no, absolutely not. i find it's easier to list the three big reasons why in separate parts so i'll just do that;
cost: this should be obvious. children are expensive. but i think it's really hard to comprehend just how expensive they are. if you see yourself as the type of parent that travels a lot (in the US, at least), you're given a bit of leeway by some airlines because up until the age of two years old, your toddler can ride for free. but that's not an excuse to slack, you better save that money, because once your little one(s) hit the magical number two, the costs of travel is going to be ridiculous.
but let's say you're not the type of person to travel a lot. maybe once a year, if even that. you're far from out of the woods, because the early stages of raising a child seem to be the most nightmareish. do you and your significant other decide to put your kid into daycare? past that, what about early education? do you decide to go private school, charter school, homeschool, or public? what about school supplies? i suppose the light at the end of the tunnel is that some parents have found a way to save as far as shopping for clothes is concerned: they typically shop a size bigger, at least that way their kid can naturally grow into it and they'll save money over the long term. but the cost doesn't stop there, because depending on how ravenous your kid(s) end up being, the cost of food is going to have to factor into the budget, as well. not to mention doctor's visits (unless you have REALLY good insurance) and all of that stuff. pretty sure there's more that im missing here but that's about a lot of the trouble that i hear single moms go through a lot, and their troubles are magnified for obvious reasons.
freedom: even if i won a million bucks tomorrow, my decision still wouldn't change because of this in particular. every waking minute and hour is going to be spent thinking about the kids. sleep is going to be utterly destroyed. whatever free time one has is going to be laughably tiny. going out with friends? better hope the SO is good with watching the kid or that they dont have any plans of their own. if so, better work something out or hire a babysitter, which factors into the whole cost thing. the point being here is that, for the first decade and change of raising a child from birth, good luck finding any semblance of free time or having to spend any time by yourself. with some management with a significant other, this can work (i'm not saying it can't, obviously), but that doesn't mean the difficulty isn't present.
i'm the type of person that takes my freedom very seriously. i like to go where i want, when i want. sometimes i make spontaneous plans to go out for a walk, or maybe go windowshopping here and there. i like to be responsible for myself cause goodness knows i go through enough in life as it is. so yeah, kids definitely would get in the way of that.
capability: this is going to be kind of a touchy one... but not everyone is going to be cut out to be a parent. that's the hard truth of the matter. imo having a kid should be something that has, on some level, a long degree of thought put into it. i'm talking like, years before it even happens. i feel people need to plan their lives out years in advance and need to have their job secured for about that period of time in order to feel comfortably safe raising kids in a healthy enough environment. but even if those "requirements" are met, not everyone has the temperament or the patience or the parental skills or honestly the all around capability to raise a child. it's going to be stressful, it's going to be frustrating and tiring. it's just going to be a very unhealthy environment for the child if BOTH parents arent fully prepare for whats to come.
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this is not to say that im turning a blind eye to the positives. i know there are long term benefits to it all. throughout the stress and tiredness of everything, seeing your kid make it through life is something i imagine would be one of the most proud moments a parent could have. but for me personally, the stress of getting to that point is not something i think i can handle, and i think more people would do well to consider whether or not they would really make good parents for the long run. it's not a bad thing to say that you won't be. it's far better to not raise children at all than to be woefully underprepared and have the kid suffer as a result. for me personally, i'm fine enough looking after myself and the freedom that comes with that.
