The parent-child problem you mention can be addressed with names. Children can say "grid-name: footer". This is just a hint for the parent to decide where to pl

The parent-child problem you mention can be addressed with names. Children can say "grid-name: footer". This is just a hint for the parent to decide where to place it in the grid. Then the parent can use grid-template-areas to arrange its children. You no longer need to change the children if you're adding columns to the layout. (I agree with you on this simple layout)