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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.

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.

And that's fine if your ultimate goal is to make sure your kids have more 'stuff' than you did.

My goal is to make sure my kids love God, love their family, love their neighbor, love their country, serve their community, teach the Gospel and ultimately get to Heaven. Everything else is just fluff.