to the center and seeing “potential child molester” instead of “valuable teaching asset.” Because judging by my impressions thus far, this mother is of a type that seems pretty prevalent among the other parents sending their kids there.