[jmopp]

This. In poorer parts of the world, you might have an extra mouth to feed for the first 15-20 years, but once your child finishes school and finds work they're contributing to your well-being and to helping feed the younger children. You also need not worry too much about your retirement, because you know your family will support you, and you'll play a role raising your grandchildren and great grandchildren.

[robocat]

Kids as a retirement investment - makes sense in countries that lack safe investments (safe from over-taxation, theft, inflation). Built in interest/growth rate due to breeding next generation.

Unfortunately I have shorted the children market by not breeding when younger. What's the appropriate way to invest in 2.5 children? I presume they are a very illiquid investment.

The other problem with cousins is that brothers and sisters move to distant locations so cousins are often inaccessible even if you have them.

[opportune]

Just buy enough shares in public companies, or apartment units, to get the capital-share-of-income of 2.5 of someone else’s children. Let the parents figure out how to get something out of the wage-share-of-income

[lordnacho]

Go and foster some kids. Maybe start with one.

Foster parent relationships are somewhere between zero and one of your own kids. They can be close or distant, depends on the relationship.

[brailsafe]

> you might have an extra mouth to feed for the first 15-20 years

or just old enough to harvest whatever it is you're farming

[maxlamb]

Forget 15-20 years, in rural Guatemala I would see 7 year olds working for a couple bucks a day to bring to their (poor) parents

[OtomotO]

> you might have an extra mouth to feed for the first 15-20 years

more like 5-10 years