Costa Ricans love children, and the society as a whole is more kid-friendly than the United States. Even unplanned children are cherished, and motherhood is still seen here as a woman’s highest calling. Many family decisions—like where to live—are heavily influenced by what would be best for the children.
Ticos are indulgent parents, and kids are often given a lot of freedom, their misdeeds ignored. An interesting historical explanation of this phenomenon is offered up in The Ticos: “Until half a century ago, many children died very young, and parents let small children enjoy what might be a brief stay on earth. Infants and toddlers are still allowed much free rein.”
  If you move here with kids, you’ll be in the majority—almost all Costa Rican couples have children—and you will have an edge in making friends with locals. An expat mother in San José told me that her social life consisted mostly of children’s birthday parties, where the kids would go outside and play and the mothers would stay inside, gossip, and eat cake.