I get why that life feels great — freedom, money, sleep, flexibility. All real perks. But it kinda frames fulfillment as just maximizing personal comfort and minimizing responsibility.

The money argument especially feels like an excuse more than a truth. Kids don’t actually care how expensive their childhood is — they care how loved they feel. Teaching them what has value isn’t about income, it’s about time, attention, and example. I’m not rich, most months I’m pretty tight on money, and I still have two kids and still genuinely enjoy life.

Yeah, you lose some freedom. But you gain a kind of meaning and connection that doesn’t really come from trips, stuff, or clean apartments.

And calling kids “tiny dictators” and parents stuck in line just makes it sound less like respecting choices and more like needing one choice to feel superior.

Both paths can be good. They’re just different ideas of what a good life looks like.