Introducing the 2011 Version of Mr. Mom: The Dadgineer
According to the dictionary of my brain, a “Dadgineer” is:
(n). 1. A combination of a stay-at-home-dad and domestic engineer.
He’s a man that lovingly takes care of his child(ren) and knows how to load a dishwasher. He can change a diaper with lightning speed and wash a load of clothes without breaking a sweat. He’s cool. He’s caring. He’s my husband.
I’m married to my very own Mr. Mom (but way cuter than Micheal Keaton) and I love it. He was laid off from his job about two years ago and back then we had no idea how different our lives would be in the twenty four months that would follow. Over the course of my pregnancy we agonized over what we were going to do about daycare once I returned to work. My husband’s plan was to continue to look for work after the baby was born, but we quickly realized that if he were to in fact find a job; a) most of that income would be going toward the extremely high cost of daycare, and b) the idea of placing our most precious gift in the hands of strangers, was…well…scary.
After looking at all possible options, we determined that it would be best for him to focus on staying home with C.C. We’d save the money AND we both knew that no one would love her more or take better care of her than her daddy. So far it’s been working out fairly well. He’s a Dreft using, spit-up wiping machine!
Don’t be me wrong, my Dadgineer would love to have a full time job, but we’re simply trying to making the best of our circumstance. He won’t be a stay at home dad forever, but for now, he’s a rock star at it. I’m so thankful for a husband that’s not just able, but willing to take care of his family in this way.
We’ll see what future twists and turns life brings us, but until then, I salute my and all the other Dadgineers out there!
Is your husband a Dadgineer? Were you raised by one? Share your stories!!!
Posted on July 12, 2011, in The Rattle: Everything Baby, The Ring: Marriage and tagged Babies, Fatherhood, Marriage, Stay at home dad. Bookmark the permalink. 15 Comments.
The YeYo Diaries 
Can you say awesome? I’m just impressed by his ability to load the dishwasher, let alone take care of the baby and other house stuff. You should consider cloning him. Name your price!
I just realized that my response makes it seem like either I’m looking for a husband OR that I have a husband who isn’t worth a crap. Both are totally not the case, LOL. I have an awesome husband who helps around the house and is great with our daughter. I just really wish he knew how to load the dishwasher since it’s the chore that I despise the most! 🙂
If he can help around the house and with the baby…rejoice in that! Girl, we have to take what we can get! LOL From the looks of things, you have a lovely family! And when I do get that clone situation figured out, you’ll be the first to know!
Your husband deserves a national award! I wish my husband knew where the dishwasher was. LOL. He’s no dadgineer, but I still love him!
I’m sure you have a fantastic husband, Inyeda!
@Gerri – I feel you! My husband is allergic to the dishwasher. He’ll unload dishes like a pro, but putting dishes in? Eh, not so much. Kudos to your husband, Amber, for being so awesome! 🙂
Thanks, T! He’s pretty great. Drives me nuts sometimes…but still, I’ll keep him. LOL
I don’t have a husband or a baby but I can say that I think your husband is awesome Am! *claps for Dadgineer*
Yep, you know your brother well, Lee!
Yay for Dadgineers!! You are blessed to have a husband that takes on the role of such.
Sidenote: Can you tweet me and let me know where you got the baby’s bow from?!
Thanks, Mimi! Ok, will do!
Three cheers for you hubby! I think its great that he’s taken on this role, and I think you guys will be grateful that he did in the long run. Thanks for sharing!
What hypocrisy! Praising men for doing what women have been doing for years and not only not getting praised, but getting ridicule and scorn. It’s funny that for the past 50 years or so, all we’ve heard is that a woman staying at home full time is an anachronism that should be replaced by egalitarian relationships in which partners have equally important careers and both take equal responsibility for childcare. Women who stay at home are ridiculed as having an outdated “1950’s” relationship, are told that they have no equality, no independence, no identity, are all miserable, bored, frustrated, depressed, wasting their education, financially vulnerable, poor role models for their daughters, unfulfilled, lacking adult company, and desperately in need of “liberation.” No one is praising them and telling them they’re “awesome.”
I hope that all of you who think it is so “awesome” for him to be at home all day and to have no income and to be in a position of financial dependency, are all doing the same yourselves and bringing up your daughters to be housewives because it’s so awesome, right? Yeah, I thought so. How “awesome” is it to have no income, to be financially dependent, to be unable to get credit in your own name because you have no income, to not be eligible for a pension or social security because you haven’t worked, to be in a position where if your spouse divorces you, or dies, or becomes disabed, you are not able to support yourself because you have no work experience?
How many posts have you written about all the “awesome” stay at home moms? Are you planning to be a stay at home mom yourself and write about how awesome it is an recommend it to other women? Would you tell all the women currently in college because they think it’s essential to prepare for a career, that in fact they don’t need a career at all. All they need is to marry a man who will “love” having a stay at home wife as much as you “love” having a stay at home husband?
Your husband needs to have his own career and income and not be dependent, just like we tell women today.
I get that no one praises women for doing the same so it may seem imbalanced when we praise a man for doing what women have done for a long time. the thing is – it takes more for a man to do it because society doesn’t support a stay at home dad like it does a stay at home mom. that’s what makes a man stand out when making that choice. I know people criticize women for being a stay at home mom but that’s all about personal preference. Being a stay at home parent is just that – personal preference. I don’t think either should be ridiculed for choosing to stay at home with a child.
Exactly, Cam! Exactly. I couldn’t have said it better myself!