By Ysolt Usigan

Attendance and participation during parents' days at school...
Lending a homework helping hand on activities like making a 40-foot-long map of the Solar System...
Reading with your kids after school and before bed time...
Vacations, road trips, and day outings...

How can any professional partake in all the responsibilities of being a parent and still progress in a demanding job? Many have often wondered the same thing, which is why we asked three pro dads how they manage their parental priorities with challenging positions.

Read on for their advice on how eLearning helped pave the way to landing a family-friendly career.

Career Dad: Jim Kerby of Wheaton, IL
Job Status: Project Manager for Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
Family Caliber: Wife (Sue) and three kids (Tom, 10; Steve, 8; and Charlie, 6)
Fatherly Advice: Home computer access is key when it comes to maximizing your family time.

Jim Kerby is the head engineer for the LHC Accelerator Project (an eight-year, $200 million international enterprise to develop, construct, and deliver components for the Large Hadron Collider, what will become the world's largest particle accelerator). He is also the deputy head of engineering for the company's fabrication department leading 100 employees. Sounds overwhelming, but he's quick to point out that he also finds time to ride his bike, play sports, and travel with his three sons. And he is in the process of earning his master's degree from Purdue University's Krannert School of Management (West Lafayette, Ind.).

Jim makes it all work by taking some of his classes online and working on the LHC Accelerator Project at his convenience from home. Remote access to his company's network and the ability to set his own work and class schedule helps the 41-year-old maximize the time he has available away from his obligations as a husband and dad.

The only thing in Jim's life that he admits is suffering: His hobbies. "School is my current 'hobby' and then some, I guess," he realizes. "I'm reading textbooks as opposed to novels."

And when it's time for dad to engage in his scholarly "hobby," his family acknowledges his commitment. "I make sure my kids, in particular, understand that there will be times when I'll be in the house, but not to be disturbed," he explains. "But when you're spending time with your wife and kids, [concentrate] on them."

Luckily, it is his organization skills and ability to focus on whatever task is at hand that keeps his different roles balanced. None of his responsibilities are ever neglected, he points out. "Blocking out time for family is critical to making it all work." Especially since his sons and his supportive wife are more important than any job or degree, he adds.

Career Dad: Brian Johnson of Milton, PA
Job Status: Director of Multicultural Affairs and Special Assistant to the President at Susquehanna University
Family Caliber: Wife (Darlene) and two kids (Casey, 24; Tom, 21; Aubyn, 8; and Analisa, 6)
Fatherly Advice: Working for a school is as family-friendly as it gets.

It helps that Brian Johnson works for a very family-friendly institution, especially since he juggles a career as a department director and president's assistant with a vigorous educational venture at Nova Southeastern University (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.).

Brian realizes being a full-time student with a family and a career can be a rough ride. In fact, the doctoral program he chose was to be completed within three years. Brian didn't finish on time on such a tight schedule. "In the middle of the second year of the program, I also changed jobs and fields so that set me back also," he explains. "Plus, I never sacrificed time with my children for school."

The doctorate in education student was able to balance his personal life, two jobs, and online schooling with the understanding that those roles remain in that order. "I am definitely a family man first," he attests. "My wife and kids are crucial to my existence; I will never stop living for them."

Lucky for Brian, his current position offers many perks with his family in mind. "It really helps to work at a university where so many people - from the president down - have young children," explains Brian Johnson, father of two. "We have a really family-oriented campus - from hosting family picnics to holding family-friendly events during major student weekends in which our kids can take part."

To top it all off, when it comes time for Johnson's kids to consider college, they'll have the option of going to Susquehanna for free!

Career Dad: Louie Heaton of Fort Worth, TX
Job Status: Deputy Program Manager of F-16 Programs in Italy, Turkey, and Venezuela for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company
Family Caliber: Wife (Valerie), two kids (Christine, 26 and Christopher, 30), and two grandchildren (James Ryan, 6 and Anna, 1)
Fatherly Advice: Seek great benefits, perks, and compensation.

Louie Heaton doesn't march to the money horn, but he understands that a company with reasonable compensation and excellent benefits are paramount when it comes to raising a family. "My company recognizes the importance of creating a family-friendly environment - and its subsequent positive impact on employee productivity," explains the deputy program manager. "The medical benefits are excellent and the holiday and vacation compensation are more than ample."

And if that wasn't enough to keep family-oriented professionals happy at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, the organization boasts a work schedule that allows employees to have every other Friday off providing more time to spend with family.

Now that Louie's two children are on their own and married with their own families, the 52-year-old spends those free Fridays online taking cyber classes. "Many positions within my company require a master's degree, plus the education I'm receiving is very applicable to my present business environment," he says.

His enrollment in the University of Phoenix's (Phoenix, AZ) master of arts in organizational management program is conducive to his lifestyle, he says. "Since I travel frequently [for work], an online degree was the only solution. As long as I have a phone line, I'm able to attend class."

Even with the added demands of student status to an intense career persona, Louie always places family at the top of his list. "Dealing with complex technical problems in an international environment makes the challenge of school and family all the more satisfying," he explains. "My accomplishments can be shared with family and friends, all who've made a positive impact. It's important to maintain priorities and the perspective that family always comes first."