Get professional (not)

  • Sumo

One term I really dislike is child care.

Not because I dislike children or the care of children. Absolutely not!

But because child care, when uttered in Australia at least, means ‘professional/paid care for young ones.’ It does not mean non-professional care: mums, dads, grandparents, uncles & aunts, neighbours helping out …

I think the idea of caring for kids has been professionalised, resulting in a downgrade status for us non-pros. This type of care becomes invisible, undervalued and, consequently, under-supported.

This is not in any way to disparage those who do the job. I regularly tell people that teaching and looking after children are fantastic jobs for Christians: loving input into little lives at most influential stages. What a joy and responsibility! It’s simply that this is a role for all, paid or unpaid.

I’ve seen a similar idea inside churches, too.

Someone mentioned that home school families – of which we are one! – are not available for church events. Notice the assumption? Input by parents/family into the lives of their children is not contributing to church. To do real church work I need to run youth group, or something.

Rubbish, of course. When we look after our kids, that serves the church of Christ, too.