Well, if you ask me personally about my opinion, then I think, that it would be a sad world, if all we could draw some "new life energy" from is children. We are already too many on this planet. Best we find other things to draw new life energy from. For example as a pensioner one could help other people's kids learn stuff. One could work a little in an animal shelter. One could mentor younger people. One could write down ones knowledge in some kind of document, maybe book. One could continue to do a little honorary work. One could try to organize a political discussion group to further democracy. Lots of things pensioners can do to still take part in society and have positive impact.
> I think most people will say that having kids was the best thing in their life because it truly feels that way to them.
That is actually what I wrote: They might truly believe it:
> Also people need to justify their own past decisions to themselves and might really believe, that it was the best decision they made.
I personally would be totally fine with helping my friends and their children out, by teaching their children math or chess or computer programming or something like that, once they are in that age. I could then see the fruits of those efforts, as they deal with school and education. Maybe I can even manage to teach them in a way, that they get good grades and have a great future. They do not have to be my children for me to see fruits of the work put in to raise them. I am not really a fan of having to swap diapers though.
But that's all me and others might be, and likely are, different.
That is kind of the point as well: Different people can have different things in life that make them happy. Children is not a one-fits-all solution.
And just to be clear: It is fine when people see their children as their thing in life. Their choice! Good if it works for them.
I do not think of raising children as the same kind of work, but I do think it is considerable work, which many people get into, without being fully aware, just how stressful it might make the next decade of their life.
> I think most people will say that having kids was the best thing in their life because it truly feels that way to them.
That is actually what I wrote: They might truly believe it:
> Also people need to justify their own past decisions to themselves and might really believe, that it was the best decision they made.
I personally would be totally fine with helping my friends and their children out, by teaching their children math or chess or computer programming or something like that, once they are in that age. I could then see the fruits of those efforts, as they deal with school and education. Maybe I can even manage to teach them in a way, that they get good grades and have a great future. They do not have to be my children for me to see fruits of the work put in to raise them. I am not really a fan of having to swap diapers though.
But that's all me and others might be, and likely are, different.
That is kind of the point as well: Different people can have different things in life that make them happy. Children is not a one-fits-all solution.
And just to be clear: It is fine when people see their children as their thing in life. Their choice! Good if it works for them.
I do not think of raising children as the same kind of work, but I do think it is considerable work, which many people get into, without being fully aware, just how stressful it might make the next decade of their life.