The senior class of 2012 is born this year. These children are part of the 50 million children dubbed the baby boomlet--a surge of children under age 12 born to baby boomers.

Savvy marketers have targeted these children and their parents. Magazines, books, toys, and playlands abound to serve young families' voracious appetites for quality entertainment. Four years ago, Disney launched Family Fun magazine; today, circulation is almost 700,000. Resorts target families with ski-free or stay-free offers for children. Each year, SKI magazine awards ski resorts for "family appeal." In 1993 and 1994, Snowmass resort in Colorado, which offers a menu of daycare options including ski school, won the coveted award.

In short, kids--and parents with kids--are "in."

NEW FAMILY ORDER

One defining characteristic of this generation of children is that their families can't be defined. According to a Census Bureau report, 65.7 million children under age 18 do not live in so-called traditional families--married ...