My name is Wu I-chang, and I'm a 49-year-old Miaoli native. Since getting my Class C Nanny Skills license, though, my friends and neighbors now know me as "nanny-man."

Thinking back, I think what started me off on the path to becoming a nanny was what happened in my childhood; I was slow to learn to speak, and when I did speak, I had a lisp, so classmates and teachers made fun of me, and those wounds never quite healed. "One day, I'll get into education and really help the children," I vowed to myself.

It turns out dreams really can come true! Ten years ago I resigned from my civil-service job and began preparing for the next stage of my life. Luckily, I saw that the Taoyuan Training Center was running a training course for nannies. Moments after I saw that, my childhood oath came rushing back to me, and I thought to myself, "100 hours of training and I could apply for a license, making my dream come true."

I never thought that when I applied, the application would be sent back and I'd have to talk to the dean in person. The dean said to me, "Excuse me sir, but don't you think you have the wrong place? We train nannies, and nannies are and always have been women. Feeding babies, burping them, changing their diapers... have you ever done this kind of thing? Could you?" I heard him out, and gave him my analysis. "The top chefs are men, some of the top beauticians are men, there are men in the top levels of a whole range of industries. Can you come up with a single industry men are unable to work in?"

After getting past the initial objections, I made it into the training class, a thorn amongst roses. As the only male in the class, naturally I got a lot of attention. For example, when we were preparing for the final test, the female proctors and other women taking other exams crowded around to watch me practicing baby bathing, storytelling, and diaper-changing. I could see the looks of concern on their faces, but I couldn't tell if they were concerned I would pass and barge in on their turf, or if they were ready to welcome me into their fold but worried I might fail. Truth be told, I wasn't sure myself. However, the supervisor remarked that I could change diapers quicker than most women.

And just like that I became Taiwan's first licensed male nanny. Even though the industry doesn't particularly emphasize licensure, many parents prefer to hire licensed nannies. And I don't consider nannying to be just a matter of feeding the kid, rocking him, burping him, and calling it a day. A nanny has to really pay attention to their children as individuals, not only looking after them, but also helping them develop intellectually.

To improve my professional skills and be more employable, as well as gain a better understanding of child psychology and behavior, I took the 360-hour course "Child Welfare Assistant and Caregiver Training." I also took the "Management-level Caregiver" course at Hsuan Chuang Academy of Arts and Social Sciences, along with the 270-hour courses "Issues in Childcare Services" and "Ethics in Childcare." I finally had a bit more of a theoretical foundation to go with my practical skills.

This still wasn't enough. I had a license and training, but I still lacked formal academic experience, which was the biggest hurdle when opening my own daycare center. "Principal Wu, have you even been to college? Do you know anything about Dewey's educational theories? I'm the professional here!" said my first staffer, who had studied in the United States, earned a PhD, and had over a decade's experience in childhood education. Out of respect for her credentials, I first took a hands-off approach, letting her teach, but soon the 60-plus kids at the daycare center were crying to me, "I don't wanna be inside all day!" Soon enough, they stopped wanting to come to class. I advised the doctor to use a more holistic teaching style rather than setting down harsh rules and keeping the kids sat down in class. I thought we were just sharing ideas, but she threatened to quit.

I thought to myself, this is no way to go about things! "OK, you mock me for having no education, I'll go get an education then!" And I didn't just get an education--I ended up on the honor roll at Minghsin University of Science and Technology's Department of Child Development and Education. 997 people applied, 100 were accepted, and only one was a man--me.

But even a license and education are not enough, especially with society in the state it is, with reports daily of sex offenders and pedophiles. Parents are still hesitant to entrust their children to a male nanny. Even one of my best friends had his doubts about me! I asked him about it, and eventually he admitted the reason he hadn't sent his kids to my center was exactly that--because it was run by a man.

There was another odd incident. One of the parents came to the center to watch how things went, and at the end, he asked just this: "You're a man, don't you have trouble handling all the ruckus the kids kick up? Why not just pop some sleeping pills in with the kids' drinks to quieten them down?" This nearly sent me over the edge, and I told him, "Sir, if you're going to continue to question my character like that, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Despite this, for the next five years, that disrespectful father's two children stayed at my center and enjoyed every minute.

Sometimes I reflect on my own family and how odd it is. In most families, it's the father that's harsh and the mother the warm, caring one, but my own wife finds children a pain in the neck, while I'm the opposite. "Sir, the seeds from last week are growing!" "Sir, how do I plant this?" Hearing my kids calling out to me is one of the greatest joys in my life!

an excellent nanny.

Wu I-chang, who emphasizes a holistic approach to education, has sold two houses to create his outdoor education environment.