[api]

There were more kids around, which meant there were more kids for your kids to play with instead of hanging on you and more parents in the same boat to form a support network.

It’s one of the problems with birth rate collapse. The fewer people have kids, the harder it is in very hard to measure ways.

[astura]

This doesn't make sense, the population has only increased.

Quick Google tells me 40 years ago, in 1985, there was 62.6 million children in the US. In 2025 there are 74.7 million. That is more children in 2025 than 1985.

Parents not allowing their children to play independently isn't due to lack of other children, it's a choice.

[potato3732842]

I suspect the number of children born to the kind of parents who's kids six figure white collar professionals want their kids in contact with has gone down.

[lossolo]

1985 62m kids / 235m total = 0.26

2025 74m kids / 343m total = 0.21

So there is ~20% less kids than in 1985