Posted May 20, 2008 by Tommi Lewis Tilden with additional reporting by Audrey Turcot

Word is that the new "Sex and the City" flick (opening May 30) focuses a lot on Carrie and Miranda and how they’ve matured since last seen on the small screen. In real life both Sarah Jessica Parker and Cynthia Nixon have come far -- not just with acting accolades, clothing line launches and personal victories, but also as two of the "SATC" quartet raising young kids.

Everyone knows that Parker and hubby Matthew Broderick are consummate New Yorkers who will not allow their celebrity to interfere with their rearing of 5-year-old James Wilkie. The family is frequently spotted walking on their way to school, soccer games and the like.

Ever-level-headed Parker tells Parade: "I think that if I had been raised a child of privilege, I wouldn’t be the working person I am today. I think it’s incumbent on my husband and me to show [our son] what it means to owe your community something and that he is not entitled to the benefits of our hard work."

James Wilkie even sports second-hand clothing. "He wears hand-me-downs because I’ve got all these older nephews," Parker continued. "Plus my mother saved all my brothers’ clothes. I don’t think I’ve bought him any clothes. Maybe a new winter coat."

For Nixon, creating a "normal" family life posed a different set of problems and solutions. When she and longtime partner Danny Mozes split in 2003, they wanted to ensure a smooth life for kids Samantha and Charlie, adopting what Nixon calls the Bird’s Nest. "You make a nest where the parents fly in and out. The kids stayed in the apartment and the parents take turns visiting. You have to stay focused on what’s best for them."

Ultimately the nest was successful -- a good thing since the kids would soon adjust to another big change in their lives -- the fact that mommy was seeing a woman. Nixon and education activist Christine Marioni have been happily together for nearly four years.

If the "SATC" movie is anywhere near as colorful, we’re in for a treat!

"Sex and the City" creator Candace Bushnell's latest project, "Lipstick Jungle" features Kim Raver as hotshot magazine editor who’s too busy juggling a boring husband and yummy boy toy to make time for kids. In real life, the 39-year-old seasoned vet of such hits as "Third Watch" and "24" is a super-hands-on mom to two boys ages six and almost one.

Though shooting a series can be all-consuming, Raver makes it a point to get down on the floor and play with her kids every day, even if just for a few minutes. "Sometimes when I’m running around trying to get ready for work and trying to nurse Leo, Luke will be in the corner, playing with his dinosaurs," Raver told Redbook. "That’s what’s important to him, and it really brings me into what’s important. Yes, you have to be the adult and get things done, but you can also take a few minutes and play dinosaurs, because life’s too short."