"Mannies" over nannies

04 Sep 2006

New mothers are choosing male nannies – or "mannies" – over female ones to avoid taking on a potential love rival, a new report has revealed.

Four fifths of mothers in the Tinies nanny agency quiz said they would feel threatened by a female nanny and 94% said that they would consider a man over a woman.

"Our research shows that the threat of an attractive female nanny is certainly an issue and it is a factor in increasing the demand for male childcarers," said the agency's director Oliver Black.

The popularity of male nannies is growing, with chanteuse Britney Spears and actress Gwyneth Paltrow hiring male nannies.

Acceptance of men in the traditionally female-dominated job is growing, with 80% of the survey's respondents saying that male nannies are more acceptable than a decade ago.

Yet while women said that they felt threatened by a female nanny, only half of men felt the same about a male one. But despite their popularity, mannies are hard to find.

"There are very few male nannies and nursery staff out there, although the ones we have placed have always been a great success," added Mr Black.

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