[Antoninus]

Conversely, a lot of those seven figure incomes also sweat out the private schools and college education.

That's more a testament to some parents' short-sightedness than their "limited means." My kids know from day one that I'm not paying for their college. If they're gifted, they'll get scholarships. If not, and they still want to go, they can take out loans and go to state school. Otherwise, there are plenty of trade schools out there and a trade is an honorable profession that, these days, commands a very high salary.

As for pre-college, my kids go to the ultimate private school. And we don't pay no $5,000/annum...

[durasell]

I'll give you an example of a couple I know making mid-six figures. Two kids, both in private school at about $25,000 a year apiece. One of the kids is about to take the SATs, so that's an added $100 an hour three times a week for "SAT coaching." One kid who is particularly driven, has been taking Mandarin lessons twice a week for the past three years and has traveled to China about a half dozen times. The other kid, who is a jock, takes tennis lessons -- don't know the cost, but it can't be cheap.

I know both the kids -- they are bright, but not brilliant. But the basic idea is to "launch them" (the parents' phrase not mine) into a life somewhere above where their parents reside. Even with the parents' not insignificant dual income, this would be impossible with four or six kids.

Bottomline, these are incredibly ambitious people who want their kids to do better than they did.