"Apple Blythe Alison Martin, Coco Cox-Arquette, Hazel Patricia and Phinnaeus Walter Roberts Moder."

With Hollywood parenting suddenly en vogue, you've become well read about the lifestyles of the rich and famous. Despite their infants' sporadic sleep schedules, teething issues, and frequent diaper changes, these new celebrity moms and dads have the luxury of taking lots of time off from work, making their own schedules, bringing their babies on set if necessary, and having access to the finest nannies their "people" can find.

Of course, most of us don't have the perks and connections of Hollywood parents. But that doesn't mean we have to choose between a thriving career and our kids. Career moms and dads can jump on the baby bandwagon, too. And it doesn't call for putting your jobs on hold, nor will your work suffer. With all the demands that come with having a family, there are options - you just have to spot them.

Take it from these career parents -- they managed to succeed in the office and the nursery.

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For Julie Swiderski, regional director of government relations at Covenant Healthcare in Milwaukee, Wisc. - also a mother of three - the industry afforded her room to juggle family and function. There are no nannies on the set of her job, but as with similar healthcare providers, childcare centers are located nearby Covenant. Julie and her co-workers are also granted flexibility with a choice of shift lengths ranging from four to 12 hours, on top of generous benefits and ample time off.

In fact, Covenant's widely accepted self-scheduling program has allowed for up to 80 percent of its nurses to work part-time, if that's what their family responsibilities require.

In Julie's mind, her employer goes above and beyond accommodating her demands as a parent. "During my maternity leave, they let me take as much time off as I needed," she explains. "I worked from home toward the end of my leave. They even gave me a laptop to make things easier."

Now that she's back working on site, Julie is delighted to find that Covenant has addressed her new-mom needs by installing a special privacy screen on her office window and allowing her extra time to express breast milk for her newborn.

"I couldn't ask for a better environment to work and raise a family," she attests. "Having remote access to our computer network, and all the ways they've made parenting more simple, gives me peace of mind. I never have to feel awkward about having to leave work for a sick child or other family matter."

Fathering in IT
Even though Bruce McGuire of Chino Hills, Calif. already received a bachelor's degree in business and a master's in business administration, he knew a career in a related field wasn't his true calling. A few years ago, he changed paths to pursue a career in information technology (IT). Years of training and a handful of computer certifications later, Bruce began work as an IT professional.

The single father was able to make the transition into IT while caring for his teenage daughter and working part time by enrolling in an online program. "Taking classes online fit best into my lifestyle," explains the DeVry University undergrad. "The school offers the flexibility I was looking for and has a good reputation."

So far, the program is meeting his expectations. "The instructors are very helpful and they will work you through any problem you might have," he says. "I try to log on everyday to check the assignments and do the discussion, and it's done right from my living room."

Bruce is looking forward to earning his B.S. in computer science this coming summer, and says he's learned valuable life lessons from the experience. "Time management or multitasking is not just limited to the working world - it's everywhere. You need to always be flexible to changes and be willing to adjust to life as it happens.

For Bruce, that includes playing an active role in his daughter's life no matter how busy his work life gets. "We're very close. I feel we have a solid relationship in which we can talk about almost anything," he says. "There are other jobs, but I have only one family."

Bruce's training has afforded him the opportunity to be self-employed as a computer network analyst, so he sets his own hours. "I do miss the day-to-day interaction with people," he explains. But he's fine waiting until his daughter's a bit older with a jam-packed schedule of her own, he says. At that point, he plans to utilize DeVry's job placement services to help match him with a company.

Accounting from Home
Although Stacy Brackeen works from home as a finance director for Breakthrough Collaborative, a non-profit educational program, she still has a set schedule. "My days start at 5 a.m. and end at midnight," she says, "and they're action packed - from waking my kids up for school to working, from home on the laptop Breakthrough gave me, or going into the office."

If Breakthrough didn't offer the telecommute-work option, Stacy says taking care of three young kids and working would be nearly impossible. "I've been divorced for eight years, and there's a huge difference between raising children alone versus with a spouse," she points out. "Single parenting is the biggest challenge in my life because I have to do everything myself. When I was married, my spouse and I would split the [parental] duties. Now I have to cook dinner while helping my kids with homework. Plus, I don't have a backup when I have to work late."

With e-mail and special accounting software at her fingertips, however, she can meet all her work-related deadlines after the kids are in bed. "As long as you have a computer, particularly a laptop, accounting work can be done anywhere," she explains. "There were times when I would complete work at my child's basketball game or at the dentist's office during their check-ups."

For these professional parents -- whether it's because of technology, using online education to make a family-friendly career change, having understanding employers, or working during off-peak times -- they've shown that you can have the best of both worlds. As Bruce explains, "you make your priorities. If you feel your family is the most important thing, then you will make time for it."

Do your research, and you too can find a career that fits your luxury lifestyle.

by Ysolt Usigan

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