--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I used to wonder why... Mum kept having…" description: "\"“I used to wonder why... Mum kept having babies... that was the only pleasure poor people could afford . It cost nothing--at least at the time when you..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/056/margaret-powell-59128_children_i-used-to-wonder-why-mum-kept-having-bab_2092431.jpg" --- # I used to wonder why... Mum kept having babies... that was… ![“I used to wonder why... Mum kept having babies... that was the only pleasure poor people could afford . It cost nothing--at least at the time when you were actually making the children. The fact that it would cost you something later on, well, the working-class people never looked ahead in those…” quote by Margaret Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/056/margaret-powell-59128_children_i-used-to-wonder-why-mum-kept-having-bab_2092431.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/056/margaret-powell-59128_children_i-used-to-wonder-why-mum-kept-having-bab_2092431.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/056/margaret-powell-59128_children_i-used-to-wonder-why-mum-kept-having-bab_2092431.jpg) > ““I used to wonder why... Mum kept having babies... that was the only pleasure poor people could afford . It cost nothing--at least at the time when you were actually making the children. The fact that it would cost you something later on, well, the working-class people never looked ahead in those days.”” [Margaret Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-powell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A critique of poverty's limited pleasures, noting that childbearing was a rare joy for the working class, yet later became a financial burden. **In simple terms:** Poor families found joy in having children, later facing costs. Key Takeaway Consider the long-term impacts of choices made under scarcity. Themes poverty family economic pressure social critique historical perspective Mood somber thoughtful Type critical social When to use this quote - policy discussions - historical analysis - social work - community planning Key Concepts class struggle resource scarcity future consequences social commentary Questions to Reflect On - What hidden costs do we ignore in poverty? - How can societies support families beyond immediate needs? A Different Perspective The quote may overlook agency and cultural values beyond economics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Poor people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor-people/) ## Related quotes > [“I remember saying to my mother, ‘Why do you have so many children? Is it hard to have children?’ And she said, ‘Oh, no.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-powell/i-remember-saying-to-my-mother-why-do-you-have-so-many-children-is-it/) [Margaret Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-powell/) > [Well, as you know, there are many things in life that are not fair, that wealthy people can afford and poor people cant. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/well-as-you-know-there-are-many-things-in-life-that-are-not-fair-that/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [I'm going to repay my mum so much because she has kept my feet on the ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-walker/i-m-going-to-repay-my-mum-so-much-because-she-has-kept-my-feet-on-the/) [Kyle Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-walker/) > [My mum has always kept my feet on the ground and told me that if I carry on working hard it will pay off.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-barkley/my-mum-has-always-kept-my-feet-on-the-ground-and-told-me-that-if-i/) [Ross Barkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-barkley/) > [I grew up in a one-bedroom flat with my mum. She worked hard and then got a terraced house - nothing fancy. 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That would be terrible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-guinness/i-hate-the-idea-of-making-any-of-my-children-into-a-mini-me-that/) [Daphne Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-guinness/) > [I like making children's television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pendleton-ward/i-like-making-children-s-television/) [Pendleton Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pendleton-ward/) > [I wonder if anyone can ever succeed in making their children content.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/i-wonder-if-anyone-can-ever-succeed-in-making-their-children-content/) [Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/) ## More by Margaret Powell > [“The language and the atmosphere there reminded me of Dante's Inferno.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-powell/the-language-and-the-atmosphere-there-reminded-me-of-dante-s-inferno/) [Margaret Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-powell/) > [“I remember saying to my mother, ‘Why do you have so many children? 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