| > Among the ultra-Orthodox in Israel the fertility rate is 10 children per family There are not typically 10 children at once in the home BTW. The older children will be away at school, around 14 for boys, 17 for girls. What you do is have 3 bedrooms: parents, boys, and girls. Depending on the boy/girl ratio you can have up to 2 triple-bunk-beds in a room. Doing that you can easily sleep 12 children in the house (if you had to). There is no living room, instead there is a dining room with a huge table (large enough to seat everyone at once) that doubles as a multi-purpose room for homework, and other activities. Children are encouraged to play outside (there's hardly room inside). For possessions there is not usually a need to store much since you'll pass things on to other people, your children, relatives, friends, neighbors, etc. and they with you, so most items are in active use. (For example, once the kids are older and you don't need a triple-bunk-bed you pass it on to someone else.) This also means you don't need to spend as much as you might expect on stuff. If you don't have a lot of money you can go your entire life without once buying new clothes, or other gear for the kids. |