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Baby Sitting

Then: $5/hour for 2 kids

Now: $12/hour for 2 kids

Birthday Parties

Then: At-home affairs with homemade cakes and games.

Now: $400 soirees that strive to out-do the last party you attended, complete with costumed characters and gourmet eats.

Resale Shopping

Then: Stopping by the occasional garage sale and hoping there would be something worthwhile to spend $10 on.

Now: Stores and seasonal sales with barely used clothing are all the rage - you can practically only shop these sales and outfit the kids in the latest styles for half the price.

Infertility Treatments

Then: Were only used as a last resort for couples who had been trying to have children for years.

Now: Single women in their late twenties are using the practice to freeze their eggs in hope of someday finding "Mr. Right" to father their children.

Halloween

Then: Knocking on doors and eating that candy all night long was the only thing to do.

Now: Neighborhood parties, mall events and other non-trick-or-treating options are more common.

Technology

Then: Computers were a novelty at home, school and the office.

Now: We're wired! At home, school, the office, in the car - and even on our cell phones.

Moms in the Workplace

Then: Having two parents in the work force wasn't the norm. "For moms, finding after school care was the hardest thing," Linda Matzigkeit, senior vice president of Human Resources at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. "Kids were left alone more often."

Now: There are more of them in the workplace. "Working mothers have become a dominant force," says Matzigkeit. "They are critical." For today's moms the real challenges are making sure your kids can participate in extra-curricular activities, and getting dinner on the table. "Things are just busier now. Getting your child to baseball practice three days a week is really difficult for working moms," says Matzigkeit. "In 1983, practice was one day a week - not so anymore."

Role of Dad

Then: Dad was for having fun with, supporting the family financially and occasionally handling discipline.

Now: "There has been a huge shift," says Matzigkeit. "Today there are many more 50/50 partnerships. Dads are playing a stronger role contributing to parenting and family responsibilities with things like carpool, making dinner and laundry."

Pediatric Medicine

Then: There were a few vaccines aimed at children, needles were commonplace, and getting a hold of the doctor meant calling an answering service and waiting hours for a response.

Now: Life-saving vaccines against Varicella, HPV, meningitis and rotavirus have been developed. Alternate routes of drug administration such as orally disintegrating tablets, intranasal vaccines and needle-less medication delivery systems have also been developed. "These alternative systems are a result of the greater focus on pain free medicine and helping limit anxiety for our young patients," explains Dr. Vivian Lennon, director of Primary Care at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.
She also notes that cell phones, text messaging and email have enhanced the way doctors are able to communicate with patients. "I feel I can be more available to them in a manner that is convenient and efficient for them as well as me," says Lennon.

Homeschooling

Then: Books weren't available making parents responsible for creating curriculum and all teaching. "In-home teaching was the only option for homeschoolers," says Randi St. Denis, director of the Home Educators Encouragement Alliance.

Now: It's grown by leaps and bounds - there are an estimated 80,000 homeschooled children in Georgia. "There are so many options," says St. Denis. "There are books and curriculum available to parents. Kids can go to a university model school [homeschool hybrid] for a class or two and there are homeschool days at museums."

But, the biggest change in today's homeschools comes from technology says St. Denis. "Now a renowned writer in Montana can teach your child in Atlanta through email and online chatting," she says. "Also, homeschooling is now international - so people from other countries will be able to teach your child another language through the Internet."