This comment is not meant to be derogatory, but I've always thought of "having a child" as being right up there in the same mental-category as "committing murder".
(e.g I've sometimes considered it as an option, but realised that you would have to live with the consequences FOREVER. Once you've done it, you've done it! No going back!)
I don't think I could cope with (nor have the desire to) change my lifestyle in such a radical way. It took me 5 years before I would even commit to marriage!
I agree that there is an awful lot of 'social pressure', and (from my wife's family) that we have somehow 'failed' them, by not including THEIR aspirations in OUR decision!
I see 'not having children' as being every bit as natural as 'having children'. My wife once had a friend describe her decision as "selfish", which I thought was ironic as my wife is a teacher, and is pretty unselfish in helping to raise other people's children!
It's a simple case of "horses for courses". I can think of nothing worse than living in a world where we all wanted the same things!
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