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Where I live in the US southeast, non-professionals tend to get married at around 20-24 years old, then tend start having kids within a year or two of getting m

Where I live in the US southeast, non-professionals tend to get married at around 20-24 years old, then tend start having kids within a year or two of getting married. Income doesn't really factor at all. At least on the more conservative side, perhaps one reason this works economically is the culture of the wife staying home, and the husband working. Although the overall income is much lower, this makes the dollar cost of each additional child small - kids don't eat that much, and there are no child care costs. By having kids young, both your parents are still healthy and active.

refurb 5y ago
As someone with a kid whose spouse took extra time off work, it’s still a ton of work. I’d argue with a stay at home parent full-time until they are teens it’s still a massive undertaking. One well worth it (in my opinion), but if your life goal is money and career advancement kids don’t help in that regard.
- martindbp 5y ago
  Yep, me and wife have an arrangement currently where I do all childcare outside of preschool (i.e. staying home when sick, drop off and pickup at 4, days the school is closed etc) which turns out to be quite often. I also take more of the household chores, maybe two thirds. In the time that's left I work on my own project. It's still a ton of work, but much more manageable than when we both worked full-time.
cute_boi 5y ago
Well the conservative side you are saying doesn't work these days because raising kids is not something that used to be in 90's. As a parents I think everybody want to see their children get high quality of life, luxurious things, good school etc. So both parents have to go to work to fulfill these demands. And we are taking about US which provides lot of incentives to parents tbh. And most of the time the costs starts to grow when children starts to go school.

refurb 5y ago

As someone with a kid whose spouse took extra time off work, it’s still a ton of work. I’d argue with a stay at home parent full-time until they are teens it’s still a massive undertaking. One well worth it (in my opinion), but if your life goal is money and career advancement kids don’t help in that regard.

martindbp 5y ago
Yep, me and wife have an arrangement currently where I do all childcare outside of preschool (i.e. staying home when sick, drop off and pickup at 4, days the school is closed etc) which turns out to be quite often. I also take more of the household chores, maybe two thirds. In the time that's left I work on my own project. It's still a ton of work, but much more manageable than when we both worked full-time.

cute_boi 5y ago

Well the conservative side you are saying doesn't work these days because raising kids is not something that used to be in 90's. As a parents I think everybody want to see their children get high quality of life, luxurious things, good school etc. So both parents have to go to work to fulfill these demands. And we are taking about US which provides lot of incentives to parents tbh. And most of the time the costs starts to grow when children starts to go school.