Mitchell Bienvenue felt the weight of curious stares at a recent library story time in Columbus, Ohio. For him, it was nothing new.
“I was the only guy in the room, which happens all the time,” Bienvenue, 28, tells TODAY.com. “You can see them trying to figure out my relationship to her. Someone will strike up a conversation and be like, ‘Oh, is she your daughter?’”
At that point, Bienvenue explains, he clarifies that he is the toddler’s babysitter. The response is almost always the same, delivered like a reflex, eyes wide with surprise: “You’re a nanny?”
It’s the question he hears most often, despite the answer being plainly obvious.
Bienvenue, who is also a portrait photographer, came to the role somewhat by accident: His sister asked him to step in for a family she had been working with in 2020. He bonded quickly with the children — and they with him.
Word spread quickly that Bienvenue had boundless energy and a knack for planning creative activities. He has been in demand ever since, despite a lingering discomfort around the idea of male nannies.
Men in the nursing profession were once widely viewed out of place, their choice of career seen as unconventional, a perception that Bienvenue says still lingers in his role as a caregiver.
“When I tell people what I do, it’s almost like a joke, like they’re waiting for the punchline,” he says, noting that his girlfriend is also a nanny, and the reaction she gets is noticeably different.
“With my girlfriend, it’s ‘Oh, wow! That’s great!’” Bienvenue says. “But with me, it’s more like confusion.”
Anatomy doesn’t matter, Bienvenue says. In his view, what truly defines a great nanny a mix of patience and empathy.
“As long as you can ride out tantrums and you can relate to the kids, you’re good!” he says.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
