Tim Carney, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and father of seven, returns to Man Up for part two of his conversation on his book Family Unfriendly: How Our Culture Made Raising Kids Much Harder Than It Needs to Be. Joe and Tim tackle walkable neighborhoods, extended family and church community, screens and social media, stay-at-home parenting, and why Israel's birth rate defies every economic prediction. It's a hope-filled, practical case for why choosing a bigger family — and a culture that supports one — might be the most countercultural act of virtue a Catholic man can make today.
Tim Carney is back for round two, and this conversation goes even deeper into his book Family Unfriendly: How Our Culture Made Raising Kids Much Harder Than It Needs to Be. Tim is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he researches civil society, family, localism, religion in America, and economic policy. He's also a husband and father of six seven — and a recent speaker at the Forge Conference.
Picking up where they left off last week, Joe and Tim work through the back half of the book chapter by chapter:
Walkability & the "Cheaper by the Dozen" Reality
Tim's hot take: "If you want fecundity in the sheets, you need walkability in the streets." Cities built around cars — not sidewalks and playgrounds — make raising kids exhausting. Tim also makes the case that hand-me-downs, shared bedrooms, and one-income households aren't sacrifices to dread but genuine advantages for kids learning to live outside themselves.
It Takes a Village (Even If Hillary Said It First)
The nuclear family is necessary but not sufficient. Grandparents, parishes, neighbors, and little leagues all play an irreplaceable role — and the decline of church attendance and community involvement is one of the biggest threats to family life today.
Policy, Israel, and What Actually Moves the Needle
Tim unpacks proposals like a "baby bonus" for new parents, and explains why Israel — not the wealthiest or most educated nation — has the highest birth rate among developed countries. His answer: culture and religion, not economics, are the real drivers.
Screens, Social Media, and Protecting Your Kids
A stark warning: unrestricted phone and social media access does more damage to a child's formation than anything imaginable a generation ago. Tim calls it what it is — an invasive species in the garden of your home.
The Case for Stay-at-Home Moms
Tim makes a data-backed, non-judgmental case for why society benefits when more moms can stay home — and why the "universal daycare" solution politicians push misses what many families actually want.
Ending on Hope
Tim closes with a powerful reframe: children are both a sign of hope and a cause of it. The more kids we have, the more hope we have — and the more hope we have, the more kids we're willing to welcome.
📖 Pick up Tim Carney's book, Family Unfriendly: How Our Culture Made Raising Kids Much Harder Than It Needs to Be, wherever books are sold.
Catch up on Part 1 of this conversation on the Man Up podcast feed if you missed last week's episode.
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