Why Do Big Families Get Such a Bad Rap?
I have many siblings. And in so many ways, my life is richer for it.
Stephanie H. Murray
Stephanie H. Murray is a contributing writer at The Atlantic. She’s a former public-policy researcher, and lives in Bristol, U.K.
Latest
Illustration by Pierre Buttin Cultural Shifts Alone Won’t Persuade People to Have Kids
You still need the economic winds at your back.
Illustration by Ben Wiseman What Adults Lost When Kids Stopped Playing in the Street
In many ways, a world built for cars has made life so much harder for grown-ups.
Illustration by Ben Kothe / The Atlantic. Source: Giuseppe Ramos / Getty Why Parents Don’t Mind If Their Kids Don’t Marry
The calculus of what makes for “happily ever after” has shifted.
Illustration by The Atlantic. Source: Gregory Reid / Gallery Stock. The Same Old Sex Talk Isn’t Enough
Easily accessible images of choking and other rough practices are making parents’ task much more complicated.
Illustration by Najeebah Al-Ghadban for The Atlantic Is It Wrong to Tell Kids to Apologize?
Some parents argue that forcing children to say they’re sorry is useless or even harmful. The reality is more nuanced.
Harold M. Lambert / Getty Whatever Happened to All Those Care Robots?
So far, companion robots haven’t lived up to the hype—and might even exacerbate the problems they’re meant to solve.
Illustration by Matteo Giuseppe Pani. Source: Getty. Why Parents Struggle So Much in the World’s Richest Country
Raising kids shouldn’t be this hard.
Illustration by Aleia Murawski and Sam Copeland America Isn’t Ready for the Two-Household Child
Joint custody is a growing reality—but the country’s systems for supporting families aren’t built to accommodate it.
Photo-illustration by The Atlantic. Source: H. Armstrong Roberts / Getty. The Other Work Remote Workers Get Done
Telecommuting allows caregivers to manage a workload that is, if anything, way too big.
Illustration by Derek Abella
/media/img/mt/2024/03/care_2_1/original.gif)
