Super moms daddies cool!

Nappy-changing fathers and power-suited, booted and spa-sparkling mothers. New age moms and dads are being defined differently as each goes further into the other’s territory
We have heard enough of those new age mommies who balance both work and home effectively. Interestingly, the understanding of ‘new age mother’ and ‘new age dad’ is quite different from each other.While a new age mother is supposed to be the one who is spending more time in the boardroom while juggling her family, the new age father is mastering the art of changing nappies.
The archetypal ‘mother’ is no longer confined to the territory of her house, waiting for her kids and husband to return while she makes perfect round chapattis for them. She goes out to work, indulges in spa pampering, attends hen parties with much gusto, is active on social networking sites and her teenage kids swear by her style tips. On the other hand, we have the new age daddy who switches between being a professional to a dutiful, nappy-changing and dinner-making father at home with equal ease. He willingly sits at home when the wife has to attend a meeting. Most of the people we asked echoed the opinion that new age daddies take pride in the fact that their wife is the primary bread winner of the house. They realise the fact that attending to the kids and the home is an equally challenging task and do not mind playing the role of the traditional ‘wife in the relationship.
Says Vibhuti Kapoor, a teacher in a private school in Delhi, “I have a 17-year-old son and a 12-year-old daughter, whom I get along with really well. We talk about anything under the sun and love to hang out. My son loves the fact that I accompany them to watch movies, play badminton, go swimming, etc. I do manage to get ample time for my friends too. However, my brother is completely a case of the new age father. His passion seems to be raising his daughter, while my sister-in-law juggles long office hours.”
Socialite Ramneek Pantal says, “While I attend to my child in the morning, I do check my mails and finish my work commitments till noon when my son comes back. When I have work or parties to attend, my husband willingly comes forward to take care of him. My husband prefers to spend his weekends with my son while he asks me to take a break and enjoy myself at a spa. Luckily, I’ve never felt the need to work that extra bit as my husband who ideally fits the bill for new-age daddy, realises that raising a family is not the job of the mother alone. He handles his work and takes care of our son hands-on.”
Anisha Sabhwarwal, a 22-year-old professional, is all praise for her ‘new age dad’, Anil Sabharwal, who’s been willingly doing the cooking, laundry and even waxing for her mother, whom he’s been married for 23 years now. She shares, “My mom didn’t know how to cook when she got married but my dad never gave her a chance to feel
incompetent. He willingly does the house chores along with handling his business. He makes my mom feel like a princess and personally, I share a genuine rapport with my dad. I can discuss anything from my alcohol preferences to my boyfriends with him. He’s more of a good friend to me and my brother as he understands us and our generation completely.” Whoever said that the twain shall never meet?