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Worldwide, most people report that they'd like to have 2 or more children, and that money is the main reason they don't: https://www.economist.com/leaders/2016/

• graycat 8y ago
  Right. One reason housing is so expensive is both partners working and, thus, not having kids, in effect eating their seed corn, and wasting their money on nonsense. We don't need McMansions. We don't need so many bedrooms -- in one bedroom can have bunk beds and a partition between the boys and the girls. Around the house, the children can do more -- less TV and Internet -- and good for child development. The kids can do better in all the important parts of growing up, not just leave so much of child development to the schools. E.g., for Hacker News, get the kids started programming, in whatever tools want, from assembler to the full stack, whatever. Don't need a dishwasher, two ovens, two cars, etc. Actually can do well hand washing a lot of the clothes. Can get by without a clothes dryer. Pizza? Have the kids make them at home, for about 10% of the cost of buying a pizza ready made. It's fun to make pizza. Clothes don't have to be expensive; blue denim, really old canvas sail cloth, tough stuff, works great. Medical costs? In the US (don't tell anyone) we have Community Health Centers and Hill-Burton hospitals. Dental care? Eat like people in poor countries -- they have beautiful teeth with no dental care. The very poor people of Mayotte are having kids -- it CAN be done without a lot of money.