I can’t imagine trying to take care of a baby without 1) an extended family or 2) enough money to make up for not having an extended family.
I talk a lot about the collapse of the extended family in the West because 1) it’s absolutely devastating and 2) people who don’t have them don’t even know what they are missing until they interact with cultures where it hasn’t collapsed.
Think of all the wisdom, support, and resources that having close relationships with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins provides you. If you’re rich, you can hire people to replace that. Night nurses, meals, professional advice, etc.
But if you’re poor and don’t have that? There’s no way. The nuclear family simply cannot survive without the extended family, which is why I think conservative crowing about nuclear family breakdown is so shortsighted.
My wife and I are so thankful that we live in the same town as we grew up, and have a big network of extended family who are pitching in. Plus, we aren’t poor, so we can get anything we need that family can’t provide.
The amount of disdain our culture has for those trying to raise children without huge networks and/or tons of money is disgusting. You try it. The end.
