[aconsult1]

In my experience this isn't true at all. Having kids really is a blank slate and it's up to you to decide how you want to raise yours. I do a lot of things different than my parents did to me, including being more thoughtful about being a good friend, not just their parents.

I didn't have the best experience with my parents either. Not that I hated them but they never felt like friends to me. My kids will decide how they feel about me when they get older but I'll do everything in my power to let them know that I'm genuinely interested in being friends with them.

I'm sorry you didn't have good memories with your parents but I came here to say that this should not be an excuse to not having kids if that's something that you're considering.

[notch656a]

Even if you want to be a different parent than your parents, it can be difficult to change the course when you don't have that experience to draw off of. You're both genetically and culturally the product of your parents, and naturally any perceived negativity about your parents has an influence that commonly pushes you towards that direction. It's not unusual to read stories of people who had abusive parents, that then went on to abuse their child, even though they never wanted to be that way. While we can make conscious choices, it's doubtful you have complete free will to separate from genetic and culture tendencies.

[xvedejas]

I don't think it's an excuse to not having kids, but I do think generally I have yet to find an excuse to have kids. So far it doesn't interest me. But still, I do wonder whether there's a good reason for that.

[aconsult1]

I relate to your current state of mind. I wasn't sure either before I had my first child. I didn't particularly like kids, but wondered what would it be like.

Then I had my first child by accident at 33 and it was by far the best thing that ever happened to me. I'm glad I didn't wait longer to decide rationally to have kids.

I can confirm a lot of the comments in here are true, for good or bad. But most definitely an overall good experience with love and fun trumping some minor annoyances.

(Writing this at 3am while my 3yrs old struggles to sleep in between me and wife)