I see a lot of commentary, especially on Lemmy and Reddit, about how awful children are and how wonderful adulthood without kids is. And if you don’t want them, more power to you.
On the other hand, many people are parents and love having children! I want to hear some of the positive stories. What about being a parent makes your life better? What’s your favorite thing about your kids?
Don’t get me wrong, it is very trying and requires a ton of resources in time, money, and patience. But… developing a person is a neat experience. It is good for evaluating your own thoughts as they form their own. It is genuinely fun often. They are varying degrees of hilarious throughout childhood. They bring pride. They are often good interlocutors and they love. Hopefully they contribute to the world.
In addition, it has a big impact on social life, which can be good. You meet other people, have a good idea of how the world is from the perspective of youth, and you participate in events one otherwise wouldn’t.