[rklaehn]

Yes, this is very true. If you listen to some people you would think that once you have kids your life is basically over. You will never be able to spend any time on yourself anymore.

This is just not true - at least if you refuse to become an extreme helicopter parent.

I have four kids. I had a ~10 year break where I very rarely made it to parties and music festivals, and my life was mostly work and kids. I had a great time and have never regretted my decision to have kids, but there were some things I missed.

Now we start doing these things again, sometimes with the kids, sometimes because the kids are big enough to be alone or because we can afford a babysitter.

Here is one egoistic argument for having kids: the world is going to become very confusing in a decade or two. There will come the time where you can't keep up anymore. Then you will be happy to have somebody that loves you unconditionally that can make decisions for you. I trust my kids way more to take care of me when I am old and confused than any institution or person motivated by money.

[wink]

I don't think that's a 100% yes or no argument (especially not beforehand( but I'd say I know more parents that are actually really hard to get a hold of since the first kid, as in... you try to work with their schedule and there's nothing and then you basically stop seeing them unless you'd live close by and have kids the same age.

Might be an atypical case here but it's my experience.