McFamily: Super-sized!

We are learning so much about the cultural similarities and differences between us and Indians. When we first arrived, we wondered why families here consisted of parents and usually only one, or, at most, two children. We felt out of place. We thought all kinds of things based on our Western and American mindset: Did they not value children? Did they think they were too bothersome? We came to realize that we were ignorant to the situation of life in the city: it is extremely expensive on Indian salary to care and provide for even one child, much less two or three. Yes, there is a growing middle class, but it's really expensive.
Now, it's expensive somewhat in the States, too, but the clincher is education. You see, here educational success is paramount and so one should send their child to the best school possible and that costs a bunch. And that's ANOTHER difference: we are homeschoolers. How odd we must seem!
In the villages, many families have multiple children as the parents need as many hands to work the land as possible AND the infant mortality rate due to malnutrition/disease is high. So we must be considered a real anomaly: a family with four children who school at home living in the big city! We are often stared at for this reason and others that those of you who know us can guess. We just smile and sometimes stare back! We are OK in the taxis and use up a whole autorickshaw, but have to take two bicycle rickshaws, or even three! We are really super-sized here!