WASHINGTON, Oct. 26 (UPI) -- Move over yummy mummies. Delectable daddies are here. With their stylishly coifed hair, hipster duds, and of course, designer baby carry-alls, these modern men aren't your father's, well, father. You'll find them in the baby section of Target, buying organic pureed carrots at Fresh Fields, and deftly balancing a toddler with one hand while sipping a Frappuccino with the other.
Diaper-changing and burping aside, for some, fatherhood can be downright sexy.
"I think there's no question that some women find men with kids attractive. In a way, it gives women an insight into the guy's character," says Armin Brott, author of "The Expectant Father" and founder of BrandNewDad.com.
"When a woman sees a man playing with or nurturing or caring for a child, it shows her that he would be just as kind and compassionate with her. In some cases, that can be quite an aphrodisiac -- especially if the man is doing all this parenting without sacrificing his masculinity."
In Hollywood, young, trendy dads are everywhere. Thirty-year-old actor Ryan Phillippe, a father of two, who can regularly be seen in the pages of People magazine says about starting a family with actress Reese Witherspoon: "It just makes so many other things insignificant. It is the most incredible thing that has happened to me, and I feel so lucky to have found the person I want to be with, and to be prepared and enthusiastic."
Other famous dads who are regularly in the spotlight include Gwyneth Paltrow's hubbie and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, 25, dad to Gwyneth's baby daughter Apple born earlier this year. Another is Chris Robinson, lead singer of the Black Crowes, who has a new son with actress Kate Hudson.
Back in the real world -- away from couture toddler ensembles and gourmet teething biscuits -- young fathers juggle the demands and rewards of parenting with a youthful sensibility.
Some young dads have found camaraderie on the Web with like-minded souls. Greg Allen, 36, started DaddyTypes.com shortly after his daughter was born in February 2004. His smart, sassy blog for new dads covers everything from where to find men's room baby changing tables in NYC to advice on how to travel with baby formula ("Opt for the double freezer bagging rather than just putting the canister in your suitcase"). Other blogging dads include RebelDad.com ("a father puts the stay-at-home trend under the microscope") and BeingDaddy.com ("Like being mommy. Only hairier").
"These new dads are clearly not too worried about what everyone else will think of what they're doing and how they're doing it," says Brott.
"They're willing to buck trends and, as a result, they take on a more visibly involved role in their children's lives. In a lot of cases, these dads are working in non- (or less) traditional jobs, which gives them a lot more time to be with their children during the day. It gives them a great opportunity to get to know their kids in a more relaxed, entertaining way."
The National Fatherhood Initiative plans to run a series of new television PSAs in November that spotlight less-traditional images of fatherhood. Titled "Moments," the three spots feature dads doing things with their kids that their own dads would never have dreamed of. "Dance" shows a father doing a dance routine in the living room with his young daughter to very hip dance music, while "Errand" shows a father buying a box of tampons for his young daughter at a convenience store. Imagine what Ward Cleaver would think of that.
"When you look at the modern dad, it's the best of times and the worst of times," says NFI president Roland C. Warren. "One out of every three kids is growing up without a dad at home -- they're not connected to their dads like they were 20, 30, 50 years ago."
On the other hand, today's fathers often take a more holistic approach to parenting, he explained.
Fatherhood defined 40 years ago was focused more on providing; today it's about providing, nurturing, and guiding.
"There is a tremendous desire of young fathers to not repeat the mistakes of their parents (i.e. divorce) -- to balance work and family," Warren added.
Studies have even found that men are more willing to take pay cuts in order to get family time. "Even if it doesn't actually happen, the willingness is key," he says.
Still, cultural expectations -- that the father is the breadwinner, not necessarily the nurturer -- are hard to shake. "Men are defined by what they do, the ability to provide," says Warren. Yet, they still have a tremendous desire to be involved in their kids' lives. Part of his organization's goal is to get fathers to accept the "adventure of fatherhood." "The more you do it, the more you love to do it," he says.
One young father who clearly embraces the adventure of fatherhood is Matt Berglund. Wearing jeans, a stylish striped shirt from Gap, and Diesel shoes, Berglund, 30, a Web designer for a large Washington, D.C. association -- looks more like a character from the O.C. than the father of two. With a four-year-old daughter and newborn son, he effortlessly mingles traditional family values -- those instilled in him by his own father -- with his own take on fatherhood.
"I believe there are some basics to raising children that span across generations -- so when it comes to the basics such as love, quality time, and discipline -- I do things the way my father did. I belong to a different generation than my father, so our 'styles' may be a lot different -- but the end goal is still the same," Berglund says.
A different aesthetic means that Berglund and his wife opted for a neutral green Tommy Hilfiger shoulder bag that doubles as a diaper bag instead of toting around "an overstuffed, puffy, Winnie-The-Pooh, diaper and anything-else-you-can-fit bag."
Says Berglund, "the bag does the trick in style. It's still overstuffed, but at least it's not hideous."
Recognizing a void in the market, retailers are developing products that appeal to the modern dad-on-the-go. There's the Diaper Dude Bag from BestBabyGear.com; the Diaper Changing Tool Belt, which includes diapers, diaper cream, wipes, disposable changing pad, diaper pins, goggles, and more from Best Baby Shower.com; and the manly Alpha 7 backpack/diaper bag in camouflage fabric from Fleurville.
New mom Hannah Styles couldn't find a bag that her husband was willing to carry around, so she created one using Hemp fabric, which she sells on Hannahstyles.com. It's a hands-free, backpack-style bag with two outside pockets for easy access to car keys and cell phone, and of course, baby.
Another dad-friendly product is the Marshall sling-backpack from Zionsville, Indianapolis-based company, The Mustard Sprout, (www.themustardsprout.com).
It has an ergonomically correct dad-sized adjustable strap, is heavy-duty (waterproof, snag proof nylon), and boast functional construction, including a large removable insulated and waterproof snack pack for food and drink, a changing pad that can be accessed from inside or outside, and a cellphone/MP3 pouch located on the dad-sized backpack strap.
Best of all -- it isn't decorated with flowers, bunnies, or chicks.
