ELI5- Why do people in poorer countries have more children than those in developed countries?
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My grandparents had 13 kids, my mom had 5.
When you have that many, you just get in a mindset of “making it work” and when everyone around you is having a ton of kids, it normalizes being extra poor for the sake of having many kids. The parents aren’t even parenting at that point, the older kids take care of and are responsible for the younger kids, from reducing the labor of the parents overall in the home. There’s also a lot more support within poorer communities, paying someone to watch your kids is unheard of, grandparents step up or your friend watches your kids or during the day when they’re old enough, they’ll disperse amongst their other friend’s families. In wealthier communities, most of the time both parents work and there’s just not enough time or people available to rely on to watch the kids.
Kids in poverty are also essentially a retirement scheme for their parents. In my community, in the US, you’re expected to financially support your parents into old age. In my husband’s wealthier family, it’s unheard of for parents to accept anything but gifts from their children. More kids means a better retirement if they inherit the obligation.
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