Just as one small example, daycares/schools will call for you to pickup your kid -- blowing up your day -- at the slightest indication of illness. With four kids going to school, this means two to six+ times a month your day is going to be completely blown up at any moment. I'm not complaining (though when I was a kid if you had a bit of a stomach ache you chilled in the nurse's office for a bit and 9 times out of 10 go back to class), but the average person cannot accommodate this without quickly finding themselves unemployed. This is just one of a million cases where two working parents and few or no supports leave you in a precarious situation.
I got lucky in a sense, when covid came along and sent me home permanently, it makes dealing with kids so much simpler. My wife and I both work from home now, and schedules are a breeze.
Parents today not only have lost the village but are also expected to be with their children more.
People say it’s the cost. But what’s way worse is the effort and time you need to spend for every child.
A normal couple, most often with both having to work, will be at their limits to provide for more than 1 child - constantly.
A couple can’t replace the village unless they have tons of money.