Top 5 Best Hollywood Moms

Life as a Hollywood mom seems like a dream: fame, tons of money, full-time nannies, housekeepers. Yet some celebrity moms seem to take motherhood more seriously than most, actually caring for and playing with their kids instead of handing them off to hired staff. Who are the best Hollywood moms?

Jennifer Garner

Jennifer Garner, married to fellow actor Ben Affleck, combines work and motherhood well. Photos frequently capture Garner playing at the park with young daughters Violet and Seraphina, or cheering them on at soccer games or taking them to school. No photos surface of "the help" taking care of her kids: Jennifer does it herself, and she always looks like she's enjoying herself as well. She even admits that it took her "a long, long time" to lose her baby weight. Three cheers for a mom we can relate to!

Reese Witherspoon

Reese bucked the trend of later-in-life motherhood; becoming a mom to Ava and Deacon when she was just in her early and mid twenties. But Witherspoon seems to have a maturity beyond her years. She and former husband Ryan Phillippe always alternating work schedules so that one of them could be home with the children at all times. Reese has said, "I'm very fortunate that my job has a lot of flexibility. I spend a lot of time with the kids, just around the house ... I feel like what I can mostly do is listen to them and be there for them."

Despite some highly publicized recent romances, Reese has held off remarrying, looking towards the best interests of her kids. Jennifer Garner admires Witherspoon's mom skills as well, saying, "I always quiz Reese about how she does it. I feel like she does a really good job."

Angie Harmon

With 3 daughters ranging in age from 1 to 6, actress Angie Harmon is just now getting back into the acting game. She took time off to be home with her girls, realizing how quickly their young years fly by. Angie has worked to instill religious faith in her girls, noting that "Their middle names aren't Faith, Grace, and Hope because I'm an atheist. I pray every day for my little girls."

Harmon's most prized possession is the rocker in the nursery, where she rocked all her girls to sleep.

Nicole Richie

Formerly known mainly as a party girl and Paris Hilton's anorexic bff, Nicole Richie has turned her life around since having daughter Harlow in 2008 and son Sparrow in 2009 (dad is singer Joel Madden).

Richie has credited healthy eating and the desire to be a good role model to her decidedly more healthy appearance since her children's births. She is frequently photographed doting on her tots. Nicole and Madden have also created the Richie-Madden Children's Foundation, which aims to help provide quality education and healthcare to many children who don't currently have access to that.

Marcia Cross

"Desperate Housewives" star Marcia Cross had to wait awhile to become a mom: she was in her 40s when she married stockbroker Tom Mahoney and became pregnant with twin girls. Now, Cross is frequently captured on film playing with tots Eden and Savannah.She also recently signed on as spokesman for Mott's (of applesauce fame) Feeding America campaign which aims to provide healthy meals to kids.

Cross notes that many of her friends had children years earlier, so she finds playmates for her girls in the neighborhood. "We have three sets of twins in our neighborhood," she has said. It's nice to see Hollywood moms finding friends among the neighbors, just as we "commoners" do.

SOURCES:

People: Jennifer Garner on Ben Affleck, Baby Weight and Being a Mom

Babycenter: Jennifer Garner Goes to Reese Witherspoon for Mom Advice

The TVRealist: Angie Harmon Misses Everything About Being a Stay At Home Mom

Holidays.net: Top 10 Celebrity Moms

Parent Dish: Marcia Cross Tells Celebrity Baby Blog "I'm a Happy Mom!"