"I have a degree in economics," Marc Eckert says. "But it should be in home economics."
 
The Lancaster resident and father of two smiles as he delivers his joke. He's referring to his rather unique role as a stay-at-home dad.
 
While Marc is certainly not the only stay-at-home dad out there, men as the primary caregiver are still few and far between. There are many reasons couples make the decision for the role reversal; for Marc and his wife, Meghan, it was the logical thing to do.
 
"For us, it didn't make sense to start from scratch," Marc says. He explains that at the time their second child, Auggie, was coming into their lives, Marc had been planning on taking some time off from managing Spinners Cycling in Leola. And when looking at the cost of day care should he go back to work, the numbers didn't make any more sense. So they weighed the stability they believed that would come with having one parent stay at home versus the benefits of a second income and had to ask, "Is it really worth it?"
 
For the Eckerts, it was not.
 
"Meghan would trade places with me in a heartbeat, if the shoe had been on the other foot," Marc says. "But she loves [the arrangement]." He adds, as if to further explain, "I'm not a bad cook."
 
Marc says that he found family and friends to be very supportive of their decision. In fact, many dads he spoke with said they'd love to try staying at home with the kids. But while the feedback was positive, he was initially uncertain of what other people would think.
 
"I'm not a shy person, but I found myself very shy [in social settings]. It's a conservative place," he says of Lancaster, "and you don't know what people are thinking."
 
Since leaping over that hurdle, Marc has found gender to have very little significance in his job or the chores that he and Meghan split. He acknowledges that the typical "Mr. Fix-it" types of things tend to get addressed more quickly, since he's home and has the time to do the projects. And with his experience in the restaurant industry, cooking continues to be his strong point. Clothing shopping for the kids is the only thing he singles out as being somewhat challenging. 
 
"The limited selection in boys' clothing drives me crazy," he says with a smile. 
 
Family: Wife Meghan, married six years; Maddie, 4 1/2, Auggie, 20 months.
 
Pets: None.

 
Employment: Stay-at-home dad.

My ideal Father's Day: It's the same every year. There is a bike race, the Cargas Criterium & Spinners Cycling Point Series, at the Greenfield Corporate Center that I ride in. It's been going on for 25 years.
 
How I met my wife: The very first time, she was on a date with a friend of mine. Eight months later, I met her out. Our first date was Christmas shopping. That was 13 years ago.

Our favorite family activity: Going to the [Best Western] Eden Resort & Suites pool. You can go all year long because of the indoor/outdoor pools.
 
My family's favorite meal: Ham, mac 'n cheese and veggies.
 
Last good book I read:  "Every Second Counts," by Lance Armstrong.
 
Music of choice: With kids, Jimmy Buffett. I have two tiny parrot heads.
 
My favorite TV show: "Top Gear" on the BBC. It's a car show, but really it's three British guys making fun of each other.
 
Exercise of choice: Biking.
 
What people may not initially know about me: What I do ... that I'm a stay-at-home dad.
 
How I indulge: I sleep in.
 
I'm passionate about: With regards to kids, that they have the opportunity to do what they want to do.
 
I always tell my kids: To Maddie, "Are you sorry you got caught, or sorry you did it?"
 
If I had a day to myself: I'd go to [Central] Market by myself. Just relax. Take a long [bike] ride.
 
My best shortcut: Freezing food. There are staples that the kids will ask for. "Turkey chili? No problem!"