You got it the wrong way round. 100 years ago, people were having kids precisely because they were broke.
100 years ago, if you had kids you had to feed them for 5-7 years and then they’d be adding to the family income. They’d be working the fields or the mines or in factories or any other job like that.
And when you got old, the only thing standing between you and dieing from being worked to death in the poor house was having kids that would take you in and support you.
Today the math is flipped on its head: You have to support your kids until at least 18, more likely 25 or 30 until they make it through education. Then they don’t contribute to your household income at all because they have their own household. And when you are old you get retirement benefits and live off the work of everyone else’s children too.
So 100 years ago, if you didn’t care about children and were broke, math told you to have kids.
Today, if you don’t care about children (no matter if you are broke), math tells you to not have kids.
Simple as that.
And since these changes happened gradually and society adapts its standards slowly, it’s been a gradual shift.
Also more intelligent; back then people just had kids whether they were broke or not.
Stupidity == Altruism ???
You got it the wrong way round. 100 years ago, people were having kids precisely because they were broke.
100 years ago, if you had kids you had to feed them for 5-7 years and then they’d be adding to the family income. They’d be working the fields or the mines or in factories or any other job like that.
And when you got old, the only thing standing between you and dieing from being worked to death in the poor house was having kids that would take you in and support you.
Today the math is flipped on its head: You have to support your kids until at least 18, more likely 25 or 30 until they make it through education. Then they don’t contribute to your household income at all because they have their own household. And when you are old you get retirement benefits and live off the work of everyone else’s children too.
So 100 years ago, if you didn’t care about children and were broke, math told you to have kids.
Today, if you don’t care about children (no matter if you are broke), math tells you to not have kids.
Simple as that.
And since these changes happened gradually and society adapts its standards slowly, it’s been a gradual shift.
“But all my friends are having kids and I feel like I am missing out while they chat.”
Yes, FOMO is old.