Having a family increases the risk factors too. Kids can incur significant medical expenses which a more traditional job at a big company might be able to cover.
Children always change the whole situation. It is simple for an adult or even two adults to live a minimalist lifestyle and take risks and cut back when they have to.
Once you have children, most people then have a goal of providing them with the best footing they can afford, which means stretching yourself thin on the house in the best possible neighborhood with the best possible schools and equipping the kids to do the best possible activities to maximize their chances of reaching the next level.
