children can be seen as a form of investment. as tuition rises, perhaps not a very good one. but the more earning power I have the more likely I'll be to coup my mother up in a room downstairs, when I have a family. she probably has enough money now but the point holds. a lifelong laborer at Taco Bell wouldn't even be able to provide our dead zero man with free tacos: I doubt those poor souls even get an employee discount on the meals.
sh**t man, I get free tacos at my local Taco Bell all the time and I'm just a loyal and polite customer. I'd rather the kids work at Subway though and bring that home instead.