Selfish Reasons to Have More Kids: Why Being a Great Parent is Less Work and More Fun Than You Think

by Bryan Caplan

If you have two kids, a part-time nanny will probably do more for your quality of life than a new car.

Treating your kids with kindness and respect, without worrying that you’ll make them soft.

if you just want a child you’re proud of—a decent human being and a productive citizen—give him the gift of life, feed and water him, don’t lock him in a closet, and life will take care of the rest.

The most effective way to get the kind of kids you want is to pick a spouse who has the traits you want your kids to have. Genes have a large effect on almost everything on the Parental Wish List. The right spouse is like a genie who grants wishes you are powerless to achieve through your own efforts.

Since parental investment is overrated, however, good kids—kids you can be proud of—are much cheaper than they seem. As long as you and your spouse turned out all right, your kids probably will, too.

Parents heavily influence their kids in many ways; they see it with their own eyes. Their mistake is to assume that their influence lasts a lifetime, instead of fading out as their kids grow up.