It goes without saying that it’s a challenge to work and be a mother — after all, that’s the focus of Work It, Mom. And hey, parenthood in general is challenging, work-life balance notwithstanding.

I ran across Divine Caroline’s list of the best careers for moms (I’ll list them in a moment) and was intrigued. Sure, the list is from last year, actually, but it stands the test of time. These careers make sense with parenthood. They can be rewarding, both financially and emotionally, and even more importantly, they allow for flexibility. Anyone who’s had to dash out of a meeting to pick up a sick kid from school after a call from the nurse appreciates flexibility.

But … what if your cup of work tea is something else? Most of us don’t choose college majors and then the resulting careers based on what we think might later fit in with future children. (And why should we? Can we move to a society where work life and family life can both be a priority?) The careers on this list are, for the most part, undeniably easier to fit in with a family. Would you switch to one of them, or one like them, to bring more balance to your life?

Here’s the list:

1. Writer. Hah. I like that. It’s where I went after 10 years as a stay-at-home mom. Sure, my kids now think there’s a laptop permanently glued to my lap, one finger raised to my lips shushing them while I type with the other hand, but it does fit the flexibility bill. You can write during naps, while the Backyardigans are on, or after bedtime. And kids are great inspiration for all kinds of writing.

2. Teacher. The school-day hours tend to sort of concide with those of your kids, and you sort of mostly get summers off. I liked that my mom was a teacher (until I had her in 4th grade, not recommended). Teachers in private schools and colleges often get substantial tuition breaks for their kids, another plus.

3. Jobs where you work by appointment. Like career coach, nutritionist, financial planner, photographer, hair stylist, and personal trainer. You set your hours, which means you can (often) work around things like school days, dentist appointments, and sick kids.

4. Client services work. Like lawyers, accountants, and bookkeepers. The rub here is that you’d have to sharply define boundaries (no 100-billable-hour weeks for you), perhaps working only three or four days a week or shorter hours per day, and accepting fewer clients than a full load, which of course assumes you can afford to do so.

5. Healthcare jobs. Like the client services jobs, here you’d simply accept fewer shifts if working as a nurse or other similar hospital-type job to make it work with parenthood. Healthcare jobs are still in high demand which means you’d likely be successful in naming your hours. Problems? Healthcare shifts tend to be long ones, which means you’re wrangling child care for those 12-hour shifts, and like the client services job suggestion you’d have to be able to budget for working less than a fulltime load.

6. Sales jobs. This one is also a juggling act, but often you can make it work with jobs like financial sales or executive recruiting where you’re setting your own appointments and creating your own schedule.

Careers they missed include artist and caterer. Can you think of any others?

What about you? Would you switch to make things work better for your family? What accommodations have you already made? If you were starting over career-wise today, would you choose differently, knowing what you know now about the dance between work and parenthood?