Domestic Engineer?

   For over two years I have struggled with my personal identity. Leading up to this crisis I took pride in being a hard-working tax-paying American man. Then as an Army husband I found myself living in Germany, fighting for one of a few jobs on base. After it set in that the job I did land would not pay enough to cover the child care that was needed to keep that job, my wife and I decided it would be better if I was the child care. Although being a stay at home dad is work, hard work, in my head I didn't have a job or career.

   When people would ask what do you do? I was embarrassed. I would say for now I take care of the baby and quickly change the subject. I didn't know how to classify what I did, or what to call myself. I wanted to sound like a man who took care of his family. As time went on I liked what I did and still do, so I started to toss around different monikers if someone asked. Here are a few.

•  Stay at home Dad
•  House Husband
•  Family Manager
•  Child Care Provider
•  Domestic Engineer
•  Full Time Father
•  Dad on Duty

   The one that I use most often is Domestic Engineer. It seems that a lot of people don't know what that is, but they act like it sounds important. Others that do know what a Domestic Engineer is respect it for what it is. Even with all the different names, I know deep down it is just being a Dad.

(Update) After some more research I found that the term Domestic Engineer is used more prevalently in the UK.