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India is characterised by immense plurality, whether it is in ecology, economy, religion, language, history, culture or cuisine. As a single nation which harbours so much diversity, working towards uniform principles becomes a serious challenge, whether in the attainment of national goals or the implementation of educational objectives. Regarding childhood, there is a constant dialogue between cultural practices on the one hand, and national objectives of children’s development on the other. Additional turbulence is caused by the distant images from affluent countries. Socialisation practices among contemporary Indian families continue to have enduring links with ancient traditions. Simultaneously, families are increasingly enthusiastic about children’s education; and keeping pace with modernity and technological advancement is an important priority. However, the global ideal of childhood as visualised by Euro-American norms, guided by quantitative homogenisation, has been an important obstacle for a reasonable understanding of Indian childhood and family life. This presentation focuses on the characteristic properties of family life and childhood in India that facilitate the co-existence of complex and even conflicting ways of bringing-up children. The analysis will be supported by examples from research with Indian families to describe the adaptive strategies that adults employ in the socialisation for competence of children towards a high tolerance of ambiguity and ambivalence.