Kids can't meet their own needs until their teens, sometimes even late teens. And, as we know, a teenager can eat you out of house and home. The irony is it would be even more difficult if our children grew like primates. |
Kids in Western cultures still hit that growth spurt in their teens. It happens just before they're ready to strike out on their own — if you're lucky. |
The human strategy is to stay small as long as possible and then shoot up and get big just before you're about to be useful. It's good economics. |