On Deciding to be a Parent

hi all.I'm a pretty maternal woman who is not going to be having kids any time soon (I'm 19) and I always assumed I'd have kids, because it's the ""natural order"". I won't delve too much into that because we all know what it means.Anyway, I've kind of been thinking about having kids more seriously and what it takes to decide to be a parent (if you get the choice -- some people have happy accidents!).What ARE the benefits of having kids, from the perspective of the sentient creature you've produced?I've heard it all before, from a parent's experience of child-rearing being a fulfilling, magical, curious thing -- getting to see what your mixed DNA looks like. BUT, what do you think are the benefits of bringing a child into this world? Based on what you've seen with your kids?Because that's probably the only reason that puts me on a fence -- could I be creating needless potential suffering because I wanted a baby? For my own pleasure?DO the pros outweigh the cons? Or vice versa?Any and all replies would be so appreciated :) via /r/Parenting https://ift.tt/2zqDxHJ