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Culture War Roundup for the week of September 2, 2024

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Even smaller change going 2-3, etc)

I'd argue the opposite is true. Do you happen to remember that child car seat study that was referenced here a couple of times? Also, your accommodation expenses double when you go on vacation with 3 kids instead of 2.

The car seat is real (we just switched to a three row SUV).

Yes vacations get a bit more expensive but there are a lot of other savings.

Car seats are annoying. We're going to have to get one without arm rests, doing the seatbelt buckles are just too frustrating.

It also is crazy how long kids need to be in car seats these days. I understand the NHTSA data. But it does add annoyance.

It depends a lot on your lifestyle. Plenty of early parents still cling to some vestiges of the childless lifestyle.

Among our acquaintances, it's not unusual to not even own a car anyway, or the other way around to already have a seven-seater. Likewise vacation is extremely variable; Some still regularly go on "full" vacations that require booking a flight seat per person, hotel rooms of appropriate size, etc. while others mostly just go camping a few miles from the city. Unsurprisingly, the former often have a single kid and think they "can't" afford more, whereas the latter can easily have 5 kids without much trouble even as they earn less.