I admit it. Every time I hear of another celebrity who's about to become a mom (either on purpose or "accidentally"), I cringe a little inside. What kind of life is that kid going to have? The kind where they're only allowed outside the house in some Gymboree version of a burqa to mask their super-celeb kid status? The kind where their parents auction off their (highly-staged) baby pics to the highest bidder? The kind where they're never in public unless media ready? (Heaven forbid they should spit up on themselves, get dirty or otherwise muck up a potential photo op!)

At first glance the media seems to equate celebrity with lousy parenting skills. But, really, who can blame Britney for forgetting to buckle up her toddlers when she's busy trying to dodge the paparazzi? (Uh ... me and just about every other mom I know, who would take down the photogs bare-handed before driving our kids an inch without proper child restraints.)

But lately I've noticed, on the periphery, a few truly classy celebrity moms. Real moms. Moms who have their priorities straight. While most celeb mothers are hounded endlessly by the media (trying to catch them in the act of a parenting faux pas?), the photogs are pretty good at catching other famous moms in the act, too ... the act of actually being maternal.

Jennifer Garner comes to mind. Photos of her with her adorable daughter, Violet, pop up with regularity on gossip sites and in tabloids ... but never because she's having a "dangling baby from the balcony" moment. No, Mom Jen gets caught in such compromising positions as actually spending time with her daughter, picking out picture books at the library, teaching her to kick a soccer ball or having a family moment in the park with Violet and her equally famous dad, Ben Affleck.

Did I mention Jennifer does most of this sans make-up and, gasp, in track pants and sneakers? And that Baby V, with her pacifier and silly hats (and sometimes even with popsicle stains on her shirt!), blends in flawlessly with the non-celebrity kids digging in the park sandbox?

Unlike with some Hollywood moms – whose infants seem to be replacements for the designer Chihuahuas they carried around last year – for Jennifer Garner, the parenting is important ... not the publicity. She's not mugging for the cameras or making sure the paparazzi get Violet's best side. She's just another working mom, who happens to have a job that makes her media fodder, and who likes to spend time with her daughter on her down-time.

Recently I caught an interview of another glamorous-yet-devoted celeb mom, Gwyneth Paltrow, on The Late Show with David Letterman. Nearly half of her approximately 12-minute interview was spent talking about her kids rather than her latest movie release. Being a parent "just makes life worth living," she told Letterman. An actress who thinks her finest work is done without the cameras watching? Way to go, Gwyn!

Then, in a live interview with an Atlanta radio station, Gwyneth spoke with the DJs by phone while dealing with her crying son in the background (been there, done that). She remarked that she understands that she has an amazing career, but that her family makes movies seem "fun, but unimportant." Kudos to her for letting us see who the real Gwyneth Paltrow is, cranky kids and all, and not just parading out the "star" the public might think they want to see.

We non-celeb moms have it pretty darn good, if we think about it. At first glance, we may be a tad jealous of the glitz and glamour (and the money!), but being a celebrity mom can't be easy. I shudder at the idea that every time I leave my house I'd be greeted by flash photography – even if I'm running late and driving my kids to school in pj's and beat-up bunny slippers. I'd be appalled to find I've been followed to the grocery store and that my cart contents are being scrutinized for publication in the next issue of Celebrity Food Faults. The pressure to perform for the cameras is undoubtedly always present for celebrities, parents or not.

Keeping it real can be done, though. Gwyneth and her husband Chris Martin, frontman for the rock group Coldplay, maintain their privacy by seldom – if ever – being seen in public together as a couple or a family. Not ideal, by any stretch of the imagination, but doable if your priority is to keep your family life private and your kids as normal as possible.

When Gwyn and Jen are working, they're working. On the red carpet, in the latest designer gowns, they're all about their jobs. But at home, they are first and foremost mothers. As it should be. Yet for every possible career sacrifice made – in Gwyneth's case, taking off spring and summer this year to be with her family while her husband is touring, perhaps turning down some great scripts to do so – I know what they'll gain. They'll gain peace of mind that they had great careers, but more important, raised healthy, happy kids.

I can't help but root for them to succeed. Hollywood needs all the good examples it can get.