Yes, I'm a male child care teacher...

[Nurian]

That obviously means I'm a pedophile. /sarcasm

One of the first jobs I had was a child care teacher (read underpaid butt wiper). Now, I know it's unusual to have a male teacher. I was assured by the establishment there would be no troubles.
*sigh*
A couple weeks follow and I'm outside making sure the kids don't kill themselves. I see a shape out of the corner of my eye and look. There's a woman I recognize as a parent. I give a friendly wave and she scowls at me. I shrug and watch the kids more. Another parent joins her and they start whispering, throwing me dirty looks. I keep monitoring the kids. More parents show up. This time, they're not whispering, per se. I heard phrases like: "Why is he here?" or "Why is he a teacher?". One of them even said, "Probably a pedophile." I sighed and was about to turn to them to say something (rude I have no doubt) when another parent came through the school to pick up her parent. She chatted with me for a bit, picked up her son, and was leaving when she said, "You know, I'm glad you're here, Nurian. I'm a single mother and without you, I don't think my son would have a good male role model." I thanked her, smiling. Needless to say, the disapproving horde looked scandalized. I waved at them again and watched the kids.
Some barriers aren't easily broken down.

[JoitheArtist]

Geez....judgemental pricks. Personally, I LOVE seeing guys with kids, it's absolutely adorable.

[Fox One]

But us men are poor, single-minded members of the ungulate family who can barely vocalize our burning desires for our penultimate goal in life: sex. Why would we seek employment in child-care, if not to sex them up?

[slavetotheman]

Some barriers aren't easily broken down.

Those idiots mistaking you for a pedophile might take issue with this choice of words

[Fox One]

Those idiots mistaking you for a pedophile might take issue with this choice of words

One word: Slander.

[calulu]

My son's first job was at the local daycare center and he got the same thing. Silly, because the local daycare center was one of the few places in my town that would hire young men at 15. He and his best friend worked there and it was a positive experience except for those stupid judgmental parents.

It says something sick and sad about our society when people assume the only reason a male would want to be with kids was for sexual purposes.

Did you know that Johnny Rotten used to do day care? His first job and apparently he really liked it.

[wraiths_crono]

What I love is how the opinion seems to be one way, look in the news, how many female teachers are now having sex with students...

(I guess if your a single father women love it, but if your a teacher they cant stand it WTF?)

[Sparky]

When my daughter was small, she was in a before-school program (babysitting at the school) that had a male teacher. He was very popular and everyone seemed to love him, but Daughter was not thrilled about being in the program. Why? I think mostly because 1) she's have preferred to be at home asleep (sorry kiddo, Mom and Dad both had to be at work early) and 2) she was just a whiny butt.

One day she got to complaining so much about the teacher that I got concerned. Was something going on? Was he touching the students inappropriately? I mean, I was trying not to buy into the "men who want to work with kids are pedophiles" stereotype but she seemed so upset.... I gently coaxed her to tell me what was wrong.

She named two or three little transgressions, not any problem. Then, almost breaking into tears, "And he has a million cooties!"



End of concern.

[Fox One]

What I love is how the opinion seems to be one way, look in the news, how many female teachers are now having sex with students...

(I guess if your a single father women love it, but if your a teacher they cant stand it WTF?)

I guess the mindset is:
Single Male Father = Aw, he loves kids.
Single Male Teacher = Ew, he loves kids.

[PepperElf]

One word: Slander.

that's what i was thinking
especially since their little clacking hen gossiping could hurt your job if idiots believed in the filth they're spewing out.

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

that's what i was thinking
especially since their little clacking hen gossiping could hurt your job if idiots believed in the filth they're spewing out.

It could also result in unnecessary investigations by the police and/or unwarranted complaints to Child protective services.

[QASlave]

Wow. You sound like a parent. You know that whole underpaid butt wiper thing.

[calulu]

Wow. You sound like a parent. You know that whole underpaid butt wiper thing.

Good practice for the whole parenting thing... that and running barefoot over a field of Lego pieces..

[Becks]

"And he has a million cooties!"

And it's things like that that remind me how truly delightful children can be.

[NateTheChops]

I use to work with kids for free. Big no, no.

I volunteered at the middle school in my hometown every week. My science teacher's chess club still meets every Friday and during the year or so after I got out of college I would visit and help out.

Little things like just playing chess with the kids. Or I'd pitch in and buy soda and snacks on special occasions. The point is I was apparently doing my part to keep kids off of drugs. And my former guidance counselor and half of the other teachers in the school including the principal loved me for it because I was a positive influence in the lives of a their students.

But I had to call the whole thing off when one kid told me his parents were wondering what a 20 year-old was doing hanging around with a bunch of 14 year-olds. Actually, I could have answered that, it was when that same kid's father started saying I must be a pedophile.

And people wonder why I'm afraid to be near kids now.