Encourage Growth Within Flexible Boundaries

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Children under the age of 18 often lack the ability to assess long-term benefits, making parental guidance crucial. While parents may make decisions that aren't immediately appreciated by their children, such decisions can lead to positive outcomes. There exists a broad, acceptable range of parenting styles that can be effective, allowing for flexibility in approaches. However, parents should be cautious of extremes, such as enabling children to forgo education or a balanced diet. Ultimately, parents need not excessively criticize themselves for their choices within this wide range of acceptable practices.

Bryan Caplan of George Mason University and EconLog talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the ideas in Caplan's new book, Selfish Reasons to Have More Kids. Caplan argues that parents spend too much time trying to influence how their kids will turn out as adults. Using research on twins and adopted children, Caplan argues that nature dominates nurture and that parents have little lasting influence on many aspects of their children's lives. He concludes that parents should spend less time and energy trying to influence their children. If parenting takes less time, then have more kids, says Caplan. The conversation concludes with a discussion of whether a larger population is bad for the planet.