Nursery World - Editor's view

Why new TV series 'Daddy Daycare' isn't likely to boost recruitment of men into childcare

I approached watching the first episode of 'Daddy Daycare' on Channel 4 last week with some trepidation.

Television's portrayal of nurseries is rarely positive, usually concentrating on 'nightmare' settings viewed through an undercover reporter's camera.

'Daddy Daycare' is different, of course, because it is the hapless fathers who are set up to be shown as ridiculous. Chosen for their hands-off, reluctant approach to parenthood, the men are pushed into a large, inner-city nursery and allowed to founder, until there is a miraculous turnaround in their feelings caused by the delightful children and the realisation that this is hard, skilled work. Such is the inevitable pattern of these reality shows!

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