[watwut]

I assure you that taking care of a family does not make you independent. Regardless of who the family member to care about is. I am quite pro "you should be helping family" and as such I am fully aware that caregivers are giving up quite a lot. And in particular, having kids makes you much more dependent and limited then whatever was your life before them. That goes for those who stayed at home and depend on partner for everything, those who are primary breadwinner focusing on work only and for those who juggle childcare with work.

As for owning property instead of renting, that one is massively more influenced by whether you can afford to buy a property or rent. Renting requires much less money and that is all there is to it. Neither makes you more or less satisfied in life.