Selfish Reasons to have more Kids: Chapter One

Diana and I read the introduction and chapter one of this new book by Bryan Caplan last night. It was very entertaining and very well written. I enjoyed reading it out loud and it was easy to listen to as well. This to me is the mark of excellent writing.

The case is made that parenting can be much less of a chore. It is interesting to read things like: if you are considering hiring a babysitter, do. The logic is economic. The last hour you spend with your kids is the hour you are going to be the least attentive, the hour you least enjoy, and the hour that you most need rest. So hire a babysitter if you have the means. Comparing the use of those dollars with almost anything else you can do with the money you would be doing your kid and yourself a very large favor.

I didn't quite understand the comment that the rich already know this lesson. Perhaps it is because the marginal utility of each dollar is lower and they have experimented more? The book wasn't too clear on this point.

The first chapter is framed by the question: Are people happier with or without kids. The couple with kids is happier than the single person without, but Caplan gives reasons why this might be so. Even if it is true, it is far less important than people make it out. Chapter one: If you thinking about having kids, maybe you won't be exactly as happy as you are now, but you will be close. The real action is in having the second kid, even less of an impact on your happiness.

I am looking forward to reading the rest of the book. I assume there will be more reasons that single childless people are not as truly happy as they seem. So far, we know that there are a bundle of things that correlate with happiness. I wonder if they are all independently caused or caused by the same thing. Right now I suspect that there will be significant joint causes for happiness that also predict having kids.