I was going to make a joke about children being ideal chimney sweeps, but I thought I probably shouldn't. I'd appreciate it if you pretended I did, and it was really funny and witty, and made you do a sensible chuckle, and it was tastefully done, so you weren't offended in any way.
There are plenty of places today where children are still your social safety net, especially as you go into retirement. We just happen to live in incredibly well-off countries where this need and motivation has largely disappeared (which shows to some degree in our reproductive rates). There's nothing wrong with it - practical reality trumps blind ideals every time.
Even in rich countries, properly equipped children can provide resources that are worth millions if not more. You can't buy the loyalty that a child would have, and a tribe of highly educated, resourceful children is quite a force to have in your old age.
In my experience, the families that had 3 to 5 children, where at least 2 or 3 of them supported each other went far further than others. They save money by being each other's insurance, are able to share resources and knowledge, help each other in rearing their own set of children, and the implicit trust is something that can't be bought.
Of course, it can all go sideways too, but that's applicable in any situation. But the upside is huge.
>I was going to make a joke about children being ideal chimney sweeps,
Their small hands are great for working on modern cars (especially the electrical connectors with tabs that are hard for sausage fingers to manipulate).
When you're carrying something heavy they can make every door open automatically.
They also make great confined space welders.
All the energy they have makes them great for manual labor too. The manual labor has the side benefit of making them less picky eaters and better at sleeping.
Kids are great for helping with all sorts of around the house projects too. Having a helper is an invaluable force multiplier.
Edit: Why is this opinion not acceptable here? Are kids supposed to stare at a screen for every waking hour not consumed with school work?
Thank you for the chuckle! As a kid who grew up "helping" (often just learning, but occasionally actually contributing), I find your list pretty reasonable! I didn't, unfortunately, learn to weld until my early 30s.
Thanks.