totally agree. My wife comes from that sort of background. We're both super jealous of her older sister who lives with husband, kids, grandparents, and a cou

totally agree. My wife comes from that sort of background. We're both super jealous of her older sister who lives with husband, kids, grandparents, and a couple aunts/uncles/cousins. She is going back to college, never has to cook a meal, and always has someone to watch the kids on a moments notice. By contrast my wife works harder as a stay at home mom and is generally more stressed and depressed here in the states. No amount of effort spent joining groups and arranging playdates even comes close replacing the casual socialization and miscellaneous bits of support that happens naturally in an extended family.