Where Are All The Men?

Hi, I'm Greg & I am an Early Childhood Teacher from Australia. I write a blog called Males in Early Childhood which you can find by clicking here.

Where are all the men? This is a recurring question I hear when the subject of the lack of males in the early childhood sector arises. Most people agree we need more men, but are unsure of how we go about attaining that goal. There are also mixed reason for having such a goal in the first place.

However, that is not the purpose of this post. There are opportunities galore to address those topics. Right here and now I want to help each and every one of you discover all the men that already play a part in children's lives, or at least have the possibility to.

Think about the men in your immediate and extended family. The brothers, uncles, grandfathers, pops, cousins, nephews, etc.

Think about those in your neighbourhood. The neighbours, shop owners/proprietors, local youth, etc.

Think about those within your local and wider communities. The police officers, ambulance officers, fire fighters, bus drivers, postal workers, taxi/cab drivers, librarians, school teachers, etc.

Think about community helpers. The public gardeners, community volunteers, retirees, community group members.

Think about those involved in sporting clubs. The coaches, other dads, older brothers, grounds personnel, first aid officers, etc.

Think about every man that touches your life in one way or another. if they have a positive influence in your life, no matter how small then there is the possibility that they may be able to have a similarly positive impact on your child's life.

Men make up half of society and therefore every child should come into contact with men from all walks of life from a very young age. Encourage interactions. Help dispel a fear of men that some children develop. Of course not every man you come across will want to engage with you or your child, just like not every woman will. Nor will every man be a wise choice for your child to look up to, just as not all women would be either.

If your child has the opportunity to engage with any of these people and they are men then please be brave and encourage an interaction, even if it's simply to say hello. Remember that positive encounters in their everyday lives will help children develop dispositions that will foster trusting and respectful relationship throughout their life, both with peers and with significant adults.

Even if you think that your child has no significant male in theiir life, there are far more opportunities than you might first think for a man to have a positive interaction with your child. And who knows, it may be the start of a new found respect and admiration for males.

Of course, this also applies to females. I have simply concentrated on men here as there are more and more children without significant men in their lives. Not to mention that the title of my blog is a bit of a giveaway. Nevertheless, the underlying message here is that rather than being fearful of strangers in your community and society at large, it may often be beneficial to see these people as conduits to children's development of healthy attitudes towards their fellow humans.