From office desk to early years: Allan’s story
Male practitioners make up a small percentage of the early years workforce across Wales, but their impact on children’s social and emotional development is profound.
Working alongside nursery manager, Tracey, at The Hollies Daycare Nursery in Cardiff, Allan has brought energy, reassurance, and a fresh dynamic to the setting.
After a decade working in financial complaints, Allan was ready for a fresh start. A chance supply placement at The Hollies opened the door to a career he’d never considered. Three and a half years later, he’s a qualified practitioner and an essential part of the nursery team.
Here, Allan reflects on his journey, the daily joy of early years education, and why genuine connection matters most.
What led you to make the jump from an office job into childcare?
I spent around ten years working in an office dealing with PPI complaints and fancied a change. I initially gave adult residential care a go for six months but didn’t fancy it. I’m quite a bookish person, so I thought teaching might be a good idea and joined an agency looking for teaching assistant roles.
By chance, the agency gave me nursery shifts at The Hollies and I very quickly fell in love with it. It was an accident really, as I’d never intended to work with children so young. It had never occurred to me.
What do you find most rewarding about your day-to-day role?
It’s all about the children. Building relationships with them, watching them grow, and being a reliable source of warmth, comfort and safety is a real privilege.
Young children have their own rich inner lives and distinct personalities. While our professional responsibility is to care for and guide their development, we learn just as much from them in return. Their effortless joy, peculiar reasoning, forgiveness, and creativity keep me motivated every single day.
Did you face any worries or hesitation about entering a predominantly female sector?
Honestly, not from the team. The staff and management at The Hollies have been supportive and appreciative from day one. When I tell people I work in a nursery, reactions are almost always positive.
Any hesitation came from my own worries around perceptions of a man providing intimate care. I know some people have concerns, and I never want to dismiss or belittle that. But clear standards, open communication, and professional practice quickly put those worries to rest.
How do you feel your presence makes a difference for the children?
I find myself naturally filling a niche. Outdoors, I’m the sporty one, chasing the children around pretending to be a dinosaur or a crocodile and racing. I’m also the ‘bug man’, searching the garden for creepy crawlies and showing the children spiders that some of the team might avoid.
In a world where positive examples of masculinity are so vital, giving children everyday contact with a male role model who listens, cares, and provides reassurance is deeply valuable.
In what ways does your role extend to supporting parents and the wider community?
Providing a reliable service is essential for working families, but our support goes much deeper. We monitor developmental milestones, identify any emerging health or safeguarding concerns early and act as advocates for children who need additional help. We also liaise directly with outside specialists to make sure children and their families get the right support as early as possible.
What would you say to other men who might be hesitant about working in childcare?
It’s a bit like how dancing comes naturally when good music comes on. I never knew I’d be good at it. On my very first shift, I felt quite shy, but as soon as I entered the room and crouched down to the children’s level, they all rushed over to play.
Children are wonderful, inspiring little people. If you’re considering it, jump right in and see how it goes. You’ll know fairly quickly whether it’s for you or not. If it is, it may well utterly change your life for the better. It’s a beautiful thing going home and knowing in your bones that you brought comfort, laughter and warmth to a child’s day… and they certainly give that back to us, too.
If you want a career where your daily effort directly enriches another person’s life, early years care offers a sense of purpose that an ordinary office role simply can’t match.
