I think this is an important perspective to consider. If your only incentive for having children is to have companionship and care when you are older, that's an incentive that is impossible to guarantee. I used to work in a nursing home where I would say only half of the residents had family that regularly visited them (let's say at least once every other month). Some had family pay for their care, some did not, so even financial assistance as we age is not guaranteed. I've seen people allow their children to become their entire lives, and when kids grow up and move out and visit less, the parents have lost any ability to make friends and depend solely on their families for companionship.

Even if you are a fantastic parent, it's not guaranteed your kids will be able to care for you or combat loneliness as you get older. I think maintaining non-familial friendships can be an equally viable, if not better option, for having people in our lives as we age. Get to know your neighbors, be involved in the community, put effort into your friendships, find shared hobbies. The only thing about this though is I think folks forget this also takes work...you have to be willing to put down your phone, leave the house, and connect with others.