How to encourage having that 3rd kid? Good question.
My wife and I stopped at two. Mother nature took care of things for us. We were open to having more, if you get my meaning, but it never happened for us.
Among other things, you would have to encourage people to want to have children, not use birth control, and ideally, if the goal is producing children, encourage early marriage. So many young people in peak fertility years in their 20s, are simply not married and having families at those ages. And that is due to a host of other issues going on in our culture. People are in college or grad school at those ages. People are making sure to use birth control as a woman that age is developing her career.
See what others may add to this discussion. An entire culture has grown around the idea that marriage and family and children are something to put off, to think about later, as young people grow to adulthood.
High taxes at every level + declining value of $ + increasing costs = reduction in family size as both couples work.
Without cheaply made Chinese stuff as placeholders for a middle class experience, it would even be worse.
Add on huge educational debt and fewer jobs, and you have an explanation of the state of things.
In many poor countries, they have lots of kids, treasure them and don’t chase paychecks.
College is wasted money on half of those who attend. Better to encourage the skills and trades. Pay is good, life is good.
Setting up home starts earlier.
Your point is excellent inserted here. Young couples have babies and middle class lives have the cash to raise them.
belief that a good life comes with staying in school, staying moral, getting married to a good person....not necessarily a beauty queen or the local star qb....and accepting children as nature allows...
men don't want to marry and women are willing to be live ins for their boyfriends....
Tax deductions for kids that makes having kids more affordable for middle class.