How are parental resources (i.e. time and money) distributed among their children? With this simulation model it is possible to explore how this distribution is influenced by family constellations and investment strategies.

The first three scenarios focus only on the distribution of time. Starting with a very simplified scenario (in which children are born in equal intervals of four years) you can see how the number of children influences the resources available to them. Next you can try how the distance between births affects the distribution. Then, to make things more realistic, it is possible to choose how resources are allocated. This might be a totally equal distribution at every time step, that the firstborn gets the vast bulk (as was standard still a few decades ago), that older siblings help their parents and take care of their younger siblings or that resources are distributed according to the children’s age-specific needs.

Finally, in the fourth scenario, money enters the stage. You can now specify the families’ social setting including if there are one or two parents in the household, how high their income is and how much time they spend in work. Having time or money is of course a trade-off, thus parents earning less have to work overtime which means that they can spend less time with their kids.