This post is so condescending. You not only tell people their ambitions outside of raising children are childish, but then go on to exclaim how much they'll regret by not having children because of some advantageous perspective change.
This is worse than listening to the rust evangelicals.
The post is entirely about parents, including the last paragraph. There’s no commentary at all about people who choose not to have kids.
To rephrase the core message: once one decides to become a parent (the kid is born, it’s irreversible), one has access to opportunities for new types of experiences and emotional fulfillment. Acknowledging that, and taking advantage of it, is a powerful way to have a positive experience as a parent.
Here’s an analogy: you decide to move from an apartment in the city to a nice house out near the mountains. At the nice new house, you realize you can’t order in Thai food, you can’t pop down to the corner store for a coffee and muffin, you can’t decide to go see a show at the last minute. A lot of the conveniences and advantages of the big city are gone.
But you can see the stars at night. You can walk in the woods and see deer. You can be mountain biking or skiing in 30 minutes from your door. New opportunities, different experiences are there for you. Accessing and appreciating those experiences is the key to enjoying your new living arrangements.
Some people miss the old city stuff too much, or under-appreciate the new stuff, and they move back closer to the city after a year or two.
Stepping out of the metaphor… that’s not really an option with a kid. Parenthood is a decision you can’t reverse. So it’s even more important to work on finding and enjoying what is new and different in life as a parent.
That does not imply that everyone should have kids. More like: advice for those who already do.
This is worse than listening to the rust evangelicals.