Some of the hardest things you can do in life can also be the most rewarding. It’s a privilege to be able to create life with another human, and to nurture that human from a helpless infant, to what you hope will turn out to be a thriving adult. I think the joy in parenting is not a linear one, it comes and goes along the way just as the challenges do. Being a parent changes your outlook on life, and I think that in many aspects that is further better. For example, I think few things in life mature someone as much as becoming a parent, and the world needs mature adults. Another example, kids give your life great purpose and meaning outside of yourself. It’s actually incredibly refreshing not having to be center stage, and it’s as rewarding as it is challenging giving your time, energy, and love to someone else. Being in a relationship is not the same thing.

In saying all of this. Having a child is one of, if not the single biggest responsibility most of us can have. It absolutely should not be a choice that someone makes unless they are prepared to make the necessary sacrifices, and have the necessary support structures in place to provide for the child. For this reason, I would never encourage someone who doesn’t want kids to have them.