[BeetleB]

> How do you weigh the joy and meaning many people find in having a family against the economic and time freedom costs?

That's a very presumptuous question.

I don't know if the original commenter has kids or a family, but I can assure you that not everyone finds as much joy in it as you may. You can easily end up with a kid that just hates your guts, and is problematic in many other ways to boot.