Find Your Perfect Manny Through Mannies of LA
By Susan Payne
Positive male role models are essential for early childhood development in protecting children against barriers that can make transition into adulthood more difficult. While the U.S. is found to have the largest rate of children living in single-parent households, ensuring your children have positive male role models can contribute to a child’s success, morality, social emotional learning and positive outlook.
Whether that be a teacher, neighbor, coach or mentor, more parents are choosing positive male role models to enhance their children’s lives. That’s why educator Michael Lin founded Mannies of LA, a referral agency that connects families with “mannies,” male nannies who serve as positive male role models.
“I wanted to provide families with an alternative option for positive male role models. I noticed in my teaching career, especially in Los Angeles, children had tons of female role models, and there was a lack of positive male role models. Parents would ask me if I could teach their kids sports, or help with their birthday parties, and they saw how important it was to have a balance of both positive people role models,” Lin said.
Mannies, through Mannies of LA, provide a consistent positive male influence and strong emotional bond with children. Undergoing a thorough application, background check and interview process, Lin has curated a network of mannies and works with families to find the perfect manny — one who shares the same interests as your child and meets your needs as a caregiver. Mannies are dedicated to enriching young lives with their vast experiences as teachers, athletes, behavioral therapists, musicians, artists and entertainers.
“We work one-on-one with families throughout the selection process and determine preferences, needs, budget and schedule, and any special set of skills the family is looking for in a manny. After listening to the parents and understanding what their needs are, I take that into consideration as I pair families with a manny that will engage, teach, influence, work and play with your children,” he said. “My longtime background in education gives me a good sense of what parents are looking for, so while I’m interviewing candidates, I’m also looking for intention and intangible items, the feeling and the way they present themselves.”
As the need for positive male role models grows, and the idea of hiring a male nanny becomes more mainstream, Lin has also grown his network of mannies to ensure the most success in pairing individuals with families, breaking down the negative perception of males working in childcare.
“One of our goals is to break that negative perception down and to show families that male nannies can do the same thing as female nannies. We understand that parents may be on the fence, so we do offer nanny referrals as well,” Lin said.
Mannies of LA has been featured on LATV’s “Get It Girl” and in VoyageLA. To learn more about Mannies of LA and find the perfect manny for your family, visit ManniesofLA.com.
