[giardini]

vasaulys says> "I think making the decision to have kids instills a bit of discipline to get something stable in life."

I think this is not necessarily so. However...

I've seen a number of persons who have children and who believe your statement (or similar statements, e.g., "Having kids makes you more responsible", etc.) to be true.

And so they promote/hire a younger person who has chosen to pursue a family path rather than a more qualified person with a superior skill set.