I read quite a lot about history and it was more complicated then that. There were famines, but also plenty of time without them. There was feudalism and social classes did not mixed (meaning dude and girl having families of similar resources), so what you wanted from dude was physical strength.

There were mining areas where men died young so women fed themselves and kids. Occasionally wars killed men leaving women being more in numbers.

There were multi generation families where everyone worked and elders ruled.

In any situation near famine, everyone worked for money or food however they could (women and kids having limitations but also able to prostitute). Poor people always had two working and not just caring about kids - idle lifestyle being luxury.

And then aristocracy marrying for power and peace.

Then farm had everyone working on own property, no one working outside house.

Historically there were many different arrangements. None of that requires or implies selling and buying brides as something good that that girl, through that happens.

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I was full time stay at home. It was idle. Also hard, but due to psychological reasons - kids were fine but that lack of everything else and no purpose no usefulness no challenge and isolation were killing me.