No Child Left Behind: Can Having a Big Family Harm Your Children?

3. More children cost more money, meaning that luxuries will have to be sacrificed.

Finances can go either way depending on how much you’re able to provide.  In larger families where resources may not flow as freely, children learn to appreciate the value of money and don’t focus as much on material items since it’s likely that they won’t be “spoiled.”  At the same time, if parents don’t know how to properly budget money and bribe their children with special treats and gifts for things that they are SUPPOSED to be doing, then the only difference is having one spoiled or a gang of greedy children who don’t appreciate hard work and values.  Luxuries should be treated as rewards and not as a normal recognition of any type of behavior, good or bad.  Also, what exactly a “luxury” is may change with each family.

If finances are an issue, it doesn’t make much sense to continue to have children that you are unable to support.  By placing such a tremendous strain on the family financially, you may be essentially taking food out of one child’s mouth to feed another.