Domestic Engineer: More than just a homemaker alternative

“What do you even do all day?”

“It must be nice to sit home and relax while everyone else is working.”

“You have so much time for yourself, I’m jealous.”

If you had a dollar for every time someone said something like this to you, how rich would you be?

It’s safe to say that anyone who assumes that you’re sitting at home watching soap operas all day is blissfully ignorant to the broad range of challenges, tasks, and responsibilities a person undertakes when managing a household.

Housewife, stay-at-home-parent, home maker...these terms have served us well for many years, but when I think about how many people I know that run their homes like Cardi B runs these streets, I can’t help but think these labels don’t really tell the full story.

Which is precisely why it’s time that we adopt a new moniker for those among us who choose to get into this exhausting line of work.

Domestic Engineer.

The reason we love “domestic engineer” is because it accurately describes the value and weight of the economy of the home. Like a business, it can be a beast to manage a household. You’re likely wrangling the schedules and needs of several people at once, and you’re also trying to raise functional, thoughtful, well-educated humans… that’s no small feat.

What is a Domestic Engineer?

A domestic engineer is anyone who runs a household. From scheduling to budget management to meal prep and minor medical care, domestic engineering can be a full-time job. Of course, you don’t need to be a full-time domestic engineer to manage your family. Most people are, at least on some level, a domestic engineer. Whether that means you’re organizing pickup and drop off at daycare or picking up groceries, you’re probably domestic engineering on a daily basis.

Domestic engineer job description

Responsibilities:

Domestic engineers are responsible for keeping their homes running and raising children. Domestic engineering is a mostly work-from-home gig, except for doctor’s appointments, grocery shopping, extracurricular activities, and rides to school. Domestic engineers don’t work normal hours and are always on call to take care of children or handle household emergencies.

Domestic engineers are essentially the whole c-suite of a company... plus the operational, administrative, medical, financial, and logistics staff too. It’s no small undertaking, and it’s certainly not a breeze!

Qualifications:

The biggest qualification for this role is the desire to be a domestic badass. Everyone has to handle household tasks, but only domestic engineers do it with gusto and a sense of real purpose. Of course, it helps if you have babysitting or au pair experience as well as an understanding of basic finance. Bonus points if you don’t need any sleep ever, but that’s not mandatory.

Benefits:

Other than the joy of a job well done and the relief of raising good citizens, the main benefit in choosing the domestic engineer life is the autonomy you have. You’re not on the clock for anyone else, you’re able to make decisions that work best for you and your family, without having to run it up the management chain.

Where this role can be immensely beneficial is in the overall household budget. A domestic engineer on their own often saves a household from spending money on nannies, housekeepers, chefs, and other jobs that keep the household functioning. However, most domestic engineers are gifted savers and add value to their family’s bottom line through moving mountains and achieving family goals by researching the most cost-effective measures.

How to become a domestic engineer

Good news! Anyone can become a domestic engineer. You don’t even have to be a parent to get started. If you’re planning and organizing life for someone other than just yourself, you’re on your way to becoming a domestic engineer.

What tools are most helpful in becoming a domestic engineer?

Many domestic engineers fly by the seat of their pants at first. There aren’t a lot of resources that deliver a play-by-play of how to become the best domestic engineer ever… until now.

Here’s what we’ve found most helpful when it comes to getting prepared for domestic engineering:

Groups—real-life friends or online communities
Apps like Personal Capital to track and manage your money
A master calendar
A family planner app, like Cozi, to keep everything in one place
A glossary of household questions like The Art of Good Housekeeping: 1001 things you need to know to run the perfect home
Limitless patience
A sense of humor