[nf3]

> It would cost me more than I could bear

That's one way of looking at it. Parenting had changed me profoundly for the better, and even though I made horrible mistakes as a parent (as most people do I guess) I've also managed to significantly improve many shitty aspects of my personality.

I think in parenting most of all you learn to give, without hesitation, without thinking too much, you just give to you kids whatever they demand, out of your unconditional love for them.

Besides, if you wish to become a happier person, kids are such an amazing source of joy and hope! Oftentimes kids can see things much more clearly than adults, they have their own kind of intelligence and reasoning and we adults have much to learn from them.

There are many more "selfish" reasons to have kids. If you do it right and develop affective relationships with them as they grow up, they'll take good care of you when you grow old and frail, and your grand kids will bring you even more joy and entertainment! I don't think it's much fun to be old and alone...

[01HNNWZ0MV43FF]

I gotta admit it's tempting. If I 100% knew I didn't want kids I may not come here to argue about it.

> I think in parenting most of all you learn to give, without hesitation, without thinking too much, you just give to you kids whatever they demand, out of your unconditional love for them.

The thing is, I tried to practice that with my ex-partner, and in the end it did not work. After several years of taking care of them I gave up and we had a divorce that was relatively peaceful except they don't want to stay friends with me, which hurts but is outside my control.

I don't know if I want to roll the dice on a kid who never grows up and never stops needing me.

Just between you and me, on this anonymous account, most of my potential romantic partners would need someone to take care of them. I don't want to have a kid-kid and an adult kid both needing my constant care in the same household.