Since I run a pet boarding facility, I see all the time how ecstatic pets are when their people come to pick them up. I also tutored students in the past, and I saw the indifferent or sour faces the kids gave their parents when they were picked up. Most of my clients have pets and kids and they tell me they are more worried about leaving their pets somewhere under someone else's care than they are about leaving their kids with someone else.

Thanks, I needed that.

Definitely the fluffy bundle, but that's with the benefit of hindsight unfortunately.

My wife and I had 2 children each and we love them deeply and without reservation ... but we both agree that we wish we had gone the childless route. It's too much life force sucked out, too much thankless sacrifice, for way too uncertain an outcome. And it's not like the world needed the extra people.

Also, frankly, if they weren't our kids, and I were a total stranger to them, I'd judge the four of them collectively to be, charitably, a wash in terms of a net plus for society. Since we're nothing special, that's about all two flawed people can hope for, is not to add to the mayhem. But don't tell me most hopeful and idealistic young people don't think in the back of their minds that having children is a big part of making the world a better place. Just the hubris of youth guarantees they'll think they'll do better than their parents. And to that notion, I can only say AH HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!