Denise Richards is either...

... the world's most understanding celebrity;

OR:

... Hollywood's most attention-starved, exploitive mother.

While most famous parents bristle at celebrity gossip photographers that dare to encroach on time with their children - even a notoriously quiet, beloved star such as Julia Roberts has been known to get into it with paparazzi that follow around her family - Richards appears to embrace the attention.

Imagine that.

Earlier this week, the terrible actress and booted Dancing with the Stars contestant was spotted at the playground with daughter Lola. She spent more time smiling for the camera than keeping an eye on her child:

Pssst, Denise Richards: your daughter just took a swan dive off the slide. You might wanna look away from the camera for a second.

No way Richards invited photographers along for this play date, right? No chance she told them where she was going in exchange for a few bucks and a few minutes in the spotlight, right?

Click on the following images for larger shots of the actress exploiting her adorable daughter...

[Photos: Splash News]