Can having a baby be a mistake?

Answer 1

Annecdotally, many people come to find that having children was the "right" choice. There does seem to be a small but significant minority of people who either regret having children or are happy to have lived their lives "child-free." NOT having children goes against our Biology (we're animals, after all).

The most I have been able to deduce from my research is this:

1. It is not uncommon for (some) men to fear having children; much less so for women (especially women in their mid 30s).
2. Of the men in #1, they quite often "give in" to their significant other's wants for children
3. Having children is a lifestyle change. One might love their children, but hate their lifestyle change.
4. People will come up with mostly unsatisfactory answers for why one should have children. Ignore them because they'll never unerstand how you could consider NOT having a cuddly-wuddly-wittle-baby. They're annoying, but they're obviously happy. Be happy for them, but don't listen to their circular, irrational arguments/explanations.
5. Human beings, as far as I can tell, are the only animals who have children simply because they want children. In the wild, children are a result of a lust for sex.
6. Re. #5, humans in some parts of the world still have children as a matter of practicality - they need hands to help the family raise the animals or work the fields.

In the end, having a child could be a "mistake." Or it might not be a mistake. Or it might be right this year but wrong for you next year. The problem is, once you make the choice to have kids, it's damn near impossible to change your mind (if you have any sort of conscience whatsoever).