This phenomenon has been evident in the wealthy NYC ‘burbs for the past 6-7 years, as more of the younger ‘ladies who lunch’ and can be seen around club pools, tennis and paddle courts and golf courses, have been have 3, 4 and even 5+ kids.
It’s clearly a status thing: the big discussion among parents (if not real estate) is the high cost of bringing up baby, from the nanny to the elite nursery school, to the day school for elementary/middle school, the day or boarding prep school, and, of course, the now staggering cost of a private college or university (probably close to $250,000 for students starting next fall at the most exclusive schools) and graduate or professional school.
To have 5-6 kids, all in private school from nursery school through graduate school, and not to have this have any effect on one’s life style bespeaks pretty serious means available, whether earned or unearned.
