Celebrity Moms: Role Models for the Everyday Parent

Not all celebrity mothers land gracefully into the role of motherhood. There are more stories in the news and on the Internet about the bad mothers in Hollywood. Which celebrity mothers should we look up to? Read on to discover why these celebrity moms are role models in my eyes.

Celebrity Mom #1 - Angelina Jolie

Jolie teaches us compassion and grace in motherhood.

Angelina Jolie has her hands full as a mother. Jolie adopted Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt on March 10, 2002, from Cambodia, and Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt was adopted July 6, 2005, from Ethiopia. Jolie then gave birth to Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt on May 27, 2006, by caesarean section in Namibia. Pax Thien Jolie-Pitt was adopted on March 15, 2007, from Vietnam. Lastly, adding to the Jolie-Pitt brood, Angelina gave birth to twins Knox Léon Jolie-Pitt and Vivienne Marcheline Jolie-Pitt on July 12, 2008 by caesarean section in France.

Angelia Jolie is certainly busy with six children, but she and partner Brad Pitt have shown much compassion and grace in adopting three children from such desolate conditions. The pair have so much love for their family, which is evident in the family photos and the interviews.

Celebrity Mom #2 - Katie Holmes

Holmes teaches mothers how to be fiercely protective.

Katie Holmes gave birth to little Suri Cruise on April 18, 2006. Holmes' venture into motherhood wasn't an easy one amid speculation that her husband Tom Cruise's religious choice of Scientology hampered the birthing process and Katie's own sparkling personality.

Of the bad press, Katie Holmes toldPeople Magazine, "There was stuff in the news about our daughter. That's just not okay. It's something that I don't stand for. I am a mother. I will stand up for my family."

Celebrity Mom #3 - Jenny McCarthy

McCarthy shows mothers that being tenacious and following your instincts pays off.

Jenny McCarthy made headlines when she announced in 2007 that her son, Evan Joseph, was diagnosed with autism in 2005. According to People.com, McCarthy fought with physicians and paramedics who doubted there was a problem with her son's health. Jenny's relentless spirit eventually led her to a diagnosis of autism and in her opinion, her son's recovery from the illness. McCarthy wrote a book about her experience entitled, "Louder than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism".

"My greatest lesson is always to trust the mommy instinct. Always trust yourself. Always trust the gut instinct. It will never let you down. You'll always face people, and that gut is never wrong. It's when you start making decisions with your head and not your gut that you're going to run into problems. That's how I got Evan where he is today. I followed that gut," McCarthy said in an interview with PR.com.

Celebrity Mom #4 - Nicole Ritchie

Ritchie is proof that motherhood changes people.

Nicole Ritchie made a name for herself as the clueless counterpart to Paris Hilton in the series 'The Simple Life'. In the series, Ritchie read a list of a mother's chores and claimed she didn't know how to do most of the things listed.

Now, Nicole Ritchie is the mother of one-year-old Harlow Winter Kate Madden and is, in my opinion, the epitome of motherhood. In an interview with People Magazine, Ritchie described how she purees her own baby food for little Harlow and detailed her daughter's strict schedule, claiming she's never been so organized. "Now I'm all about the schedule. I think Joel's kind of annoyed about it. He's like, 'Stop talking about the schedule!'"

Celebrity Mom #5 - Jessica Alba

Alba teaches mothers the little things in motherhood are the most enjoyable.

Photographs abound on the Internet of Jessica Alba playing with her daughter Honor Marie Warren. From the photos, it's easy to see Jessica Alba takes great joy in simply spending time with her little girl.

"She's the love of my life," Alba told People Magazine. "The love is profound. She gives everything more meaning. Everything is cute, everything is fun, including the explosive diarrhea - the best ever."

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