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Katie Martin / The Atlantic; Grace Robertson / … The Pain That Is Unlike All Other Pain
Why does society treat labor pain with such reverence—and its relief with such scrutiny?
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Celia Jacobs The Myth of Independent American Families
In Nordic countries, people rely on the state. In the U.S., they rely on their communities.
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Getty; The Atlantic Cities Aren’t Built for Kids
But they could be.
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Illustration by Alex Cochran How Affluence Pulls People Away From Their Families
Money and education allow many people to venture farther, without needing to rely on relatives for child care or a place to sleep. But that freedom sometimes goes hand in hand with isolation.
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Bettmann / Getty; The Atlantic The Stepparent’s Dilemma
Who parents whom in a blended family? A popular, controversial approach to stepparenting teaches that if they’re not your kids, they’re not your responsibility.
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Igor Alecsander / Getty Speech Therapy Shows the Difficult Trade-Offs of Wearing Masks
All parents of young children have been forced to gamble during the pandemic. Many parents of kids with speech disorders don’t like their odds.
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The Atlantic The Next Century’s Big Demographic Mystery
Experts can’t agree on how many humans will be on Earth by 2100. The implications could be profound.
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David L. Ryan / The Boston Globe / … The Alternative to Closing Schools
As stifling as Britain’s pandemic rules for adults were, the country seemed determined, in stark contrast to America, to ask as little as possible of children.
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Klaus Vedfelt / Getty; The Atlantic The Social Security Trap
Social Security rewards long careers and high pay, all but guaranteeing that parents who focus on child-rearing receive the smallest payouts. My mom is one such parent.
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Trent Parke / Magnum My Dad Is Dead. His Landlord Just Evicted Him.
A jumble of complicated and unexpected logistical tasks can fall into your lap after a loved one dies.
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Adam Maida / The Atlantic The Remote Work–Fertility Connection
It’s easier for parents whose jobs can be done remotely to juggle work and child care. This digital divide is starting to shape who chooses to have kids.
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Getty / The Atlantic The Danger of Shortchanging Parents
A country that does not publicly fund national defense won’t have much of it. A society that doesn’t support parents will have fewer children.
